Feb. 17--Writer Harriet Heyman and her husband, venture capitalist Michael Moritz, have donated $50 million to expand University of Chicago programs for low-income students, the university announced Wednesday.
The donation provides half of the funding needed for an enhancement of the university's Odyssey Scholarship Program and Collegiate Scholars Program, which helps CPS students prepare and apply for college. Heyman and Moritz are challenging other donors to match their contribution within the next five years.
The Odyssey program, which began in 2007 with a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor known as Homer, eliminates loans and work-study requirements for low-income students. Since then, more than 3,500 students have been named Odyssey scholars, and the program has received 10,000 additional donations.
The donation from Moritz and Heyman, a U. of C. alumna and South Shore native who attended Chicago public schools, will help fund internship and study abroad opportunities for those students.
The donation also will allow for increased participation in the Collegiate Scholars Program from about 70 students to 108 students. The competitive three-year program places talented CPS students in summer classes at the university and provides leadership training and opportunities to visit colleges. Of the 479 program alumni, 70 percent have gone on to attend the nation's most selective schools, such as U. of C. and Harvard.
"Cultivating students' potential for exceptional achievement regardless of their economic circumstances has always been a central commitment of the University of Chicago," said President Robert J. Zimmer, in a news release from the university. "Harriet and Michael's transformative generosity reaffirms that principle and allows us to pursue an ambitious model of support for students of diverse backgrounds."
mmccall@tribpub.com
