SALEM — A $6 million gift from Salem State University alumna Kim Gassett-Schiller and her husband, Philip Schiller, will be used to assist seniors in overcoming their final financial hurtle before graduation.
The donation represents the largest cash gift ever made to one of the Commonwealth’s nine state universities.
Salem State plans to use most of the funds, or $5 million, to establish the Viking Completion Grant Endowment, which will launch this year and benefit 50 to 75 undergraduate students every year in perpetuity.
The endowment is aimed at providing another resource to help students complete their degrees. It will help students holistically, both through direct financial aid and additional one-on-one support, according to SSU.
“It really will be transformational for our students. We have to get these students across the finish line,” said SSU President John Keenan. “When you think about the impact of COVID on our students and their families, this gift could not have come at a better time.”
“We started with seniors because they’re so close to the finish line,” added Bonnie Galinski, SSU interim vice president for enrollment management and marketing. “They’ve put time and money into their education and we want to make sure we get them to graduation. This gift is going to be a gamechanger for them.”
“We owe it to them,” noted Cheryl Crounse, executive director of the Salem State University Foundation. “This is the most critical point in their education to make sure that they can achieve the social mobility they want from a degree.”
Keenan said the grant bodes well for the university’s financial future. He hopes that students who complete their degrees will be successful and then “pay it forward” by giving back to the university.
“If we can solidify and stabilize our students and make sure that they’re successful, then that will help our bottom line as well,” he said.
The remaining $1 million provided through the couple’s gift will be used to fund two additional student resources, the Center for Academic Excellence and the Harold E. and Marilyn J. Gassett Fitness and Recreation Center. The funds will also enable the university flexibility to address its emerging priorities, according to SSU.
“No words could adequately describe our gratitude to Kim and Philip,” said Keenan of the Massachusetts-born couple who are currently living in California.
The first in her family to earn a college degree, Kim Gassett-Schiller graduated from SSU with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1983 and has contributed to the school ever since.
“It’s incredible. Her first year graduating she gave us a dollar a year,” said Keenan. “And now she is in a position to give us $6 million and make a difference for thousands of students on the North Shore.”
The Schillers have consistently contributed to Salem State initiatives over the years.
“When we learned that some Salem State students, who achieve so much and are so close to graduating, risk dropping out for financial reasons, we had to step up,” said Kim. “This gift will remove that risk and make earning a Salem State degree possible. We hope our gift will inspire others to support our students in any way.”
The couple’s past support has already helped former SSU students who struggled with financial hardships.
“I borrowed thousands of dollars in student loans and I paid my own tuition bill while I was in school,” said Leeanna Singleton, a 2019 SSU graduate who benefited from a scholarship fund that Kim and Philip created in 2013. “The generosity of the Gassett-Schiller family alleviated some of my financial hardships and allowed me to allocate more of my focus onto my studies. Their new support is incredible. It will help many, many students like me.”
