Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritkzer fund Pritzker Traubert Scholars with $5 million gift
Chicago, IL - Loyola University Chicago today announced a $5 million gift from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation to establish the Pritzker Traubert Scholars, a scholarship for first-generation college students.
The gift will create a permanent scholarship fund for first-generation graduates of Loyola’s Arrupe College, the University’s associate’s degree program, to continue their education in a Loyola bachelor’s degree program with little or no debt. This fall five students with high financial need who have excelled academically at Arrupe will receive the scholarship.
Dr. Bryan Traubert joined Loyola’s Board of Trustees in 2020. He is Chairman of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation (PTF), which he founded with his wife Penny Pritzker in 2000 to play an active role in strengthening Chicago. Their foundation has focused on increasing economic opportunity in Chicago by investing in community-led development, building a more inclusive workforce and advancing initiatives that promote civic engagement.
“We are deeply grateful to Bryan, Penny, and the Pritzker Traubert Foundation for this investment in the future of Arrupe College graduates who seek to earn their bachelor’s degree at Loyola,” says Dr. Mark C. Reed, president of Loyola University Chicago. “The Arrupe College model proves that strategic investments in rigorous academics and intensive support programs for our students are preparing them for success in higher education and the workforce. This gift will expand opportunities for students from under-resourced backgrounds across Chicago to receive a Loyola education, achieve their bachelor’s degrees, and build rewarding careers.”
Pritzker Traubert Scholars will receive comprehensive academic, social, and career services, including mentorship, tutoring, and career coaching. Student supports like these, along with a culture of inclusivity and belonging, increase students’ likelihood of completing their degree.
“Loyola is a leader in successful approaches to expanding access for students facing high barriers to higher education. I am confident that our investment in Loyola and its students will provide needed support and access to an excellent education and strong careers. We believe that this opportunity will benefit the students, their families and the region for generations,” says Bryan Traubert.
Father Martin Connell, S.J., dean of Arrupe College, says the Pritzker Traubert Scholars widens the path to a four-year degree that Arrupe has been forging for nearly a decade. “We talk a lot about expanding access to higher education for students with fewer means, but this generous gift puts that mission into action. It will help these young people pursue and achieve the dreams they—and their families—have for them. The Loyola community will benefit from the experiences and backgrounds that the Pritzker Traubert Scholars will bring to the University as they go on to earn their bachelor’s degrees.”
Established in 2015, Arrupe College has become a leading model for two-year associate’s degree programs that provide students with a strong liberal arts foundation, at no or very low cost to them and their families. Arrupe is inspiring similar initiatives at institutions nationwide.
While 54 percent of America's undergraduates are the first in their family to attend college, only 20 percent complete a four-year degree. The completion rate jumps to nearly 50 percent for students from a household where at least one parent holds a bachelor's degree or higher. First-generation students also typically take on more debt to pay for their education and accumulate less wealth over their careers.
Results for Arrupe College graduates who go on to four-year degrees at Loyola are markedly higher than the six-year graduation rate for students who start at a two-year college: 77 percent compared to 43 percent nationally.