The Joyce Family Foundation has established a $2 million endowment to provide bursaries for students studying at Wilfrid Laurier University's new Milton campus.
The gift was announced during a celebration at Laurier's Milton Academic Centre on Nov. 12 with senior university leaders, students and members of the Joyce Family Foundation in attendance. Bursaries funded by the endowment will benefit students facing financial barriers to their education who have demonstrated an ability to overcome obstacles and adversity. Each year, up to 12 undergraduate students at Laurier's Milton campus will receive a $5,000 bursary, renewable for each year of their program. Students in all programs will be eligible to apply.
"We will now be able to offer many more bursaries to Milton campus students who may have otherwise struggled to access postsecondary education," said Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy. "We are deeply grateful to the Joyce Family Foundation. Thanks to this generous support, our Milton campus will be a place of hope and opportunity for so many young people."
The Joyce Family Foundation is a private, family foundation created by Ron Joyce, best known as the co-founder and entrepreneur behind the success of Tim Hortons. Joyce passed away in 2019, but his foundation continues to carry out his vision based in a deep-rooted sense of responsibility to give back to his community.
The board of the Joyce Family Foundation was very happy to establish a bursary program at Laurier's new campus, in support of its inaugural and future students, said Ed Lumley, board chair of the Joyce Family Foundation. "The renewable aspect of the bursary will allow recipients to persist, focus on their studies and realize greater potential and opportunities that lay before them with a Laurier education."
Laurier student leaders are grateful that the Joyce Family Foundation gift will help address challenges faced by students.
"At Laurier, we know we are not alone. We have a university community that really cares about our learning, our activities and our health," said Ben Jesseau, president, Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union. "And we have donors like the Joyce Family Foundation, which really cares about helping students make it to university and stay there."
"As a student leader in the first cohort of students studying at Laurier's Milton campus, I know I speak for many of my peers when I say we are truly grateful and excited to be here at this new campus," said Amilia Perdue, chair of Laurier's Milton Student Leadership Council. "Thank you to the Joyce Family Foundation for being a very important part of our futures."
Learn more about Laurier's Milton campus at wlu.ca/Milton.
