For decades, college radio has been served as a lifeline for students. In the cluttered hallways of impossibly small radio stations across the United States, young people have found deep cuts and developed lifelong friendships. Nowhere is this more true that KUGS-FM in Bellingham.
Perched atop Western Washington University’s student union, KUGS has been a second home to thousands of students. At KUGS, people of all ages have taken on the responsibility of keeping the award-winning radio station on the air and free of FCC violations. Behind the board or searching the stacks of albums, we have learned new skills, developed a sense of self, and yes, discovered some truly exceptional new bands. And most of us did it as unpaid volunteers. Because we loved it. And because we wanted to learn more.
KUGS alumni have gone on to do great things. They’re musicians, media professionals, lawyers, doctors, elected officials, and community leaders. And a lot of them credit their time at KUGS for helping make it happen.
But with the cost of college ever on the rise, it’s getting harder and harder for students—particularly those who are first-generation students, from nontraditional backgrounds, or who are working their way through school—to make time to volunteer. This creates an equity gap—when school is too expensive, only kids with privilege are able to access spaces that require volunteering.
We believe that is unacceptable. KUGS should be available to anyone who wants to find a home at the station. This is why we’re helping to create a scholarship fund.
The money from this scholarship fund would go toward helping students who want to volunteer at KUGS or even take on a staff role, but might not be able to due to financial constraints. We believe that students should be able to have the experience of being part of something with so much history and so much potential.
We are seeking at least $25,000 to establish an endowed KUGS scholarship. Endowments are great because they create a permanent, sustainable funding source for scholarships.
Donations will create a principal fund held by the WWU Foundation to be held in perpetuity. Interest income from that fund will go towards scholarship(s) for student volunteers and/or staff based on financial need.
WWU requires at least $25,000 to create an endowment, so ultimately we are hoping to raise at least that amount. However, the larger the fund, the more scholarships it can provide! WWU endowment scholarships typically award scholarships of 4% of the fund each year. Interest earned above that amount is reinvested into the endowment to help it grow, minus a 1.5% gift assessment to help with administration of the fund.
Rank | Prize | Department | Gifts |
---|---|---|---|
1 | $1,000 | Men's Rowing | 223 |
2 | $1,000 | WWU Volleyball | 183 |
3 | $1,000 | WWU Racing | 146 |
4 | $1,000 | WWU Symphony Orchestra Vienna-Prague Tour 2020 | 128 |
5 | $1,000 | Computer Science | 83 |
6 | MSCM & Operations | 79 | |
7 | Marketing Department | 76 | |
8 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 69 | |
9 | Ice Hockey | 66 | |
10 | WWU AS Food Pantry | 60 | |
11 | Accounting Department | 53 | |
12 | Western Washington University | 53 | |
13 | Men's Soccer | 49 | |
14 | Cross Country & Track and Field | 40 | |
15 | KUGS Scholarship | 39 | |
16 | Chemistry Department | 37 | |
17 | Robert and Bess Christman Scholarship | 37 | |
18 | Honors Program | 35 | |
19 | Honoring Nancy Johnson! | 34 | |
20 | Psychology | 32 | |
21 | Education and Social Justice Minor | 32 | |
22 | College of Business and Economics | 30 | |
23 | Women's Ultimate | 30 | |
24 | MBA Program | 29 | |
25 | Western Libraries Heritage Resources | 29 | |
26 | WWU Wakeboard Team | 26 | |
27 | Music Department | 25 | |
28 | Millie Johnson Puzzle Hunt Fund | 25 | |
29 | Child Development Center | 25 | |
30 | International Business Program | 23 | |
31 | Women's Basketball | 22 | |
32 | Scholarships and Diversity Initiatives | 22 | |
33 | Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies | 22 | |
34 | Physics and Astronomy | 22 | |
35 | Geology | 22 | |
36 | Woodring College of Education | 19 | |
37 | English Department | 19 | |
38 | Management Information Systems | 19 | |
39 | Huxley College of the Environment | 19 | |
40 | WWU Tennis Club | 19 | |
41 | LGBTQ+ Western | 18 | |
42 | Shannon Point Marine Center | 18 | |
43 | Best Buddies | 18 | |
44 | Men's Lacrosse | 17 | |
45 | Modern and Classical Languages | 17 | |
46 | History Department | 16 | |
47 | Piper Carr's Guitar Matching Fund | 15 | |
48 | Ray Wolpow Institute | 15 | |
49 | Linguistics | 15 | |
50 | Western Libraries | 15 | |
51 | Engineering and Design | 14 | |
52 | Men's Basketball | 14 | |
53 | Biology | 14 | |
54 | Adoptees Club | 14 | |
55 | Dance | 13 | |
56 | Environmental Sciences Department | 13 | |
57 | Journalism | 13 | |
58 | Undocumented Student Support | 13 | |
59 | Western GAP Scholarship | 12 | |
60 | Elementary Education Department | 12 | |
61 | Environmental Studies Department | 12 | |
62 | WWU Career Closet | 12 | |
63 | Marion Van Nostrand Scholarship | 11 | |
64 | Nursing | 11 | |
65 | Sociology | 11 | |
66 | Economics | 11 | |
67 | Veteran Services | 11 | |
68 | Finance Department | 11 | |
69 | AMSEC | 11 | |
70 | Graduate School | 10 | |
71 | Art and Art History Department | 10 | |
72 | Club Wrestling | 10 | |
73 | Mathematics | 9 | |
74 | College of Science and Engineering | 9 | |
75 | Environmental Toxicology Program | 9 | |
76 | Political Science | 9 | |
77 | Living Snow Project | 9 | |
78 | Bellingham Review | 9 | |
79 | Communication Sciences and Disorders | 8 | |
80 | Design Department | 8 | |
81 | Women's Water Polo | 8 | |
82 | Student Technology Center's Booster Fund | 8 | |
83 | Sailing Team | 8 | |
84 | College of Fine and Performing Arts | 8 | |
85 | Anthropology | 8 | |
86 | Western Gallery | 8 | |
87 | Liberal Studies | 8 | |
88 | Womxn of Color Empowerment Scholarship Fund | 8 | |
89 | Equestrian | 8 | |
90 | Women's Lacrosse | 7 | |
91 | Woodring College of Education Scholarships | 7 | |
92 | WWU Climbing Team | 7 | |
93 | Communication Studies | 7 | |
94 | Theatre Arts | 7 | |
95 | Quidditch | 7 | |
96 | WWU's Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programs | 6 | |
97 | Philosophy | 6 | |
98 | Health and Human Development | 6 | |
99 | Men's Rugby | 6 | |
100 | Educational Administration Program | 6 | |
101 | Canadian-American Studies | 6 | |
102 | WWU Chess Club | 6 | |
103 | Ethnic Student Center | 6 | |
104 | WWU Student Chapter of NSTA | 6 | |
105 | Filipino-American Student Association (FASA) | 6 | |
106 | Young Democrats of WWU | 6 | |
107 | Women's Soccer | 5 | |
108 | Rowing | 5 | |
109 | Alpha Kappa Psi Omega Beta | 5 | |
110 | Huxley Graduate Programs | 5 | |
111 | Compass to Campus | 5 | |
112 | Institute for Energy Studies | 5 | |
113 | College of Humanities and Social Sciences | 5 | |
114 | Women's Volleyball Sport Club | 5 | |
115 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | 5 | |
116 | Dead Parrots Society | 5 | |
117 | Other | 4 | |
118 | Water Skiing | 4 | |
119 | Salish Sea Institute | 4 | |
120 | WWU Club Golf Team | 4 | |
121 | Hillel of WWU | 4 | |
122 | Center for Education Equity & Diversity | 4 | |
123 | NeRDS | 4 | |
124 | Endowed Professorship in Jewish History | 3 | |
125 | WISE Scholarship | 3 | |
126 | CBE Investment Management and Scholarship Fund | 3 | |
127 | Men's Golf | 3 | |
128 | WWU Speech and Hearing Clinic | 3 | |
129 | Small Business Development Center | 3 | |
130 | Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education | 3 | |
131 | Viking Athletics | 3 | |
132 | Men's Water Polo | 3 | |
133 | Special Education | 3 | |
134 | Softball | 3 | |
135 | Baile de WWU | 3 | |
136 | WCE Promise Scholarships for Students of Color | 3 | |
137 | WWU Fly Fishing Club | 3 | |
138 | National Society of Black Engineers | 3 | |
139 | Bellingham Order of the Saber | 3 | |
140 | Fencing | 3 | |
141 | Figure Skating | 3 | |
142 | Women's Rugby | 3 | |
143 | Human Services Program | 3 | |
144 | MK Advantages of Learning Differently Scholarship | 2 | |
145 | Dr. Elena Pereyra Peach Award Scholarship | 2 | |
146 | Institute for Global Engagement | 2 | |
147 | Morse Institute for Leadership | 2 | |
148 | East Asian Studies | 2 | |
149 | Center for Pacific Northwest Studies | 2 | |
150 | Bennerstorm Prize | 2 | |
151 | Women's Golf | 2 | |
152 | WWU Outdoor Center | 2 | |
153 | Adult and Higher Education Program | 2 | |
154 | Student Services and Programs | 2 | |
155 | Black Womxn Revolutionary Group | 2 | |
156 | Huxley College on the Peninsulas | 2 | |
157 | International Business Network Club | 2 | |
158 | Freeride Ski and Snowboard Team | 2 | |
159 | Equity and Diversity Committee | 2 | |
160 | AS Clubs | 2 | |
161 | Sandberg Scholarship | 1 | |
162 | Dr. Lina Zeine Scholarship | 1 | |
163 | Joann Otto Microscope Endowment Fund | 1 | |
164 | Manis Family Scholarship | 1 | |
165 | Lillie Mae Witherspoon Minority Scholarship | 1 | |
166 | Brian K. and Lori L. Burton Fund for Innovation | 1 | |
167 | Willis Ball Memorial Scholarship | 1 | |
168 | Hearing Aid Bank | 1 | |
169 | Vassdal Design Scholarship | 1 | |
170 | Dina Benedetti Scholarship Endowment | 1 | |
171 | Frank Punches Memorial Endowment Fund | 1 | |
172 | FACET | 1 | |
173 | Science, Math and Technology Education | 1 | |
174 | Donald B. McLeod Scholarship Endowment | 1 | |
175 | Rich and Stephanie Bowers Endowment | 1 | |
176 | Timothy Crossan Memorial Fund | 1 | |
177 | Swimming | 1 | |
178 | James B. and Angela Rhoads Scholarship | 1 | |
179 | Exercise Science Lab | 1 | |
180 | Ralph Munro Institute | 1 | |
181 | The Jazz Project Scholarship | 1 | |
182 | WWU Judo Club | 1 | |
183 | Western Community Outreach | 1 | |
184 | Mountain Environments Research Institute | 1 | |
185 | Native American Student Union | 1 | |
186 | Student Ambassador Scholarship | 1 | |
187 | NAMI on Campus WWU | 1 | |
188 | Cheerleading | 1 | |
189 | Office of Sustainability | 1 | |
190 | Business and Sustainability Program | 1 | |
191 | KM Fund for Holocaust and Genocide Studies | 1 | |
192 | Ershig Assistive Technology Resource Center | 1 | |
193 | Students for Public Education | 1 | |
194 | The SEA Discovery Center | 0 | |
195 | Ted Pratt Scholarship | 0 | |
196 | Special Collections | 0 | |
197 | WWU National Science Teachers Association Chapter | 0 | |
198 | Arts Enterprise and Cultural Innovation | 0 | |
199 | Baseball Sport Club | 0 | |
200 | Campus Recreation | 0 | |
201 | Cascadia Climbers | 0 | |
202 | Cycling | 0 | |
203 | Extended Education | 0 | |
204 | Institute for Watershed Studies | 0 | |
205 | Khmer Student Association (KhSA) | 0 | |
206 | Management | 0 | |
207 | Men's Ultimate | 0 | |
208 | Men's Volleyball | 0 | |
209 | Parents and Families | 0 | |
210 | Rehabilitation Counseling Program | 0 | |
211 | Secondary Education Department | 0 | |
212 | The Journal of Educational Controversy | 0 | |
213 | Vietnamese Student Association | 0 | |
214 | Woodring Peer Mentors | 0 |