Highlander Family Network

1:1 Family Mentor
When you arrived at UC Riverside for the first time, did you have to learn everything the hard way? Did you have questions that took too long to answer? Do you wish you had a mentor? You could be that person to another family just starting out! If you’re interested in signing up to be in this role, reach out to the Director of Parent & Student Engagement!

Student Tutor
The university has a lot of amazing resources on campus to support students, but maybe you’re a specialist in your field! If you think you’d like to volunteer your time by mentoring students 1:1 or in small groups, reach out to the Director of Parent & Student Engagement, and they can connect you with the person in the right college/school!

Guest Speaker
Are you an expert at what you do? Do you have the time and passion to speak to our students about your career path or how their classes will help them in the field? Coming in for to offer your insights is a rewarding way to give back to the community and to share your passion with the next great minds.
If this is something you’d like more information about, reach out the Director of Parent & Student Engagement so they can connect you with the right person.

Internship Coordinator
Internships offer unique learning experiences that a classroom just can’t do. It provides our students with an opportunity to explore their possible career path and allows them to network in the professional world. If you work for an organization that is looking for interns, register on Highlander Handshake.
Check out the Career Center for more information. 

Give Days
Annually, UC Riverside hosts major days of giving to inspire and empower the leaders of tomorrow. Giving Tuesday (November) is a chance to show support for UCR as the entire Highlander community joins together on one day to raise money for our students and programs. Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends will make a gift of any size to the fund the program of their choice, and encourage others to give through email, social media, phone, or word of mouth. Our second major Give Day is the Wednesday/Thursday (noon to noon) in the spring. Each year, our goal is to have students, families, alumni, staff, and faculty past and present from all 50 states participate.  If you’d like to give, or learn more about other ways to give, you can review the Ways to Give page.

Give Days

Alumni Scholarships
There are several scholarships that are run and maintained by the alumni office. The office has scholarships open in the spring, summer, and fall, so make sure you let your student know to keep an eye on their MyUCR page regularly to see if they qualify for any scholarships. (Scholarships that students are eligible for automatically populate for eligible students on their MyUCR pages). If you want to donate to any of the scholarships that help our students achieve, the alumni office has offerings based on affinity (Black Alumni Chapter, Chicano Latino Alumni) and student status (freshman, former foster youth, transfer, reentry, and more!).

Alumni Scholarships
 

Scholarship Opportunities
Whether your student is a prospective student, a current undergraduate student, or a graduate student, we have an entire website to make the scholarship process easier. This index of on-campus scholarship funds is designed to make it easier for you to find the perfect scholarship that best fits your philanthropic priorities. Without scholarships, many of our students wouldn’t be able to attend university. If you’d like to give, you can find a scholarship that fits your needs to donate to by checking out the giving list of funds. We have affinity-based scholarships, needs-based scholarships, department-based scholarships, alumni-based scholarships, athletics-based scholarships, and many, many more. By typing in the key word of your choice, you can help make a student’s educational dreams come true.

Scholarship Opportunities
 

Athletics
UC Riverside offers several opportunities for giving to your athletic priorities. There’s a giving fund for every sport, tournament, and signature event we host. We also have specific endowments and scholarship named for our notable alumni and former chancellors. You can find out more by reviewing the funds for athletics.

Athletics
 

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
CHASS believes that our students should feel at home in the world. They have a scholarship dedicated to that philosophy, created by Dean Milagros Pena and Professor Fred Hamann. This scholarship is meant to close the gap between finances and international experiences. They believe that our students should have "knowledge of other cultures and experiences in other cultures… beyond these borders called the United States." The college also has funds based on specific majors and areas of study to review as well. Find out more on the CHASS Give page.

CHASS Give page

College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences
A core belief for CNAS is to teach students to learn and leave with an integrated grasp of how they can change the world. Donations like yours have a direct impact on the students in life, physical, mathematical, and agricultural sciences – empowering them to stay curious, dig deeper into the research, and fill gaps in the job market as research-minded scientists. Find out more on the CNAS Give page.

CNAS Give page
 

Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering
BCOE is engaging in cutting edge research and sustainability work. They have many scholarship opportunities that you can contribute to based on areas of study and interest. By contributing to their scholarships, you’re contributing to the next great minds in engineering right here at UC Riverside. Find out more on the BCOE Give page.

BCOE Give page

School of Business
On April 27, 2023, the School of Business broke ground on a new building complex to house its new programs and centers. It plans to increase graduate enrollment, enhance the quality of its faculty, and open new research centers. Along with giving to the construction of the new business building, donors can also give to the Dean’s Innovation Fund, or the Student Success Fund – funds that provide both scholarships to offset the cost of education and funds to attend nationwide professional development conferences or career-building activities. Find out more at the School of Business Give page.

School of Business Give page

School of Education
A gift to the School of Education can take the form of a one-time gift toward a current fund, or a gift to an endowed fund that pays annually for generations. Donations will assure the ongoing development of excellent teachers, professors, administrators, and academic change makers—shaping the quality of education for generations to come. Find out more at the School of Education Give page.

School of Education Give page
 

School of Medicine
Giving to the UCR School of Medicine means that they have the resources and tools necessary to support their students, research, clinical services, and capital projects. All of this benefits the School of Medicine’s mission to provide excellence in healthcare to diverse and underserved patient populations. There are several ways you can give. Find out more at the School of Medicine Give page.

Medicine Give page
 

School of Public Policy
The School of Public Policy believes in training a new generation of forward-thinking leaders equipped to address the complex, interrelated challenges of poverty, disease, illiteracy, climate change, energy security, pollution, and more. By giving to this part of the university, whether it be to the SPP Internship Program Fund or the Senator Robert Presley Scholarship Fund, you’ll be helping fund the education of the next generation of change makers. Find out more at the School of Public Policy Give page.

School of Public Policy Give page
 

Care Packages
To welcome first-year students, the Student Alumni Association (SAA) hosts an annual “Welcome to Campus” event in which each incoming freshman, living in the residence halls receives a care package! Once students are settled, we encourage families to stay connected. Let your student know you are thinking of them on their birthday, during the holidays, or while they prepare for exams. Show your support with a care package; options include baked goods, snacks, stuffed animals, and healthier choices as well. The care package program assists SAA in raising funds for the educational, social, and recreational activities they sponsor on campus.

Care Packages