VCU School of Business to Receive $5M Gift from VACU for Financial Wellness

Virginia Commonwealth University today announced a $5 million gift from Virginia Credit Union to fund two endowments at the VCU School of Business. 

The Virginia Credit Union Endowment for Financial Wellness will support new and expanded programming to ensure that the wider VCU community of students, faculty and staff are financially healthy. A new endowed position, the Virginia Credit Union Director for Financial Wellness, will serve as champion of university-wide collaboration and related scholarship. Programming will begin immediately and grow as the pledged endowments are funded over the next five years. 

“College affordability is a concern nationwide and for students in the commonwealth. Students must balance their desire for higher education with the challenge of affording it,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “We want students to make wise financial decisions before they enroll at VCU, while they are students, and as alumni. Our partnership with Virginia Credit Union has addressed this for several years; this gift reinforces how important financial wellness is for VCU and the region.” 

“Through our first-ever endowments, we will further our mission to serve the commonwealth of Virginia. These new programs, instruction and research can help VCU students to reduce debt and ensure lifelong financial independence,” said Chris Shockley, president and CEO of Virginia Credit Union. 

“Finding solutions to financial challenges, whether personal or professional, is a valuable life skill,” said Ed Grier, dean of the VCU School of Business. “We want to ensure that all VCU students have the financial acumen to make informed decisions impacting their lives. Our partnership with the Virginia Credit Union allows us to amplify our efforts.” 

The VCU School of Business enrolls nearly 4,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. More than 15,000 School of Business alumni work in Richmond-based companies. 

About VCU and VCU Health
Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 217 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Thirty-eight of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 11 schools and three colleges. The VCU Health brand represents the VCU health sciences academic programs, the VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Health System, which comprises VCU Medical Center (the only academic medical center and Level I trauma center in the region), Community Memorial Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, MCV Physicians and Virginia Premier Health Plan. For more, please visit www.vcu.edu and www.vcuhealth.org.

About Virginia Credit Union
A financial cooperative serving more than 280,000 members, Virginia Credit Union offers a variety of affordable banking services, loans, mortgages, and free financial education resources, with a focus on helping people be more confident with their finances. Virginia Credit Union is an equal housing opportunity lender and is federally insured by NCUA.