ASHE has been a leading force in advancing research, scholarship, and practice in the field of higher education for five decades. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generous support of our members, partners, and philanthropic donors to continue our crucial work.
To ensure the sustained impact of ASHE and to elevate our programs and services to new heights, we are launching an ambitious, comprehensive campaign to raise $300,000.
By establishing a robust endowment, we can help secure our financial future, expand our programs, and foster meaningful collaborations to continue to positively influence higher education.
Our vision, to foster “equitable higher education that serves the public good” is the driving force for our first-ever comprehensive campaign. The ASHE Endowment will allow us to be at the forefront of driving transformative change in higher education through cutting-edge research, promoting inclusive policies, and fostering a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners. With the support of our partners and stakeholders, ASHE aspires to enrich the learning experiences of students, advance the understanding of higher education dynamics, and address the critical challenges facing the sector.
Why an endowment and what is the potential impact of the ASHE Endowment?
Long-term Financial Stability: Building an endowment will provide funding that is sustainable beyond a single year and ensure the longevity of programs and services.
Increased Programmatic Impact: With a larger financial resource pool, ASHE can invest in high-impact initiatives, expand existing programs, and launch new ventures that respond to emerging challenges and opportunities in higher education.
Elevated Visibility and Prestige: As ASHE expands our research support, professional development, and policy efforts, it will gain recognition as a premier authority in the field, attracting more members, partners, and donors.
The Campaign’s Strategic Objectives
An endowment will enable ASHE to expand our professional development offerings, providing resources, workshops, and training for graduate students, early-to-mid-career scholars, and practitioners to improve their skills and knowledge. scholars, practitioners, and students to improve their skills and knowledge. We will achieve this through four Strategic Objectives:
Living Our Values: By funding initiatives that support academic excellence, broaden participation, and enhance access, ASHE aims to empower historically minoritized groups, foster a welcoming academic environment, and expand opportunities in higher education.
Support the Development of Scholarship: Establishing an endowment will enable ASHE to offer competitive research grants and fellowships to scholars at various stages of their careers. This support will foster groundbreaking research and innovative solutions to address pressing issues in higher education.
Develop Future Scholars: Through our commitment to nurturing the upcoming cohort of leaders in academia, practice, and policy, ASHE aims to actively nurture the progress of graduate students, early career scholars, scholar-practitioners, and policymakers. This involves equipping our members with the essential tools, resources, and mentorship that can foster knowledge creation and positive, lasting change in our field.
Engage and Support All Higher Education Scholars: The establishment of an endowment will allow ASHE to forge strong partnerships with other organizations, institutions, and individuals, creating a collaborative network that accelerates research, disseminates knowledge, and fosters a culture of shared learning.
As of September 2025, the Comprehensive Campaign has raised 85% of our $300,000 goal! Here are a few of the opportunities ASHE members have created through their donations:
Drs. Kristen A. Renn and Melissa McDaniels Dissertation Research Grant
The Drs. Kristen Renn & Melissa McDaniels Dissertation Research Grant will provide dissertation support for a doctoral student studying sexual orientation and/or gender identity in higher education or mentorship in higher education. The 2024 Renn & McDaniels Dissertation Research Grant will be an award of $500.
The ASHE Dissertation Research Grant has been generously endowed by Drs. Kristen A. Renn & Melissa McDaniels.
Graduate Student Poster Award
The Graduate Student Poster Award will provide $750 in two installments; a $250 annual award for the selected poster author(s) (all of which shall be graduate students) and an additional $500 gift upon submission of a manuscript of the poster presentation to a scholarly venue (e.g., journal, op-ed) within one year of the annual conference in which the award was presented. Additionally, the award comes with up to three hours of mentoring with the donors or another scholar who is most appropriate.
The ASHE Graduate Student Poster Award has been generously endowed by Drs. Noah & Oren Pizmony-Levy Drezner.
Graduate Student Impact Scholarship
The Graduate Student Impact Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to fostering graduate student professional development within the field of higher education. The ASHE Graduate Student Impact Scholarship will be established and endowed by an anonymous in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to provide a graduate student membership and a $50 credit to be applied to an ASHE Professional Development event for 3-4 student members each year.
The ASHE Graduate Student Impact Scholarship has been generously endowed by Dr. Kimberly Griffin.
Historically Black College and University (HBCU) / Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Scholars Travel Scholarship
The HBCU/MSI Scholars Travel Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to supporting graduate student and early career professionals’ development within the field of higher education. The ASHE HBCU/MSI Scholars Travel Scholarship has been established and endowed by Ken Redd in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to support travel and registration fees to the ASHE Annual Conference for ASHE graduate student and early career scholars members who attend, work at, or research HBCUs or MSIs.
The ASHE HBCU/MSI Scholars Travel Scholarship has been generously endowed by Ken Redd.
Reverend Doctor Jamie Washington & Reverend Sam Offer New Scholars Travel Scholarship
The Reverend Doctor Jamie Washington & Reverend Sam Offer New Scholars Travel Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to fostering graduate student and post-doc professional development within the field of higher education. The ASHE Reverend Doctor Jamie Washington & Reverend Sam Offer New Scholars Travel Scholarship has been established and endowed by Reverend Doctor Jamie Washington & Reverend Sam Offer in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to support travel to the annual conference for ASHE graduate student or post-doc members whose research focuses on BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA2S+ Experiences.
The ASHE New Scholars Travel Scholarship has been generously endowed by Reverend Doctor Jamie Washington & Reverend Sam Offer.
Community Impact Dissertation Grant
Inspired by her ASHE presidential theme of “I Am A Scholar,” Dr. jeni hart has endowed the Community Impact Dissertation Grant rant to embody the Association’s commitment to fostering higher education scholarship in all of its forms. The Community Impact Dissertation Grant will support graduate students whose scholarship and career aspirations extend beyond academia. The Grant shall be established and endowed in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary.
The ASHE Community Impact Dissertation Grant has been generously endowed by Dr. jeni hart.
Dr. Deborah L. Floyd Scholars Mentoring Scholarship
The Deborah L. Floyd Scholars Mentoring Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to fostering graduate student mentoring and professional development within the field of higher education. The Floyd Scholars Mentoring Scholarship will be established and endowed in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to provide a graduate student with a travel scholarship and/or provide ASHE conference registration.
The ASHE Dr. Deborah L. Floyd Scholars Mentoring Scholarship has been generously endowed by Dr. Deborah L. Floyd.
Drs. Helen (Lena) S. and Alexander (Sandy) W. Astin Doctoral Student Research Grant
The Drs. Helen (Lena) S. and Alexander (Sandy) W. Astin Doctoral Student Research Grant recognizes the Astins’ profound contributions to higher education research and mentorship. This annual grant will support doctoral students conducting research in areas central to the Astins’ legacy, including college impact, civic engagement, spirituality in higher education, and women’s leadership and career development.
The annual grant be awarded to a current doctoral student, preferably conducting dissertation research aligned with one or more of the following areas central to the Astins’ scholarly legacy: Assessment of College Impact, Civic Engagement, Spirituality in Higher Education, and/or Women’s Leadership and Career Development.
The Astin Doctoral Students Research Grant has been generously seeded with a gift from Dr. Linda Sax.
Scholarly Promise Scholarship
The Scholarly Promise Scholarship is an annual scholarship that will support early-career scholars who have completed their PhD or EdD within the previous three years and currently hold a postdoctoral or faculty position (of any type, part-time or full-time, tenure-system or non-tenure-system). Each scholarship will include: A one-year ASHE membership; Conference registration for the ASHE Annual Conference; The balance disbursed to the scholarship recipient to support travel to the ASHE conference and/or other research and professional development activities.
The Scholarly Promise Scholarship has been generously endowed by Dr. Ann E. Austin & John Beck.
More information about this scholarship will be available during the 2026 scholarship cycle.
CPPHE Policy Pathways Graduate Student Scholarship
The CPPHE Policy Pathways Graduate Student Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to supporting graduate students’ professional development within the field of higher education. The CPPHE Policy Pathways Graduate Scholar Scholarship will be established and endowed in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to provide ASHE Graduate Student Conference Registration, CPPHE Pre-Conference Registration, and the Graduate Student Policy Seminar registration fee to a current graduate student member of the association and CPPHE.
The CPPHE Policy Pathways Graduate Student Scholarship has been generously endowed by Dr. Lauren Perna & Dr. Scott Thomas.
More information about this scholarship will be available during the 2026 scholarship cycle.
CPPHE Law and Policy Professional Development Scholarship
The CPPHE Law and Policy Professional Development Scholarship embodies the Association’s commitment to supporting early career scholars’ professional development within the field of higher education. The CPPHE Law and Policy Professional Development Scholarship will be established and endowed in honor of ASHE’s 50th Anniversary and is intended to provide ASHE Conference Fee, CPPHE Pre-Conference Fee, and a travel stipend for a deserving scholar. Preference will be given to assistant professors who are presenting at CPPHE and whose work focuses on law and/or policy.
The CPPHE Law and Policy Professional Development Scholarship has been generously endowed by Dr. Jeffrey C. Sun and Karen Miksch.
More information about this scholarship will be available during the 2026 scholarship cycle.