To supporters of The Daily Texan,
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your support of Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. has helped our group reach its goal of $500,000 to provide a permanent endowment of 14 scholarships for Daily Texan staff members.
With your support, we can now guarantee that all grants will be awarded in perpetuity to Texan staffers.
The current endowment total is $530,000, though it will grow in coming weeks. A 14th endowed scholarship is in the works and will be announced soon and added in 2026..
And we will always continue to build the endowment.
Since the first grant was awarded in 2018, 62 students have received grant awards, totaling $87,750.
Hitting our endowment goal is a win. But the cost of being a student at UT will most assuredly continue to rise, and the Friends group will always focus on building the endowment, either for new scholarships or increasing the payout of existing awards.
The Friends group also raises funds for other critical needs of The Daily Texan: funds we provide pay for The Texan’s website/digital infrastructure, for photo and video equipment, for staff sports and other travel expenses and for other items that might not be budgeted but are a need expressed by senior Texan management.
In October of 2022 the Friends board of director established a goal of $300,000 to endow scholarships for Texan staffers.
In September of 2024 that goal was met, and a new stretch goal of $500,000 was established.
In December of 2025 that goal of $500,000 was met and exceeded.
Our fund-raising efforts will continue.
But for now let’s celebrate passing our goal.
There are many people responsible for reaching the goal.
Thank you to:
- Thank you to the 489 individuals who donated to the endowment fund.
- Thank you to the 96 individuals who donated more than once to the endowment fund.
- Thank you for every donation, whether it be $25 or $50,000.
- Thank you to those who provided support by sharing news of our endowment effort to their friends and colleagues.
- Thank you to the staff of Texas Student Media for supporting our efforts.
- Thank you to the board of directors of the Friends group who worked to help meet this goal.
- Thank you to all of you who support Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc., whether it be through becoming a member, attending the annual Daily Texan Hall of Fame event or making donations for the endowment or for other needs of The Daily Texan.
— John Reetz, President, Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc.
Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. is a 501 (3) (c) non-profit organization established to lend support and assistance to The Daily Texan, an institution at the University of Texas at Austin since 1900. Members include alumni of The Texan, plus other supporters of a free and unfettered student media at UT. The group’s guiding principle is etched in stone at the entrance to one of the buildings occupied by The Texan during its illustrious journalistic history: Vincit omnia veritas. Truth conquers all.