Scholarship Day 2025

Hood College is gearing up for the 10th annual Scholarship Day on April 9-10. This year, we’re bringing back the Battle of the Decades, a friendly class competition to see which decade of Hood graduates contributes the most gifts. While it’s sure to be a fun and exciting day, the importance of this event and its impact on students cannot be overstated. We created Scholarship Day for one sole purpose—to help Hood students.

“The word ‘scholarship’ means dreams to me,” said Wilner Aguilar ’26, “because as a first-generation student, it not only fulfills my dreams, but also my family’s.”

Your gift on Scholarship Day, no matter the size, supports Hood College through the Hood Fund, a direct pipeline of financial aid and unrestricted scholarships for Hood students. In fact, the majority of our students receive “silent scholarships” through the Hood Fund, which accounts for an average of $2,000 for each student annually. The Class of 2025 alone has received $2.1 million in silent scholarships since they stepped onto campus as first-year students.

Financial aid is one of the best tools at our disposal to empower students. When economic barriers to higher education are lifted, students have the freedom to choose the school that best fits their personal and professional goals. Students that choose Hood know their education is worth the work—and we know that our students deserve the resources to fuel their next big idea, discovery or breakthrough. Your participation in Scholarship Day makes it all possible.

“The scholarships I receive now give me the ability to invest in the future while I’m still in the present,” said Rachel Miller ’27.

And while Scholarship Day is the perfect opportunity to support our students, it’s also your chance to earn some bragging rights for your Hood class. As it stands, nearly 40 lead challengers from each decade have contributed a combined total of more than $76,655. This includes “Power Hours,” during which every contribution is automatically enhanced. Power Hours are a great way to make your gift go even further while boosting your chance of winning the Battle of the Decades.

This year, decades from the 1950s to the 2020s are all in play. But you don’t have to be a Hood alum to participate in giving. Reach out to Hood parents and families, employees and friends of the College to make contributions to your decade. It’s anyone’s game. Will last year’s winning decade, the 1970’s, take home the title again, or will a new decade rise to the challenge to unseat the reigning champs?

Scholarship Day kicks off at noon on Wednesday, April 9, and concludes at midnight on Thursday, April 10. Making a gift is easy. Just visit hood.edu/give. Your gift today will be worth even more tomorrow. 

We asked our students to answer this question: In one word, what does scholarship mean to you? Watch the video to hear their amazing stories!