• The Senior Challenge Committee is requesting each member of Marquette's class of 2009 donate $20.09 toward scholarships.
• The student organization is responsible for the class gift to the university.
• The class could raise $26,000 for scholarships if all seniors gave the requested amount.

With commencement quickly approaching, many Marquette seniors will soon face the harsh realities of the job world and a significant chunk of debt. But first, the Senior Challenge Committee has requested that the class of 2009 show support for its soon-to-be alma mater.

The committee, a student organization responsible for a class gift to the university, is asking each senior to make a $20.09 scholarship donation.

Although seniors can give to any cause, the committee has selected the Scholars Fund as its suggested beneficiary. The fund goes toward current-use scholarships for any of Marquette's undergraduate colleges, according to University Advancement.

More than 60 seniors attended an event, held by the Senior Challenge Committee in the Alumni Memorial Union Lunda Room on Feb. 26. The purpose was to discuss scholarship aid and to encourage seniors to support the cause.

James Ferguson, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and chair of the committee, said he got involved in the cause to help keep Marquette accessible to all students.

"A modest contribution can do a lot if many seniors stand behind it," Ferguson said.

If every Marquette senior donated $20.09 to scholarships, it would total $26,000 — the average amount of debt incurred by a Marquette graduate, according to University Advancement. Marquette graduates have one of the highest debt rates among the country's 28 Jesuit universities.

However, about 85 percent of Marquette students receive some form of financial aid. The university has budgeted $65 million in financial aid for next school year, said Provost John Pauly, who spoke at the Senior Challenge event last Thursday.

Wesley Matthews, a senior in the College of Communication and member of the Marquette men's basketball team, addressed attendees at Thursday's event. Matthews said he would not have been able to attend Marquette without financial aid.

"None of this would be possible without the Blue & Gold (Fund) scholarship I received," Matthews said. "This scholarship has opened so many doors."

Marquette's Blue & Gold Fund provides scholarships to student-athletes in its 14 men's and women's varsity sports, according to University Advancement.

Matthews said he plans to give back to Marquette.

"We don't know how many lives we can affect (by donating)," Matthews said.

Pauly said Marquette strives for accessibility. The challenge, he said, is building a "financial bridge" for prospective students.

Pauly noted this year's 17 percent increase in freshmen applications from last school year's record numbers. More than 17,500 applications have been received for the 2009-'10 academic year.

"There's something special about Marquette that's drawn a lot of interest," Pauly said.

Marquette's class of 1987 formed the first Senior Challenge Committee, said Mike Kelly, annual giving officer with University Advancement. The committee began to focus more on current-use donations in the late 1990s. As it gave more options to donors, an overwhelming number of students chose to give to scholarships, he said.

"Current students feel that scholarship aid provides the greatest impact at the university," Kelly said after Thursday's event.

Peter Prigge, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences who attended the Senior Challenge event, said he was initially shocked at how high an amount the committee was requesting. He thought the suggested donation should be closer to $5 or $10, so students would only sacrifice something like a sandwich at a Brew on campus.

"I plan to give to Marquette in the future," Prigge said. "It's just a matter of having the money at the time."

But Prigge said he warmed up to the idea of the gift when he heard students could dictate where the money goes.

"I'm all for giving back to the university because (my degree) will help me get to where I'm going in the future," Prigge said.