MDS Scholars Program

“We give to MDS Scholars both because it creates opportunities for students who otherwise would not have access to a Bates education and because enrolling these students enriches the college experience for everyone at Bates.”

– Rick Smith and Carol Marine P’12

The MDS Scholars Program (formally known as Named Scholars) recognizes donors who designate their Bates Fund gift of $10,000 or more to financial aid and scholarship.

MDS Scholar donors receive a personalized letter from a current student to honor their contribution.

Since our founding, Bates has been committed to providing a quality education for all who can benefit from it. Opportunity and excellence — the core of Bates’ inclusive heritage — remain our highest priority. Each Bates family pays what it can afford, based on their financial situation. What a family cannot afford, Bates provides in grants (supported in part by the Bates Fund and the MDS Scholars Program), loans and campus employment.

Bates constantly buttresses this need-based policy by:

  • spending a higher percentage of its budget on financial aid than our peers;
  • keeping loan expectations well below the national average;
  • providing aid for study abroad;
  • and recalculating a family’s needs as their circumstances change.

Meet some of our MDS Scholars donors and their recipients:

Quoc & Koya

Quoc Tran '95 Quoc Tran ’95
“When you go to Bates, you’re part of Bates for life. By giving to Named Scholars, I want to give students the freedom and opportunity to study at Bates, but I also hope it plants a seed in them about giving back in the future.”
Koya Nakata '17 Koya Nakata ’17
Westborough, Massachusetts
“Without financial aid, I wouldn’t be at Bates, and I wouldn’t be contemplating law school upon graduation. Bates has given me so many opportunities I never imagined — from studying economics to joining the Brooks Quimby Debate Council — and I am so thankful.”

Rick, Carol & Misha

Smith and Marine P'12 Rick Smith and Carol Marine P’12
“As parents of a Bates graduate, we have long been impressed by the college’s commitment to strong academic and community values, and by its dedication to providing the best possible experience for all students.”
Misha Copeland, 2014 Misha Copeland ’17
Spicewood, Texas
“I chose Bates for its rigorous curriculum and generous financial aid. There aren’t many Bates students who come from small rural towns in central Texas, but I’ve learned hard work can get you anywhere — and that’s especially true at Bates. I’m here because donors invested in my future and in Bates.”