At UND, reducing barriers = increasing access = equity

Scholarships are a central part of the Equity core value in the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, authors say

Editor’s note: The following letter, written by Matt Lukach, director of Student Finance at UND; Samantha Ledahl, a third-year law student at the UND School of Law and president of the school’s Rural Practice Association; and Jack Marcil, UND ’63 and ’68, a longtime attorney in Fargo and a pillar of lasting support for the UND School of Law, introduces a special edition of UND Today devoted to the Equity core value of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

As readers know, UND Today focuses on UND LEADS core values in our issue published on the last Tuesday of each month. This means that each of the stories in today’s issue centers on a UND program or activity that reflects the plan’s core value of Equity.

To continue the monthly UND Today series, our issue on May 26 will be devoted to the Affinity core value.

Comments or questions? Contact Tom Dennis, UND Today editor, at tom.dennis@UND.edu. Thank you for reading!

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By Matt Lukach, Samantha Ledahl and Jack Marcil

Financial stress is one of the primary reasons students choose not to attend or complete college. Rising tuition, increasing living expenses and food and housing insecurity all create significant barriers that prevent many students from finishing their education.

At UND, 81% of undergraduate students use a form of financial aid (loans, grants or scholarships) to help pay for their college education. UND recognizes that financial barriers can stand in the way of achieving educational goals, and that a gap exists between the cost of college and the resources available to students and their families.

But just as important, UND and the UND Alumni Foundation & Association have taken significant strides in reducing financial barriers for students. And that’s no accident. It’s an explicit goal of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan — specifically, the Equity core value, which commits the University to “reducing barriers to higher education by increasing affordability through scholarships, need-based aid, and Open Educational Resources.”

That commitment is why, in the 2024–25 academic year, UND and the UND Alumni Foundation awarded $15.8 million in scholarships to new and returning undergraduate students, recognizing achievements in academics, merit-based programs, student involvement, and leadership.

Benefits of scholarships at UND include:

• Reducing students’ overall out of pocket or debt burden
• Rewarding academic achievement, in both high school and college
• Supporting student retention and persistence
• Promoting educational equity for students whose socioeconomic circumstances may otherwise limit access to educational opportunities
• Opening doors to mentors, internships and professional organizations.

Scholarship programs available at UND include:

• New Freshman and Transfer scholarships, which recognize students for their achievements prior to enrolling at UND
• Scholarship Central, which offers more than 1,400 scholarships through one application, streamlining the matching process for students
• Open-Door and Angel Fund Scholarships, which provide additional financial support for students facing unexpected financial challenges.

Clearly, UND’s scholarship programs are designed to help bridge financial need, thus making higher education more accessible and reducing financial barriers for students and their families.

Access = equity

And here’s how those goals can work out in practice.

“Equity, to me, is more than an idea,” said one of us, third-year law student Samantha Ledahl. “It is something I have been fortunate enough to experience firsthand through scholarships I have received from several generous donors at UND.

“As a first-generation college and law student, the financial support I have received in my past six years at UND has been invaluable,” Ledahl continued. “Scholarships have eased so much of the burden of tuition and living expenses, and that — in turn — has let me focus more fully on my education and experiential opportunities that would have otherwise been out of reach.”

One such experience was receiving the Jack Marcil Alternative Dispute Resolution Scholarship in 2025, Ledahl said. “Meeting Mr. Marcil, shaking his hand, speaking with him about his exceptional career as a civil litigator and mediator, and getting to share with him my own aspirations was deeply personal. It made the impact of scholarship support feel like more than financial assistance; it was a moment of connection, mentorship and a reminder that others believe in my potential, too.”

Creating a lasting legacy

Speaking of Jack Marcil, another of our co-authors today, he was just as pleased to offer the UND scholarship — one of dozens of gifts from him to the University — as Ledahl was to receive it, he said.

“One of the primary reasons for my giving to UND is to help current and future students succeed,” Marcil said. “By supporting students, I am creating a lasting legacy. That is important to me.

“I have met a large number of the students who have received my scholarships over the past 25 years. They always thank me and tell me how much they appreciated the scholarship. That means a great deal to me; plus, it is also fun to interact with them.

“I am proud that my gifts have helped them in their pursuit of their education,” Marcil continued.

“I also give because UND provided me with an opportunity to succeed by providing me with a quality education,” he said. “It opened doors and provided me with unlimited opportunities as a lawyer. The foundation was laid for a successful career.

“Providing scholarships is my way of saying, ‘Thank You,’” he said. “And, I also want other alumni to set up scholarships. I know my gifts have encouraged friends and peers to give to UND.

“I am still giving and will continue to do so,” Marcil concluded. “We need to support UND.”

For Ledahl’s part, she’ll never forget the generosity of Marcil and the other donors who, through UND’s Scholarship Central, have contributed so meaningfully to her academic journey, she said. These collective acts “are not something I take lightly,” she continued.

“Without the financial assistance I have received, I am not certain my education would have been possible.”

In short, UND’s commitment to connecting students with scholarships advances equity in a tangible way, all three of us agree. It opens doors for students and ensures that hard work and ambition — not financial circumstance — help determine what is possible.

That’s the University’s promise, and we’re proud to see it enshrined for the ages in the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

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>> Questions or comments about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, or Anna Marie Kinney, coordinator of the University Writing Program, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link.

Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!