Extend the Line Scholarship Initiative
The Extend the Line scholarship initiative, launched in 2025, aims to provide $250 million in new scholarships for Baylor students by the end of 2030. For so many students, their Baylor journeys begin with scholarships. Each scholarship tells a story of support that Baylor Bears carry from their first day of class to graduation.
Scholarships also tell a story of philanthropy — of alumni honoring a family legacy, a proud parent supporting their student’s classmates, and faculty, staff and students remembering a campus leader or mentor. These stories extend That Good Old Baylor Line, creating incredible opportunities for future generations through scholarships.
By establishing a named scholarship or contributing to an existing pooled fund, you can help students thrive in Baylor’s Christ-centered community — ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of their education. Your generosity will empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers and changemakers like Daniel Chang, Ava Roat, Josh Thayil and Sarah McCoy.
Daniel Chang, a senior finance and entrepreneurship & corporate innovation major, was born in Philadelphia, but spent most of his life overseas in Bangkok, Thailand, as a missionary kid. He knew he wanted to attend a college with strengths in both its Christian community and academics when it was time to apply for schools.
For Ava Roat, a senior majoring in biology and Spanish, scholarships have meant taking hold of all the opportunities a Baylor education has to offer. A merit scholarship and departmental scholarships from biology and modern languages and cultures not only alleviated the costs of attending college but also facilitated her ability to pursue opportunities like studying abroad in Spain. These experiences became a driving force in a truly transformational education.
“That scholarship was really the reason why I was able to study abroad,” Roat said. “During my time in Spain, unfortunately, I had a sinus infection, and so I spoke with a Spanish physician in Spanish to receive treatment. That was my firsthand experience of how important it is to be able to communicate with your doctor in your primary language to feel confident and comfortable in the medical decisions being made about you. Now, whatever specialty I end up in, one of my main goals is to be able to make every patient, regardless of their primary language, feel very comfortable and confident in their medical decisions.”
For Josh Thayil, a senior health & science studies major, education is not only an investment in his future goals but also an opportunity for formation and growth. With plans to attend medical school, he wanted to choose a school with a reputation for excellence in academics and investing in the whole person — all while being financially wise. Scholarships not only paved the way for Baylor to be an affordable option, but they also opened the door to traveling to Kenya for four summers with other Baylor students for medical missions.
“Scholarships first and foremost made Baylor a realistic option for me. Scholarships provide an avenue for students who really enjoy the Baylor environment, with collaborative and relational experiences. You get a learning experience here like no other. You get to grow a ton here, not only academically, but spiritually and intellectually as well.”
Sarah McCoy is a joint B.A./M.A. student in communications, working towards the completion of her master’s, having earned her bachelor’s in December 2024. Baylor provides an environment where she flourishes among close friendships and an education informed by her faith. McCoy received a scholarship on the merit of Christian character and leadership.
“Scholarships help students succeed. I feel like earning a scholarship is encouraging to them, saying that someone has this confidence in them that with this gift, they’re going to steward it and use it wisely. So I feel like not only is it helpful to those students financially, but it can also be encouraging and uplifting for them to know that someone has confidence in them and trusts them enough to use those funds wisely for their education.”