$7 Million Gift Launches Student Success Initiative and Expands Student Support

A $7 million gift from Terry and Patt Payne will launch a new student success initiative at Gonzaga University while providing immediate financial support for students affected by reductions to the Washington College Grant.

The Paynes' gift includes $5 million to establish the Payne Student Success Initiative, a comprehensive approach combining significant scholarship support with individualized mentoring, advising, peer support and intentional opportunities for student development. An additional $2 million will support the Gonzaga Promise Fund, helping eligible students whose state financial aid was reduced remain on track toward graduation.

Together, the investments advance Gonzaga's commitment to student success from access through degree completion, pairing financial assistance with relationships and formational experiences that help students thrive throughout their Gonzaga education.

“Getting students to Gonzaga is only the beginning,” says Gonzaga President Katia Passerini, Ph.D. “Student success means making sure they have the resources, relationships and opportunities to fully participate in everything a Gonzaga education can offer.

Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, approximately 25 first-generation students from Washington, Montana, Oregon and Idaho will participate in the pilot Payne Student Success cohort. Students supported through the Payne Student Success Initiative will receive $25,000 annually in scholarships along with individualized mentoring, advising and intentional opportunities for engagement and development.

The initiative extends Zags360, Gonzaga’s approach to cura personalis and whole-person development, into advising and mentoring. This integrated approach supports students’ academic success, sense of belonging, personal development and preparation for life beyond Gonzaga. Intentional opportunities for experiential learning, career readiness and leadership are crucial elements of Gonzaga's approach to integrative Jesuit education, which helps students make connections among what they are studying, who they are becoming and how they hope to contribute to the world.

Payne Student Success Award recipients who remain enrolled and meet eligibility requirements will receive scholarship support from day one through degree completion, providing financial continuity while helping students engage more fully in the opportunities available throughout their Gonzaga experience.

“Jesuit education has always been concerned with the formation of the whole person,” says Fr. Tim Breen, S.J., director of Zags360. “This requires more than just providing access to an excellent education. It means accompanying students' growth through their educational journey to help them discover their gifts and understand who they're becoming, especially so they can discern how they can best be in service to others. This initiative helps us to be even more intentional about creating the conditions for this formation to take place.”

A central component of the Payne Student Success Initiative will be peer mentorship. Payne funding will help support upper-division students who can help members of the Payne Student Success cohort navigate academic and social challenges while encouraging them to pursue leadership development, experiential learning and career preparation opportunities.

As participants progress through Gonzaga, they will be encouraged to become mentors themselves, extending the support they received to students who follow them. The model is designed not only to help individual students succeed, but to build a growing community in which Zags help other Zags find their footing, recognize opportunities and make the most of their Jesuit education.

The Paynes' additional $2 million gift addresses a more immediate challenge for current Gonzaga students.

Changes to Washington College Grant eligibility reduced state financial aid for approximately 210 members of Gonzaga's Class of 2029 after they had already chosen Gonzaga and begun their education. For students and families who had built their college plans around the aid originally available to them, the reduction created an unexpected financial gap.

The Paynes' support for the Gonzaga Promise Fund will help replace lost grant aid for eligible students, providing a reliable source of support through graduation and helping ensure that a change beyond their control does not interrupt their path to a Gonzaga degree.

The two investments address different moments in the student journey but share the common purpose of helping students both arrive at Gonzaga and remain, thrive and ultimately graduate, prepared to carry their education into their professions, families and communities.

(L-R) Benefactor John Hemmingson, President Katia Passerini, and benefactor Terry Payne celebrating a history of partnership and philanthropy in support of Gonzaga University students.

“Patt and I made this investment because we believe deeply in President Passerini’s leadership and the direction she is setting for Gonzaga,” Terry Payne says. “Katia has a compelling vision for what Jesuit education can and should do for students, and we wanted to contribute to making that vision possible. It begins with opening the door to a Gonzaga education, but it doesn’t end there: students need the support, relationships and opportunities that allow them to thrive once they are here. Sometimes that means helping a student through an unexpected financial challenge. Sometimes it means making sure they have a mentor, an opportunity or someone in their corner when they need it. We believe in this vision for Gonzaga, and we’re excited to invest in what comes next.”

The Payne family's gift continues a longstanding history of investment in Gonzaga students and the University's mission. Its impact will be measured not only in scholarships awarded, but in students retained, opportunities pursued, degrees completed and graduates prepared to contribute to the world around them.

Through the Payne Student Success Initiative and Gonzaga Promise Fund, that impact begins with students arriving on campus this fall and extends through the generations of Zags who will follow.