Find Giving Areas
Mustang Scholar Open Support Fund
The Mustang Scholar Program is composed of students from Dallas County who are Pell-eligible. Being part of this program allows them to attend SMU without needing to contribute to their tuition, housing or dining. This open fund will help provide scholars aid when life happens. Scholars will also be able to apply for this fund for activities such as studying abroad/studying away opportunities and any other school-related activity and program that might require an external fee.
National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenge
The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge allows students the opportunity to conduct independent research that benefits communities, enriches engagement with entrepreneurial activities and grows leadership skills. By engaging in activities around research, entrepreneurship and service, scholars will gain skills in these areas to become a well-rounded student. They will build a portfolio of work around these activities and their grand challenge questions and present their portfolio at the end of their graduation year to complete the program.
Opportunity SMU
An SMU education opens doors, sparks innovation and fuels success for future generations. Through the new Opportunity SMU fund, SMU donors will expand scholarship, financial aid and student support programs that help the University attract, retain and graduate meritorious undergraduate students. Your gift can make the difference in: ¥ Attracting top-tier undergraduate students to SMU who receive more attractive scholarship and financial aid offers from other highly selective schools. ¥ Supporting targeted students throughout their academic journeys, bolstering our retention and graduation rates. ¥ Expanding diversity by geography, academic interest, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender and other dimensions as needed. Through Opportunity SMU, donors support many initiatives, including: ¥ Scholarships for high-performing students from families with limited incomes who receive Federal Pell Grants. With your help, we can cover the cost of tuition, fees, housing and dining. ¥ The University's comprehensive approach to improving retention and graduation rates, which benefits all undergraduate students. ¥ A selective program that helps first-year students achieve early success at SMU by promoting academic achievement, leadership and personal excellence.
Patent Law Clinic
The Patent Clinic is certified as part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's law school clinic program. The Patent Clinic offers services for small startup companies and individuals, as it provides essential skills training for law students. The clinic's free legal assistance helps inventors who cannot otherwise afford an attorney to obtain patents to protect their inventions.
Product Design and Innovation
Product Design and Innovation is a unique opportunity for students to learn about product design and learn to design in an interdisciplinary environment. The practice of product design and innovation lives at the confluence of industrial design, product engineering, marketing and business to create products and experiences that people need, want and desire. In collaboration with local companies and organizations, faculty-led student teams practice design while bringing innovative solutions to challenging problems. Project emphasis is on consumer products, especially those that require a multi-disciplinary approach. Your generous donations support collaborative projects with Dallas-Fort Worth-area nonprofits, entrepreneurs and small companies.
Psychology Department Research Colloquium Series
In the colloquium series, we invite recognized and outstanding scholars from other universities to visit the department. During a visit, the scholars meet with faculty and students and give a talk on their research area. These visits from outside scholars contribute positively to the intellectual culture and visibility of the department.
SMU College Access
The College Access Program here at SMU houses four precollegiate programs and a collegiate program under our department. We prepare for the life and career success of Dallas County area students through high school and college. Our precollegiate programs work with high school students who are low-income and/or first-generation college students transitioning from high school to their Òbest fitÓ college. Our collegiate program works with low-income and/or first-generation students interested in research and the desire to attend graduate school.
Funds can be used to support students through senior dorm kits, incentives to keep students motivated, senior photos for low-income students and self-care activities for mental awareness.
SMU Cox Student Success Fund
The SMU Cox Student Success Fund will support Cox business students and student groups. The fund will support students with attending conferences, traveling to competitions and other miscellaneous needs.
SMU DataArts
SMU DataArts is the only data collection and research center focused on the financial and operating health of arts and cultural institutions nationally, and it is a world leader in the application of data science to arts and cultural organizations.
Support this nationally recognized research center with a gift that will advance the financial health of the arts field for generations to come. To learn more about SMU DataArts, visit https://culturaldata.org.
SMU DataFest 2026
Each spring, the Department of Statistics and Data Science hosts SMU ASA DataFest on our campus. Undergraduates from all over Texas come to this hackathon to practice their data science skills and learn about careers in our field. DataFest is an event for undergraduate students facilitated by the American Statistical Association. Students participate in teams of two to five and are given roughly 48 hours to tackle a complex data analysis problem and present their results to a panel of judges composed of faculty members and high-ranking industry professionals. Mentors from the SMU and DFW communities support participants during the event. Historically, SMU has been the only school in Texas to host a section and we invite students from all over the state to participate. Your gifts through SMU Giving Day will provide event support and our ability to host competing teams from across Texas.
SMU Fund for Cox School of Business
Gifts to the SMU Fund for Cox address the school's most pressing funding priorities. This fund enables the Cox School dean to meet new opportunities as they arise. Funding priorities include scholarship support, faculty fellowship and research grants, international study and research support, new program development and leadership development opportunities.
SMU Fund for Dedman College
Your gift to the SMU Fund for Dedman College ignites imaginations and inspires innovations. You and fellow Dedman supporters are investing in the powerful intersection of education and opportunity for SMU students. You can help provide the unrestricted resources that are strategically necessary to implement the newest academic programs and address Dedman College's most pressing funding needs.