Jack Flynn, M.D. ’81 “Paying It Forward” with Financial Aid Gift

Each year, incredibly talented and qualified students are admitted to Tower Hill but are unable to enroll due to financial reasons. A Tower Hill education has simply been unattainable for many middle class families. Over the past four years, in alignment with the strategic plan, Tower Hill has increased financial aid from $2.1 million to $3.2 million. Currently 35% of our student body receives financial assistance, with an average grant size of $11,500.

Entering a second century, Tower Hill is committed to growing its financial aid resources as a top priority of the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign. By establishing endowed financial aid funds, Tower Hill will expand its ability to attract prospective students and provide financial aid to all qualified candidates.

Trustee Jack Flynn, M.D., ’81 shares his perspective on why the commitment to increasing financial aid resources is critical to Tower Hill’s success in the next century.
 
Access for talented students: “We need to give all the talented students in the area the ability to access Tower Hill. Financial aid brings economic diversity to the school and the classroom. Economic diversity, like all kinds of diversity, has a powerful educational value—it is valuable to teachers, students and the mission of Tower Hill. We must find a way to level the playing field and to put an extraordinary education in reach for those students who have limited means, but not limited dreams. More talented students make Tower Hill better in every way.”

Paying it forward: “With a strong financial aid program, Tower Hill will graduate more and more students who recognize somewhere down the road that their success is related to the transformative impact of their Tower Hill education. Then in Tower Hill’s second century, it’s going to have more and more people whose lives have been transformed. They’re going to look back and they’re going to feel a really strong desire to give back. I certainly can attest to that. As the oldest of six kids, not even one of us could have afforded to go to Tower Hill on full tuition. All six of us were able to go to an independent school, four to Tower Hill, thanks to generous scholarship funds and the sacrifice made by our parents, Frances and Jimmy Flynn. It was absolutely transformative for us all.”
 
Sustainability: “Financial aid strengthens a school’s admission outreach and also the retention of great students. Endowed financial aid resources also protect against the ever-changing economy and demographics of the Wilmington area. Making financial aid a priority now not only allows access, but strengthens the overall financial outlook for Tower Hill for the next 100 years.”