Student Enrichment Services received a $2.4 million estate gift from an alumnus, Patricia Telles-Irvin, the vice president for student affairs said at a community dialogue last week.

SES provides resources and community support for first-generation, low-income or undocumented students. The donation comes as Northwestern reaches its admissions goal of 20 percent Pell Grant-eligible students, which President Morton Schapiro set as a priority in 2016. SES will receive the money once the donor dies. Telles-Irvin declined to give The Daily more information on the donation, including the donor’s identity.

The office leads programs such as Compass, a mentorship program that connects freshmen with upperclassmen, and the Student Emergency and Essential Needs Fund, which covers costs of emergencies and basic necessities for students based on their financial aid.

Northwestern launched SES in October 2014 to improve the experience of low-income students. Quest Scholars students came forward to administrators in 2012 to discuss the challenges they faced, which eventually led to the creation of SES. Since its inception, SES has worked with the Northwestern Quest Scholars Network to provide further services for low-income and first-generation students.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @alexalwwong