Jim Frey and Mary White Frey commit $1.5 million gift to CSB

Jim Frey and Mary White Frey of Edina, Minnesota, have committed a $1.5 million gift to the College of Saint Benedict aimed at creating scholarships at CSB for students from under-represented communities. Mary White Frey is a 1980 graduate of the College of Saint Benedict and her husband, Jim, is a 1978 graduate of Saint John's University.

"It is our privilege to have the opportunity to establish the Mary White Frey '80 and Jim Frey '78 First Generation Scholars Fund," said Mary White Frey. "Our goal is that the scholarship funds will help to ensure the education Saint Ben's provides is accessible to all young women regardless of their financial capacity or academic family history. We also want to challenge others to participate in the fund." 

"Saint Ben's is deeply grateful for Mary and Jim's generous gift," said Kathy Hansen, vice president of Institutional Advancement at CSB. "What is especially exciting is that Mary and Jim have structured their gift in the form of a challenge match. Donors to this fund will have their gifts matched dollar-for-dollar by the Freys up to $1.5 million. Their gift will inspire many others to provide financial support for first generation students at Saint Ben's."

"This gift will ensure that all students can benefit from the opportunities that make a CSB education impactful," said CSB President Mary Dana Hinton. "We are grateful to Mary and Jim Frey for recognizing the importance of a liberal arts education and access to experiential learning opportunities in CSB's vision to create critical thinkers, courageous leaders and passionate advocates."

"The true value of a liberal arts education is hard to quantify, but it's easier when you see it in real life," said Jim Frey. "The graduates of Saint Ben's are, in my estimation, demonstrably different than those from other institutions. At other schools, you simply get a degree. At Saint Ben's, well-rounded women and responsible leaders are being developed every year as a result of the focus on the liberal arts in addition to pre-professional training."

Outlined in Strategic Directions 2020, a blueprint for CSB, the school commits to eliminating retention and completion gaps among students. That means CSB will allocate more resources to ensure the successful retention and completion of under-represented students in particular, which includes first generation students.

This plan also commits CSB to ensuring that "the range of experiential learning opportunities are available for all students." The plan also specifies that CSB will secure new resources to ensure that "students of all means are able to participate in study abroad, internships, student research, service learning and co-curricular activities." 

CSB and its academic partner, SJU, are both ranked in the top 50 in the third annual Money Magazine's "Best Colleges for Your Money." SJU was ranked No. 25 and CSB ranked No. 47, and both are the top-rated schools in Minnesota. Money also assembled several additional lists that highlighted the two schools. SJU was ranked No. 3 and CSB No. 11 among the 50 best Liberal Arts Colleges in the nation. SJU was ranked No. 8 and CSB ranked No. 21 among the 50 Most Affordable Colleges in the nation.