$20 million gift to university from “Ernie” Garcia to expand study abroad opportunities for students with financial need
The University of Arizona has received a transformative $20 million gift from the Garcia Family Foundation to expand study abroad opportunities for students with financial need, a move university leaders say will make international education a core part of the Wildcat experience.
The commitment is the largest ever dedicated to study abroad at UArizona and comes at a time when the university is pushing to triple student participation in global programs by 2029.
University President Suresh Garimella described the gift as “historic,” emphasizing that it will remove financial barriers and enable more students to graduate on time, while also providing them with international exposure.
The new Garcia Family Foundation Scholarship for Study Abroad will begin supporting students in spring 2026.
Awards of up to $7,000 will be available for eligible students, with preference given to first-generation college students and those who have never traveled abroad.
The program will cover credit-bearing University of Arizona study abroad programs, including faculty-led trips, exchanges, summer research, and internships.
To help students integrate global study into their degree paths, the university is also investing in improved academic advising and streamlined course equivalencies.
For students like Giselle Ramirez, an astronomy and biology major who has previously studied in Italy with the help of scholarships, the Garcia family’s support means fewer students will face the wrenching choice between focusing on academic goals or worrying about finances.
“This gift means students will be able to focus more on their goals instead of being stressed by their finances,” she said. University leaders echoed her sentiments, with Provost Patricia Prelock describing study abroad as one of the most powerful ways to prepare students for success in a global society, and John-Paul Roczniak, president of the University of Arizona Foundation, noting that the gift proves that affordability and global opportunity can go hand in hand.
Behind the donation is the Garcia Family Foundation, led by president Jon Ehlinger and founded by Arizona businessman Ernest “Ernie” Garcia II and his wife, Joanne.
The foundation has become a powerful force in supporting education, the arts, and cultural opportunities, with a philosophy rooted in the belief that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
While the foundation’s most recent public filings showed about $10.6 million in annual disbursements and total assets of just under $7 million, the $20 million pledge signals a significant long-term commitment to expanding access to education.
The foundation has also supported scholarships at Arizona State University, but the UArizona gift represents its most ambitious higher-education initiative to date.
Ehlinger said the family views study abroad as a crucial way to broaden horizons. “Study abroad expands perspectives and horizons,” he remarked, noting that the goal is not just to fund trips but to transform how students approach their education and their place in the world.
The university will launch a campuswide campaign to raise awareness of the scholarship, which will also contribute to its ongoing $3 billion fundraising drive.
With the first round of Garcia scholarships set for distribution in 2026, the university hopes the program will evolve into a defining feature of a UArizona education, ensuring that a global perspective is not a privilege for a few but a possibility for many.