New Year of Gratitude

A new year seems to bring with it reflection and resolution. As we look back on this year, a major part of who we are at USU and what we are able to do is made possible by our alumni. And as an Alumni Association, we have resolved to be more grateful this year for your vital and substantial contributions, whether they come in the form of volunteered time, monetary donations or alumni involvement.

Your contributions have helped us make incredible strides, and for that, we are sincerely grateful.

The support you've given has created scholarships, expanded educational opportunities, strengthened Aggie networks and given students resources they need to succeed.

Your volunteer involvement with USU, as board members, mentors, guest speakers and more, has also strengthened the value of our students' education and their entire Aggie experience.

USU students who have benefited from your contributions 

Your unwavering loyalty to Utah State makes our students feel proud to be Aggies. Our athletes, artists, musicians, engineers, biologists, journalists, and more say “thank you” for your support of their education and ambitions.

We’re excited to see what 2015 will bring.

What You Need to Know Before You Do Your Holiday Shopping

Leaves are falling. The temperature is dropping. Frost is showing up on your lawn in the morning, and almost every department store in your city is decorated with trees, glowing lights, snowmen and more.

The holiday season is here again, and that means holiday shopping. Whether you love it or hate it, it's inevitable.

But this year, things are going to be different. Why, you ask?

Because you'll have Aggie Rewards, that's why.

Aggie Rewards is a free, online app that lets you give to Utah State University every time you buy holiday gifts online. Shopping online is simple, convenient, provides you with more options and eliminates the time you'd waste waiting in endless lines at the store.

Aggie Rewards won't make online shopping any easier than it already is, but it will help you feel better about each purchase, knowing that you're giving to USU at the same time. In addition, you don't have to change anything you already do when you shop online.

Here is how it works in 3 easy steps:

• Visit the Aggie Rewards login page: www.usu.edu/rewards 
• Follow the instructions to install the app on your web browser (for desktop or laptop computers) or on your mobile device (for smart phones or tablets)
• Shop online at over 2,000 participating retailers, including Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Netflix, Best Buy, Kohl's and more.  

It's that simple.

Not to mention, each time you shop, you earn points that can be redeemed for great prizes. See what one of our recent winners had to say about her experience with Aggie Rewards.

So, before you start your online shopping this season, be sure to install Aggie Rewards first, and give a little holiday love to USU, too.


For questions regarding Aggie Rewards, or how to install it, contact Brandon Taylor at (435) 797-8537 or brandon.taylor@usu.edu.

The True Blue Pledge

Alumni giving to Utah State University has had a significant impact on the growth and success of the university.  Students are impacted by receiving scholarships, having new buildings and receiving greater opportunities in their college or department.  The True Blue Pledge was created to help students understand the importance and impact of giving and to help them have a desire to give now and in the future.

To make the True Blue Pledge students are asked to give $50 over their college experience.  For typical 4 year students this ends up being $5 as a freshman $10 as a sophomore $15 as a junior and $20 as a senior.  It's not a lot but it's still enough to make a difference. In fact if every student gave the impact would be over $200,000 per year.

With the True Blue Pledge we wanted to give students an opportunity to make a positive impact in areas they care about and that are not directly supported by tuition dollars. 

Money raised through True Blue Pledges supports three important priorities:

1.  Aggies Helping Aggies

This portion of the gift will be used to support scholarships for current USU students.

2.  Aggies Leaving Legacies

This portion of the gift will go toward class gift projects. The class gift will be part of a 100-year-old tradition at USU.

3.  Aggies Fueling Passions

The last portion of the gift will go toward the area or program on campus that the student is passionate about. This is their opportunity to help improve Utah State in a way that is important to them! 

Written by Tyson Godfrey