For many, Trinity Hall may seem a strange institution. After all, it is both an educational charity and constituent of the wider University. That might cause some confusion about (e.g.) the role that Colleges play in undergraduate and postgraduate education, and how it has sustainably educated countless generations of students during its 650+ year history.

The Alumni and Development Office is a cornerstone of Trinity Hall’s unique education model. Principally, it raises funds from the alumni and other sources to directly benefit YOU. They help enrich all major facets of college life, from supporting world-class supervisions and studentships, to state-of-the-art sporting facilities and brand new student housing. Here we tackle some of your frequently asked questions:

Why do we do it?

What about my tuition fees?

The College is a registered Charity. Through the Trinity Hall Fund, we seek to raise funds for immediate use by the College. Despite the increase in tuition fees, the College continues to subsidise the cost of education for each student by around £8,000 per year, due to the decrease in state funding for higher education. Covering this educational deficit puts a significant strain on our endowment, which must also cover operational costs and the maintenance of our buildings. If we were to cover the educational costs of every student, we would need to at least double the size of our endowment. Additional funds enable us to offer support to more students and undertake further projects to improve and develop our resources.

Where do the funds raised go?

A large number of relatively small donations can have a major impact. In addition to our long-term fundraising, the College raises money for the Trinity Hall Fund, which is disbursed during the following year to support activities under the following headings: Student Support, Teaching Support, Refurbishment & Resources, Clubs & Societies and Access & Outreach. This fund helps to meet the College’s most pressing needs and thereby reduces strain on our endowment. Those giving to this fund are invited to a Donor event in College.

​Thanks to the generous support of our alumni, we have been able to:

• ​provide funding for postgraduate studentships
• support postgraduate conference and research expenses
• refurbish L & M staircases
• support teaching officers
• support our Clubs and Societies
• provide hardship grants to undergraduates
• to name but a few…

Does the College really subsidise my studies? It has a large Endowment, doesn’t it?

Despite the increase in tuition fees, the College continues to subsidise the cost of education for each student by around £8,000 per year, due to the decrease in state funding for higher education. Covering this educational deficit puts a significant strain on our endowment, which must also cover operational costs and the maintenance of our buildings. If we were to cover the educational costs of every student, we would need to at least double the size of our endowment. Additional funds enable us to offer support to more students and undertake further projects to improve and develop our resources. The Educational Deficit is currently more than £4.3 million.

How do we do it?

The office works hard to raise funds through:

• The Trinity Hall Fund, the Telethon and through our Giving Days
• Major Gifts Fundraising and Legacies

We also continue to develop what we have to offer you while you are here including the Careers Network, The Trinity Hall Entrepreneurs Network, Mentoring Scheme, and numerous events.