Ball State University's investment portfolio could be considered the envy of any savvy Wall Street investor.
Ball State has one of the best investment plan returns for the last three years, according to a study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The study found that Ball State ranked in the top 7 percent of 765 colleges for the past three fiscal years. In the most recent fiscal year Ball State had a 14.9 percent investment return, which is in the top 9 percent of all colleges.
This accomplishment means more money for the university that is passed down to students through various initiatives. The trend for the last few years is promising and needs to continue so the university maintains funding for various projects.
From another perspective, donors can rest easy knowing their money is being multiplied before it is spent at the university.
The high investment returns are a result of the work of an investment committee, manager and staff and a professional investment firm the university employs. This group of people decides what long-term investment plans will be best, and current numbers indicate these people are making the right decisions for the university.
The investment returns are put toward various university expenditures, including recruitment efforts, scholarships, academic programs and capital for building programs, among other things.
Students benefit from the scholarships and academic programs that might not be possible without the money made from investments.
The university doesn't rely on tuition, state funds and donations alone - investment returns make up a percentage of the money that can be spent.
With the investment program, the university is risking donation money that could be lost if investments go bad. Fortunately, recent investments have been profitable and the university is making money instead of losing it.
Current and potential donors now have reason to trust the university to maximize donations to their full potential.
With the economy on the rise, Ball State could make even more from investments in the future. Intelligent investing needs to continue so improvements to the university can be made - and students can benefit more from the deep-pocketed donators.