The Honor Committee has an endowment that it budgets from each year, and for its 2026-27 academic term, it has budgeted $204,500. Each year, the Committee allocates certain amounts of the budget to various categories, but may spend more than the allotment if necessary. The endowment is primarily funded by University alumni and is used each year by the Committee to support the University community, including hosting events during Honor Week and partnering with clubs across Grounds.
In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, Genny Freed, Committee chair and fourth-year College student, explained that the Committee’s endowment is managed by the U.Va. Fund — the financial endowment service provided by the Alumni Association — and invested by the University of Virginia Investment Management Company — which provides investment services to the University and associated organizations.
“Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and the strong performance of UVIMCO, we are fortunate enough to have a strong endowment that continues to grow,” Freed said.
The Committee’s budget for this term is a decrease from its 2025-26 term from $240,000 to $204,500. From the previous term’s budget, the Committee spent approximately $237,000, with $103,000 used for co-sponsorships — collaborations between the Committee and the student body to promote positive interactions and reinforce a Community of Trust, according to the Committee website.
According to Freed, the budgeting of the endowment is meant to keep the Committee expenditures focused on “realistic and responsible spending.”
“Co-sponsorships remain our largest spending pool, but we’re focusing more on funding ones that create a meaningful opportunity for students to engage with the Honor Committee,” Freed said. “Given that our endowment stems from private money, our budget is a guideline rather than a strict constraint.”
Along with the U.Va. Fund and UVIMCO, the endowment is internally monitored and managed by Freed and Pippa Harris, Committee vice chair for operations and fourth-year Engineering student. For the current term, the Committee has allocated $80,000 for co-sponsorship opportunities, which is a $10,000 decrease from last term's co-sponsorship budget of $90,000.
Throughout the Committee meetings of the academic year, Freed and fourth-year Architecture representatives Andy Lin and Sajani Silla have led the initiative of a materials closet, which is a collaboration between the Committee and the School of Architecture Student Council. The materials closet will provide Architecture students with supplies they may need when creating models for presentations.
“This year, we have an increased focus on allocating our budget to more meaningful and long-lasting co-sponsorships, such as the materials closet in the [School of Architecture],” Freed said.
According to the poster hung on the front of the closet, the closet is meant to uphold the Community of Trust within the School of Architecture and allow students to continue their educational advancements by using materials that may help them in class.
Along with the materials closet, the Committee recently made a financial commitment in support of the Alumni Association’s Aggarwal Hall. In recognition of the contribution, the Board of Visitors recently approved the naming of a terrace on the Hall for the Committee. According to Freed, the terrace is a multi-year commitment, paid in installments rather than all at once. The Committee has decided not to share the amount of the financial contribution.
“The Honor endowment exists because of the continued support of our alumni,” Freed said. “We are proud to recognize their commitment to [the Committee] through this project.”
According to a press release from the Alumni Association, the Honor Terrace will provide a gathering place for students, alumni and visitors while serving as an impression on the University’s commitment to honor and student self-governance.
“We hope that the terrace will foster connections between current students and alumni,” Freed said. “[Students and alumni together] make up our Community of Trust.”
The second largest allocated amount in the budget for the Committee’s term this year is towards its school budget pool, which is used for school-specific outreach events. The Committee allocated $30,000 to this budget item, which is consistent with last term. Funding from this pool, for example, goes towards the College of Arts and Sciences’ Chaps Ice Cream tab during finals period, according to Freed.
The third largest expenditure for the Committee, according to its budget spreadsheet, goes towards Honor Week initiatives. Honor Week is held in February, and is hosted by the Committee to further develop a Community of Trust. Some Honor Week activities from February of the 2025-26 academic year included student panels and debates, and the Committee budgeted $20,000 within its endowment towards Honor Week for this year, which remains the same as the previous term.
If money is leftover in the budget during a Committee term, it remains in the endowment until the next term.
Isabela Delgado is a staff writer on the news desk who enjoys writing long-form pieces. Most of her work is focused on U.Va. Health and the Honor Committee, although she enjoys writing about many subjects. Outside of writing, Isabela is also a member of the photo desk. Isabela is from New Jersey and currently plans to major in government.
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