Clayton State University has set an ambitious goal of making more dreams real with the announcement of the launch of a four-year, $12 million comprehensive campaign.

Nearly a hundred faculty, staff and donors attended the kickoff celebration on April 25 held at the Clayton State amphitheater.

“A degree from Clayton State University is a key that will open many doors and once that door is open these students perform as well or better than any students in the country,” said Leonard Moreland, CEO of Heritage Bank and the chairman of the comprehensive campaign committee. “We together are going to finish stories and watch dreams come true.”

This major fundraising effort is the first-ever for the University, and it is well toward reaching its goal by 2019 with more than $4 million already raised.

The theme of the campaign, “Greater in Mind,” is geared toward positioning the University to offer greater financial support to students who may otherwise not be able to complete their degree without some form of aid.

Funding will be raised through a combination of gifts and pledges from individual and corporate donors, as well as annual giving programs including the Faculty and Staff Fund Drive and Give4 Dreams, Clayton State’s annual day of giving.

Moreland noted that the dollars raised supplement shortfalls in state funding that have caused increases in student tuition and forced cost-cutting measures at Clayton State and other universities across Georgia.

“In the past couple of decades, we have seen state funding decrease from about 70 percent down to about 40 percent of the cost of education,” he said. “It’s really tragic when a student reaches a semester or two from graduation and runs out of funding. They leave the university with all of that debt, but without a degree.”

Clayton State’s comprehensive campaign looks to fulfill three goals:

• Help more students complete their education.

• Expand opportunities to gain real-world experience prior to graduation.

• Ensure Clayton State University becomes more innovative in teaching and learning.

“In a few short years Clayton State will celebrate its 50^th year. We’ve come a long way,” said University President Dr. Tim Hynes. “We continue to focus on preparing our students to be successful in their careers and in their lives.”

At Tuesday’s event, student Nicholas Collins spoke about the generosity of donors to Clayton State University to support his dream of attending college. Collins was awarded a Presidential Scholarship in 2014 to cover his tuition and expenses.

“I have been able to accomplish many things because of an opportunity that was presented to me,” he said.