A new fund established by Julie Pierson Doyle, chair of the University of Lynchburg Board of Trustees, will help undergraduate students who are facing financial hardships stay in school.
As described in an agreement dated Nov. 18, 2025, the Fox Student Retention Fund was started with a $20,000 gift from Doyle, which was received by the University in June 2025.
The intention of the Fox Fund is to support “students experiencing a sudden, unforeseen financial hardship that, without this direct intervention, could prevent their continued enrollment.”
The assistance, which does not need to be repaid to the University, is to be a “last resort to address immediate financial barriers, complementing rather than replacing existing financial aid, scholarships, or long-term financial planning.”
Associate Vice President of Advancement Shawn Wood described Doyle’s gift as “no clearer sign of confidence in the University’s future,” adding that her “decision to launch the Fox Fund, providing hope to future students, is an incredible example of both passion and leadership.”
According to fund policy, the Fox Fund “provides timely, limited financial assistance … for outstanding tuition and mandatory fees.” Students may receive up to $3,500 during their time at Lynchburg.
The Fox Fund is administered by the Offices of Finance and University Experience and Student Success. Students are referred to the fund’s review committee by staff in Lynchburg’s Solutions Center, the campus office that handles student accounts.
“I’m genuinely grateful for the establishment of the Fox Student Retention Fund, made possible by the generosity of our Board Chair Julie Doyle,” said Kristen Cooper, vice president of UESS.
“Unexpected financial situations generate significant anxiety for our students, potentially derailing their education. This fund is a vital resource, providing immediate support to ensure our students can focus on achieving their goals and continue to excel at Lynchburg.
“Since the fund’s full implementation [in December], we have already awarded aid to a student through our referral process. … They express[ed] such profound relief and graciousness regarding the support they received.”
The Fox Fund was inspired by Doyle’s own college experience.
The middle child of five girls, she attended the University of Notre Dame, just like her father and two of her sisters. She majored in mechanical engineering and played two seasons of volleyball for The Fighting Irish.
Between her sophomore and junior year, however, she feared she might not be able to finish her degree.
“It was definitely a stretch for the family financially,” Doyle recalled. “My parents were only able to contribute a small amount toward my tuition, so I took out multiple federal and private loans. My father had told me, ‘If we can get you through your third year, we’ll figure out your fourth year.’
“It was really challenging, because around that time, the eligibility requirements for federal student loans were tightened, and I was unable to borrow what I needed to close the gap for my junior year.”
Over that summer, Doyle’s aunt and uncle, Eloise and Foster Fox, provided the funds she needed to finish college. “It was structured as a loan,” Doyle said. “It allowed me to stay in school and I was able to pay it back once I got out of college and started a job.”
Doyle graduated from Notre Dame and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from George Washington University. She worked for Westinghouse Electric and Honeywell, and for 15 years she was president and executive director of The Education & Research Foundation Inc., a privately owned research facility in Lynchburg.
Over the years, Doyle has volunteered in the community and served on the boards of several local organizations. She continues to pay it forward as a member of Lynchburg’s board of trustees.
Shortly after becoming the board’s chair, she founded a scholarship in honor of her mother-in-law, who taught English at Lynchburg. Doyle said she also wanted to start a fund that would “impact retention” at the University.
After talking with Cooper and University President Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, the Fox Fund was established.
“We want to keep [students] here,” Doyle said. “If there was something I could do on a small scale to help students like me, who had come into an unexpected twist about their finances, I wanted to be able to do that.”
Fittingly, Doyle named the fund for her aunt and uncle.
“I think it’s nice to be able to show how a generous decision that was made by them a long time ago helped me finish school and set me on the path to a good job,” she said. “You can really make a difference, and they did make a difference for me.”
For more information about giving to the University, please contact Shawn Wood, associate vice president of advancement, at [email protected] or 434.544.8450.
