Launch Pad – CUFSAA-NA

CUFSAA Launch Pad Grants Update

1. Program Update (January 05, 2026): Support the Next Generation of Scientists Through “Launch Pad” Round 3

Dear Alumni and Well-wishers of the Faculty of Science,

The Faculty of Science at the University of Colombo has always been a place of resilience and excellence. However, today, our students are facing an unprecedented struggle. Between the ongoing economic hardships in Sri Lanka and the devastating impact of the recent cyclone, many of our brightest minds are at a breaking point.

To meet this challenge, the Colombo University Faculty of Science Alumni Association of North America (CUFSAA-NA) is urgently canvassing your support to initiate Round 3 of the “Launch Pad” Student Scholarship Program.

The Impact of “Launch Pad”

“Launch Pad” is the faculty’s most premium and wide-reaching aid initiative. It is designed to catch those falling through the cracks—students in the most grave financial distress who remain committed to their education despite the odds.

Targeted Support: We provide a US$360 donation per year to each of 36 specially selected students.
Rigorous Selection: Recipients are chosen by an inter-departmental committee of faculty members to ensure aid reaches those who need it most.
Current Progress: Thanks to your previous generosity, we are nearing the completion of Round 2 funding. We successfully disbursed the first installment of $180 in August and are poised to pay the second installment this February.

Why Your Help is Needed Now

The months ahead are critical. For many students, the recent cyclone didn’t just damage homes; it destroyed the meager resources they relied on to continue their studies. Without the security of Round 3, many of these students may be forced to abandon their education.

How You Can Help

We invite you to contribute to this lifeline. Whether you are a past graduate or a friend of the university, your support makes a tangible difference.

Flexible Giving: Any amount of support is welcome. No contribution is too small to make an impact.
Make a Dedication: You are welcome to make your donation in honor of a loved one, a former professor, or your graduating batch.
Tax Benefits: Please note that CUFSAA-NA is an approved 501(c)(3) charity in the US, making your contributions tax-deductible.

Donate Today: Please use the QR code on the left to donate by Paypal OR use the address below to send us a paper check. If you would rather use zellepay, contact us (info@cufsaa.org) for instructions.

Please send your donation checks payable to CUFSAA with your contact information and email address to the following postal address.

Colombo University Faculty of Science Alumni Association
c/o Ms. Sandya Liyanarachchi
Treasurer – CUFSAA-NA
5870 Tara Hill Drive
Dublin OH 43017
USA.

“Please read the student comments linked below on this page to see the profound impact your past support has made. These are not just statistics; they are the stories of future scientists, teachers, and innovators who simply need a helping hand to cross the finish line.”

The time to help the next generation of Science students is now. Let us ensure that no student is forced to give up on their dreams due to circumstances beyond their control.

With gratitude,

The CUFSAA-NA Team In service of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

2. Program Update (Nov 02, 2025): Launch Pad Scholarship First Installments (Round 2 ) Sent!

CUFSAA is thrilled to share a wonderful update regarding our Launch Pad Scholarship Program.

We are happy to report that the first installment of US$180 for the students selected to receive scholarships was successfully wired directly to the bank accounts of all 36 students.
We would like our membership and well-wishers to feel proud of the profound impact they have made. Your contributions are helping these students continue their educational journey, intervening at their greatest hour of need.

Round 2 is Funded!

Thanks to your exceptional generosity, CUFSAA is glad to announce that we have secured the funds to complete Round 2 of the Launch Pad program. In February 2026, we will be wiring the second installment of $180 to these students, providing crucial, ongoing support.

Help Us Continue: Fundraising for Round 3

We would like to continue this impactful program for as long as we can, but we need your help. CUFSAA is officially beginning its fundraising for the third round of the program now.
Please help us continue to change the lives of these students who are in grave financial need. Your support ensures that they can focus on their studies and build a better future.

3. Program Update (May 14 2025): Twelve-Month complete payments were paid to all 36 students.

We are thrilled to announce that we have successfully disbursed the full twelve-month payment of $360 each to all 36 students. This is a significant milestone in our CUFSAA Launch Pad Grants initiative, which initiated one of the most extensive grant schemes in the Faculty of Science’s history covering all departments.

This was no easy task. The Faculty of Science first advertised the grant scheme to the students. In response to this advertisement, the faculty received 189 applications from the students, at which time the faculty was confronted with the daunting task of shortlisting these applications to thirty-six.

The committee and the Dean’s office staff worked diligently in a very short period to shortlist this pool of applications to around 60 applications.

Following this, the department conducted in-person interviews with each student on the list, ensuring that the most financially distressed thirty-six students were selected.

Two CUFSAA observers worked with the inter-faculty committee to finalize the list, carefully reviewing each application.

One look at the final list is enough to know that all our efforts and the generosity of the donors were fully worth it, as the students were currently going through grave and desperate times. We have compiled a list of some of the thank you notes, which you will see on this page. Please read them, and you will get a glimpse of the scale of our help.

The final step of the process was challenging and tedious. CUFSAA treasurers patiently sent 36 individual wire transfers from the CUFSAA account in the US to individual student accounts scattered across branches and banks in Sri Lanka.

We are immensely grateful to our donors and committee members for their unwavering support and dedication, without which this initiative would not have been possible.

None of this would be possible without our donors’ massive spirit of generosity, the vast majority of whom are grateful alums of the Faculty of Science.

We sincerely appreciate all donors and well-wishers for their outstanding support, which resulted in one of the largest (and most premium) grant schemes covering all departments in the Faculty of Science. Please take a minute to visit the dedication wall of our donors, who are grateful for so many things involving our beloved faculty.

We are now fund-raising for round two of the Launch-Pad program where money will be dispersed to students in Late June 2025. We sincerely appreciate your contribution for the program. Please use the QR-code above to make your contributions.

Thank you all.

CUFSAA
(May 14, 2025)

Launch-Pad Donor Dedication Wall & Thank you!

CUFSAA Launch-Pad subcommittee and the Executive Committee sincerely thank our Paunch-Pad donors for their valuable monetary contributions to provided the Launch-Pad Student Grants!

Deadication Wall: Some of our donors wish to dedicate their donation to memories, noble causes, notable individuals, or entities (follow this link). We and the student recipients like to add our appreciation for their donations (while some will remain anonymous) too [https://www.cufsaa.com/dedicationwall/].

Additional Information and Links about the Launch Pad Grant Program

CUFSAA Launch-Pad Subcommittee