# The University of Pretoria is celebrating the graduation of 12-thousand-950 students this month, and about 48.4-percent made it to the finish line with the help of financial support from the institution. One of the initiatives that made this possible was the Giving Day campaign, which was launched in 2022 to raise 100-million-rand to support missing-middle students. Vice-chancellor and principal, professor Francis Petersen, says this is a powerful reminder of the transformative role that financial aid can play in a student’s life.
UP helps almost half of autumn graduates to achieve their academic dreams