While Pitt relies on in-state and out-of-state students’ tuition contributions of about… While Pitt relies on in-state and out-of-state students’ tuition contributions of about $12,000 and $21,000 per student, respectively, an extra billion dollars of financial support for the University won’t hurt.

Today, the University will officially announce the success of its Discover a World of Possibilities capital campaign fund in raising $1 billion in donations. The Board of Trustees will learn the news at their annual meeting this morning, and the campus will take part in a celebration of the achievement at 3 p.m. this afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.

The capital campaign fund reached the $1 billion mark eight months ahead of schedule. The overall goal of raising $2 billion makes the initiative the largest fundraising campaign in Pennsylvania’s history and one of only nine campaigns among American universities to set a goal of at least this amount.

Pitt plans to use the funding in the areas of the arts, instruction, research, student life and campus living, according to a University press release.

Thus far, the milestone campaign recently has funded such institutions as the Swanson Institute for Technical Excellence, the Hillman Fellows Program for Innovative Cancer Research and the Gertrude E. and John M. Petersen Institute for NanoScience and Engineering.

Even the Petersen Events Center has found its funding from the capital campaign, making it the perfect venue for today’s event. Chancellor Mark Nordenberg will make the announcement amid an afternoon of refreshments and festivities.

“I probably will go, just to see what’s going on,” freshman Richard Barnhart said about attending the celebration.