UMass Dartmouth has received a big gift from anonymous donor.

A donation in the amount of $250,000 was recently given to the university as tribute to Ryan David Reaves, an online student who graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Liberal Arts

Reaves, of Houston, Texas, was able to finish his degree requirements before his passing this past December. In January, his family was presented with his framed degree, commencement regalia, and a medallion with his name and UMass Dartmouth engraved on it. They were also provided written remembrances from Ryan's faculty. Ryan’s name was called out during UMass Dartmouth’s 2015 Commencement ceremonies.

The $250,000 will fund the Ryan Reaves Memorial Scholarship, which will go toward supporting other online undergraduate students. UMass offers online undergraduate majors in nursing, political science, liberal arts, business administration, and gender studies.