Sorry, Ms. McCarty, but decades of the welfare state have demonstrated that people value things at exactly what it costs them.
If it costs them nothing, they think of it as nothing.
A shame that you haven't figured that out by now.
Ms. McCarty's gift was from a generous heart. She knew that her gift wouldn't pay the full amount for many kids to go to school, but she wanted to help a few by giving them a little bit to which they could add their own money, for an education. By paying for their own, with a little help from her gift, they WOULD value their education.
USM honored Ms. McCarty by naming a huge new dorm after her.