Wynn Resorts Sets Up $2M Scholarship for Children of Employees

One of America’s major hospitality companies and land-based casino operators has announced that it has set up the Craig S. Billings Endowed Scholarship for Children of Wynn North American Employees.
The news was confirmed by Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings, with the scholarship fund running at $2 million. 

Wynn Resorts Backs Employees’ Children in Education

The scholarships are available for qualifying employees in North America and children who are pursuing undergraduate degrees at UNLV’s Lee Business School, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, and William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. 

Outlining the event, Billings shared his excitement to see his company support the children of employees, and added:

“It is such a privilege to be a colleague of the dedicated employees at the Wynn Resorts entities in North America. So many of those folks work tirelessly every day, delivering the Wynn experience, in part to do what all parents strive to do – allow their children to achieve more.” 

Billings also noted that the institutions picked to partner up for the scholarships were not randomly selected. Billings is himself a graduate from UNLV, and argued that the university prepared him for his future success as an executive of one of the world’s most significant hospitality and gaming companies.

UNLV President Chris Heavey similarly welcomed the partnership and said that it was great to see education made more accessible to young people. 

“This scholarship helps remove that barrier for the children of employees at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor, enabling them to persist in their studies, fully engage in their education, and complete a UNLV degree that can shape the trajectory of their lives. We are deeply grateful to Craig and Wynn Resorts for their leadership and vision,” Heavey said. 

Heavey acknowledged that while 90% of UNLV undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, the financial costs remain a barrier for many potential students. 

Financial Reasons Still a Barrier to Entry

The scholarship set up by Wynn Resorts directly seeks to eliminate this, allowing ambitious and capable young people to nurture and develop hard skills that could launch them on a path to success. 

Recipients of these scholarships will be eligible for support through graduation, with each scholarship available for up to 140 undergraduate credit hours. 

UNLV Foundation interim executive VP Tiffany Vickers has similarly touted the initiative and added that, beyond this new scholarship, the Wynn Resorts team, and Craig Billings in particular, have been long-standing supporters of the university and educational efforts.