John Morgridge choked up Tuesday as he spoke about the older brother who helped pave his way to college.

He was a metaphorical genie, Morgridge said, granting his wish to attend school away from their Wauwatosa home.

Now Morgridge hopes to grant such wishes many times over.

The California philanthropist and his wife, Tashia, on Tuesday formally unveiled a $175 million endowment for their Fund For Wisconsin Scholars during a news conference at Green Bay West High School.

“He said, ‘Get your stuff,’” Morgridge said of his brother, pausing to regain his composure. ” ‘Put it in the car. You’re coming with me. We’ll both get jobs and we can make this work.’ And it did.

“And we’re hopeful — my wife and I — that the gift we’re providing in the form of scholarships will act as a genie for you — will act to give you that extra push.”

The money they’ve given will be used to help qualified Wisconsin students with financial need who attend a state school or technical college. Grants will be based on financial aid, with eligibility determined through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form process. The grants will not have to be repaid.

The new foundation will work with college financial aid officers to offer grants as part of a student’s total aid package. The monies will be available for students beginning college this fall, which was good news for many of the high school seniors at Tuesday’s event.

“I think what they’ve done is just remarkable,” said West senior Ben Klein, who plans to study education at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. “I think it encourages students who normally could not afford college to at least apply and try to see what they can do.”

Morgridge is the retired chairman of the computer networking giant Cisco Systems. He is worth an estimated $2.1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Morgridge and his wife graduated from UW-Madison in 1955, he in business, she in education. Tashia Morgridge, also a native of Wauwatosa, is a retired elementary special education teacher.

Rather than fully paying a student’s way, the grant money is designed to give an extra boost to students who might struggle to afford school, John Morgridge said.

For West students like Kacie Burke, a three-sport athlete holding down two jobs, the money could make a big difference.

Burke plans to attend UW-La Crosse before transferring to UW to study pre-pharmacy.

“If I could, I’d have another job,” said Burke, who plans to start at La Crosse because it’s a less expensive school.

“At West, everyone has to have jobs,” Klein added. “Anyone that’s planning to go to college — and you can ask anyone in this room — they’re working 30, 35 hours a week.”

The foundation’s grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000 per student, per year. That could help a lot, Olson said.

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