The University of Alabama Alumni Association has raised nearly $3.5 million in the past year through a program named “Ride With the Tide.” The program was created in 1988 to popularize The University of Alabama and allow people to show their school spirit. Since the creation of this program, the revenue generated has gradually increased each year. “The biggest jump in sales I have experienced has been after we won the national championship in 2009,” said Mark Roberts, manager of alumni chapter development. “We will continue to put our focus on this program because it has created and brought revenue.” Last year when Auburn University won the national championship, The University of Alabama car tags raised $3.8 million and Auburn University raised $2.5 million. The entire state collegiate tags program raised nearly $8 million. The money UA raises from the tags is being used to support scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Alumni Association said that 97 percent of the revenue raised fund the scholarship at the University. “In a situation like license tags, we are both successful in raising the money for scholarships,” said David Wilson, director of alumni funds. “One of my responsibilities in this program is to market the tags.” The University last year was able to give 1,522 undergraduate students scholarships and 30 graduate students’ fellowships through the license tag program, according to UA news. Christian Barber, program assistant for alumni funds, said his job was to draw attention to the program through marketing and various media. “My responsibility within this program is to market the tags with emails, brochures and alumni receipts,” Barber said. “The Alumni Association oversees the programs and the scholarships.” “Ride With the Tide” car tags can be purchased from most county tag-issuing offices. There are two different license plates available including a personalized tag which will take three to four weeks to be delivered, or a numeric tag with numbers and letters which are available immediately. The tags cost $50 more than regular plates and each year the owner of the tag can renew their license plate. The Alumni Association plans to do more with the program in the coming years at the University. “There is a state of Texas license tag that has just been approved,” Wilson said. “A portion of the tag will be Texas and the other will be The University of Alabama. We hope to expand to other states and we are currently working on South Carolina.” To find out more about the program and how to get a tag, visit alumni.ua.edu.