The FSU Alumni Association says about 280,000 people around the country and the world wear garnet and gold with pride as FSU alumni.

Now years after they've paid tuition, they along with others are still supporting the school by dishing out cash.

Times might be tough for some and budgets tight for others, but people are still giving to Seminole nation.

The FSU Foundation raised almost $52 million dollars last year, that's up 32% from the previous year.

Officials say all the money pouring into the Foundation gets imparted directly into students and academic programming.

"We've had a significant increase in the numbers of smaller gifts and we also have several new larger gifts in our total," said Foundation Vice President for Development, Perry Fulkerson.

Donors pledging their financial support went up 23%.

Boosters scored an extra $2 million with the help of ticket sales.

They say the past few years their numbers have been down but they've stop the dropping trend and it's picking up again.

But in a down economy, what makes someone donate?

"We believe that if we keep them connected, if we keep them engaged, we keep them excited about FSU that at some point in time they're going to give back their time, their talent or their treasure, one of those three things," said FSU Alumni Association President Scott Atwell. "That's what we'd like from our alumni."

It's a connection that faculty and staff must be feeling as well. Almost 1 in every 5 faculty and staff members gives back to the very place from which they receive a check .

"Certainly if you work here and you're close enough to it, you realize the importance of it and it's easy to give to something that you see everyday having an impact on the state and the world," said Atwell.

In regards to football ticket sales, Boosters say they're also expecting to see increases as we get closer to football season.

Right now they're predicting about a 5% rise which would put about 2,000 more cheering fans in the stands.