March 2, 2012
Local commuter students from the five boroughs of New York City are being offered the chance for a more affordable college experience with the advent of the Hugh L. Carey Scholarship Program at St. John’s University.
Named posthumously for former New York State Governor Hugh Carey ’42C, ’51L, ’67HON, the scholarship is being offered to first- and full-time students who are accepted into one of St. John’s four-year degree programs for the fall 2012 semester.
A minimum of $1,250 is awarded to all automatic qualifiers and may total up to $5,000 over four years. Additionally, those students who demonstrate financial need (and complete their FAFSA form by March 30, 2012) may receive up to $3,000 per year and up to $12,000 over four years. The scholarship is renewable annually as long as the student remains in good academic standing.
“This scholarship celebrates Hugh Carey’s life and his generosity in giving back to New York City students who may not have had the opportunity to attend college,” said Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President of St. John’s University. “The Carey name and legacy will continue to live on at St. John’s with this special scholarship program, and we are forever indebted to Governor Carey for the impact he has made on our University and his alma mater.”
St. John’s is a global University with more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 46 states and 110 countries. Ninety-seven percent of undergraduate students received more than $463 million in financial aid awarded by the University for the 2011-12 academic year.
The Hugh L. Carey Scholarship was designed to help students with significant financial need, and Governor Carey was instrumental during his tenure in public office in the 1970’s for making significant contributions to rescue NYC from financial hardship.
“I know our father always valued the Vincentian spirit of service education that he received at St. John’s and that it was a lifelong source of strength for him,” said Governor Carey’s daughter, Marianne Carey Hayes. “He’d be thrilled to know that there is a scholarship in place that will give help to New York students with their financial burden. He knew full well what it was like for him to go back to St. John’s Law under the G.I. Bill, so he understood greatly the value of financial assistance which enhanced his own personal education.”
New York Department of Education Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott fully supports the scholarship program and sees a unique value in partnering with St. John’s to ultimately give students in New York City a chance at a quality education at a major university.
“This program is a boost to public school students planning to attend St. John’s in the fall,” Chancellor Walcott said. “It gives students a chance to attend a four-year college close to home and is a perfect example of why it's so important for students to graduate from high school — college- and career-ready."
Click here for more information about the Hugh L. Carey Scholarship.