The Community Foundation of New Jersey’s scholarship team today announced $1,575,096 in scholarship awards have been granted this month to cover educational expenses for 261 individual students. While most of the students and institutions of higher learning are in New Jersey, the list extends beyond Rutgers, Montclair State, NJIT, and the County College of Morris (the most popular among recipients) to also include Brown, Cornell, Harvard, and colleges and universities in another 23 states.
The STEM field was the most popular area of study among scholarship recipients, with top majors including Biology, Engineering, Business, Media, Computer Science, and Nursing.
The Community Foundation currently administers 140 separate scholarship funds, with more than $18 million in total assets. Seven new scholarship funds were created at the Community Foundation in the past year with a wide variety of focus areas and in memory of beloved family members. The year’s new scholarship funds include:
- Jacqueline A. Coelln-Hough Women in Science Scholarship provides financial assistance to a graduating high school senior from the Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark who will be pursuing a major in the STEM field and who has participated in the Girl Scout program.
- Dr. Crosby Copeland Jr. Scholarship’s goal is to help African American males graduating from the Trenton Public High School to achieve their dream of pursuing a college education.
- Peter Eisen Scholarship provides financial assistance to a graduating high school senior from Bergen, Essex, or Middlesex County who has experienced the loss of a biological parent before the age of 18.
- Michael Hodinar Memorial Scholarship provides financial assistance to a graduating senior of Fort Lee High School who is a recent immigrant to the United States.
- Daniel J. McKinney III Memorial Scholarship prioritizes a student’s grit, determination, and motivation, and the idea that kindness and generosity toward others is worth aspiring to.
- Linda D. Murphy Village Strivers Scholarship recognizes African American high school seniors residing in Morris County who have demonstrated academic improvement and strong leadership within the community and within their faith institution.
- Jack and Dee Wickens Scholarship provides financial assistance to a graduating senior from a New Jersey parochial high school who has been accepted into a two-year or four-year college or university of their choice
“A meaningful scholarship is one of the most effective ways to help a young person achieve their dream of an education,” said Faith Krueger, the Community Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer. “Every year we’re struck by the variety in students’ backgrounds, their interest of study, and the institutions they aspire to attend. Thankfully, we work with fundholders who are just as diverse in the ways they want to support students – from traditional scholarships to customized awards that meet specific needs. The result this year is more than a million and a half dollars going to make these educational matches.”
To learn more about scholarship funds at the Community Foundation, including how to structure your own scholarship fund, contact Faith Krueger at fkrueger@cfnj.org or Colleen Smith at csmith@cfnj.org.