Mayor Announces 2018 City Scholarship Fund Awardees

Mayor Martin J. Walsh recently joined the City of Boston Scholarship Committee in awarding 30 Boston students $2,500 scholarships to help fund their higher education. Over 120 students currently receive an annual scholarship of $2,500 through the fund for the duration of their undergraduate education. In total, the fund will distribute over $300,000 in scholarships this year, making college more accessible for Boston residents.

"In Boston, we believe that access to a quality education is a right, not a privilege," said Mayor Walsh. "No dollar amount should come between a student and their dreams and that is why I am proud to award our future leaders with the funds to continue their education."  

The City of Boston Scholarship Fund was established in 1992 to provide assistance to residents who plan to pursue a two- or four-year undergraduate program in Massachusetts. Applicants must be residents of Boston and must have graduated from high school by the time the awards are made in June. The scholarship program, which operates under the authority of a Scholarship Committee, is managed by the Mayor's Education Cabinet.

"I would like to extend a huge thank you to the City of Boston Scholarship Committee for their generosity. I promise to work hard to prove myself worthy of this opportunity you have given me," said Juliana Vasquez, recipient of the Community Development Scholarship. "I look forward to the day I am able to help other City of Boston students just as you have helped me."

Funds for the scholarships are made possible from contributions made by residents and corporations. The City of Boston Scholarship Committee has awarded over 900 students scholarships since 1992. This year, Boston celebrated the sixteenth year of an endowed scholarship donated by the Rosen Family in memory of Jeffrey Dunipace Rosen and celebrated the third year of the Community Development Scholarship, established in remembrance of Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and a Community Spirit Scholarship in memory of former public servant and City of Boston Scholarship awardee, Dawn Jaffier.

This year's scholarship awards strengthen the post-secondary access initiatives that Mayor Walsh has launched or supported over the last year, including Free Community College Tuition, Boston Bridge, Boston Saves, and ongoing support activities for students through the Success Boston partnership.

"Our goal is to write a social contract with Boston students that guarantees them an affordable post-secondary education," said Boston Chief of Education Rahn Dorsey. "The improvements that the Mayor's Scholarship Committee continues to make to the program go a long way toward ensuring that the City is providing resources to a diverse set of young people from a broad array of high schools and to adults continuing their higher education pursuits. I want to thank the Committee, our partners at uAspire and Success Boston and the team at City Hall for their continued dedication to Boston's youth and adult learners."

Residents who fit the criteria are encouraged to participate in the 2019-2020 application process, which will begin in January 2019. For more information on the City of Boston Scholarship, visit Boston.gov or send a note to cobscholarship@boston.gov.

###