Scholarship Office
UNIVERSITY STUDENT SENATEThe 2009 Donald and Mary Ellen Passantino
(International Students & Student with Disabilities Award)
and the USS Merit Award
The University Student Senate of the City University of New York established the USS Merit Scholarship in 1995. The scholarship awards three students per campus, per academic year for demonstrating outstanding academic and leadership performance under extraordinary circumstances.
The University Student Senate of the City University of New York established the Donald & Mary Ellen Passantino Scholarship in 2003. The scholarship recognizes international students and students with disabilities who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and enthusiastic leadership and service under extraordinary circumstances. Four students per campus, per academic year are awarded the scholarship.
Overview:
The USS Scholarship Committee is required to distribute an award packet that includes 1) procedures, 2) application and, 3) a Declaration Form verifying the applicant’s GPA and credit/enrollment information. Applications for this year are available on individual campuses at an office designated by the Chief Student Affairs Office.
USS requests that each campus sends four (4) candidates for the Merit Scholarship and four (4) candidates for the Don and Mary Ellen Passantino Awards. USS will award one Merit Award per campus in the amount of $1,000.00, two Passantino Awards for international students and two Passantino Awards for students with disabilities per campus in the amount of $500.00 each.
Procedures:
1. The President of each college, the Chief Student Affairs Administrators, the Office of Student Life, the Office of Students with, and the Office of International Student Services are scheduled to receive all scholarship materials via e-mail by the proposed filing date.
2. Filing period for 2009 begins May 15th, and closes June 19th. All completed applications are to be submitted to the college office of Student Affairs no later than 5:00PM on June 19th, 2009. Applicants can apply to only one scholarship per academic year (either the Merit Scholarship or the Don and Mary Ellen Scholarship).
3.The Student Affairs Officer of each college campus will oversee the application and selection process by forming a committee that consists of an existing honors/awards committee or a specific award review committee that includes two staff, two faculty members, and four student representatives.
4. The appointed committee members must verify GPA and enrollment information of all applicants before selecting finalists. The committee is responsible for forwarding the names to the Chief Student Affairs Administrator or designee at each college. In addition, extracurricular activities, community work, and essay should be used in support of, but not in place of the academic criteria.
5. The Chief Student Affairs Administrator, or designee, will submit the applications of the selected finalists to the USS Scholarship Committee. Submissions received later than July 3rd, 2009 will be returned to the college office of Chief Student Affairs Administrator or designee.
The Chief Student Affairs Administrator or designee shall send the finalist applications to:
The University Student Senate
Chair, USS Scholarship Committee
101 West 31st Street, Suite 1245
New York, NY, 10001
6. Once the applications of the finalists are received, the USS Scholarship Committee and key staff of the Central Office of Student Affairs must confirm that the selected students are eligible to receive the scholarship award. If any applications are received with ineligible applicants, said applications will be returned to the college’s Chief Student Affairs Officer.
7. The Merit award will be $1, 000.00 each and paid in one disbursement. The Passantino scholarship will be awarded to one international student and one will be awarded to a student with disabilities.
8. The President of each college, the Chief Student Affairs Administrators, the Office of Student Life, the Office of Students with Disabilities, and the Office of International Student Services will to receive a list of award-winners via e-mail once decisions have been made. Final decisions are expected to be declared by July 17th, 2009.
- Award letters will be sent to the winners in August of 2009. The scholarships will be presented to recipients at a USS scholarship awards dinner, which will take place at a formal reception, at a place and time to be announced.
THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA MUST BE MET BY ALL APPLICANTS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ANY USS AWARD:
- Applicants shall be matriculated students: registered for a minimum of six credits for undergraduate students, or a minimum of three credits for graduate students.
- ·An applicant shall be in active attendance during the semester he/she applies for an award. Applicants shall also meet the same requirements during the semester of award disbursement. Therefore, graduating seniors are not eligible.
- Students who meet the above registration criteria and are fulfilling internships requirements, but not in active attendance on their campuses, are still eligible.
- All other applicants must be permanent residents, citizens, or NYC residents to apply for any USS award (the only exception being international students).
- Undergraduate applicants must have completed a minimum of twelve (12) credits and no more than eighty (80) credits at a CUNY college. Graduate applicants must have completed a minimum of nine credits (9) at a CUNY college and no more than twenty-four (24) credits total.
2009 adopted name: USS Donald and Mary Ellen Passantino International
Students and Students with Disabilities Award:
- No more than four awards per campus;
- Only undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities and international students are eligible.
Applicants to the Don & Mary Ellen Passantino Awards for Disabled Students, and International Students must have attained a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and will be required to sign the Declaration Form that will enable the college Chief Student Affairs Administrator to verify the applicant’s GPA and credit/enrollment information.
For students with disabilities, applications shall be accompanied by a letter of verification from the college’s Director of Disability Services.
International students must be in valid F-1 or J-1 immigration status during the semester in which are applying for the scholarship, and at the time of award disbursement. International students are required to maintain full-time credit and course-loads. The following documents must accompany their application packet:
- A copy of the Visa Stamp
- A copy of the I-94 Card
- A letter of verification from the college International Student Advisor
- RF 702 *
- W-8BEN *
Applicants to the Merit Scholarship must have attained a 3.5 GPA average
Each application shall be accompanied by:
- Two letters of recommendation indicating evidence of good character, academic achievement, and/or service to the community. At least one of the letters shall be from a CUNY faculty member
- Two (2) personal Essays typed original essays of no more than three hundred (300) words each:
- Three hundred (300) words stating why would you benefit from this scholarship and how do you believe you have earned it?
- Three hundred words stating your field of interest, current projects, future plans, etc.
- Resume
- An official letter verifying enrollment of the current academic year
- A signed Declaration Form.
9. USS delegates are not eligible to apply for any USS sponsored award. If any award recipient subsequently becomes a USS delegate after being nominated for an award and all criteria are met, award disbursement will not be withdrawn.
10. Any applicant who does not abide by the terms stated below, forfeits the award benefits.
11. A “suspension” period, which will allow award recipients to suspend the disbursement of award funds for reasons of health, family crisis, etc., may be requested as needed. It is necessary for award recipients to notify the USS administrative Office as soon as possible before the award ceremony of intention to “suspend” said disbursement. The suspension period may not exceed twelve (12) months. Any unclaimed award funds will remain in the USS scholarship account.
The 2009 Don and Mary Ellen Passantino and USS Merit Award Application
INSTRUCTIONS
- Filing period for 2009 begins May 13th and closes June 19thth. All completed applications are to be submitted to the office of Chief Student Affairs Administrator of your college, no later than June 19th, 2009.
- Only typed or legibly printed application forms will be considered
- All essays must be typed
- One application per person
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
The GEO Group, Inc. and
The Brooklyn Community Correctional Center Advisory Board
Scholarship Fund
Congratulations for deciding to pursue an educational opportunity to enhance your personal growth and development. The Brooklyn Community Correctional Center Advisory Board is honored to be working on behalf of GEO Group, Inc. to offer a scholarship program.
Grants of up to $2,500 will be issued to residents of the Bedford-Stuyvesant community.
Grants will be awarded to college students who are attending a four (4) year accredited college or university and are in good academic standing with the college/university.
Scholarship awards will be paid directly to the school and applied to your student account. Applicants must confirm that the school of their choice received the scholarship funds.
The GEO Group, Inc, and the Brooklyn Community Correctional Center Advisory Board is committed to assuring that community residents are afforded the opportunity to obtain the education and knowledge necessary to pursue higher education and make positive contributions to the Bedford Stuyvesant community.
To receive an application, please call Mr. Raymond Ballard at (718) 443-6890 or request an application by email by sending a “Request for Scholarship” to sumnerhouses@mindsprings.com.
All applications must be returned by: September 14, 2009
Submit applications to:
Mr. Raymond Ballard, Chairman
Brooklyn Community Correctional Center Advisory Board
1043 Myrtle Avenue, Apt. 1F
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 443-6890
Email your application to: sumnerhouses@mindsprings.com
Please visit the sites below to learn about other external scholarships.
