New UMass Boston Scholarship to Benefit Boston Public Schools Graduates

Qualified Students Will Be Awarded $1,000 Annually for Up to Four Years in Program Cosponsored by City and Boston Water and Sewer Commission

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley today announced a new scholarship program aimed at helping graduates of Boston Public Schools succeed in college. The Boston City Scholarship program will recognize Boston Public Schools graduates who demonstrate academic achievement and are admitted as freshmen to UMass Boston.

“As Boston’s only public university, we continue to pursue our mission of providing access to quality higher education and helping students succeed,” said Chancellor Motley. “We are pleased to fund this new scholarship program that will encourage and support the academic success of Boston Public Schools graduates.”

Under the Boston City Scholarship program, graduates of any Boston public high school who are admitted to UMass Boston with a 3.0 grade point average or above and enroll at the university the semester following their graduation will be granted a $1,000 scholarship. UMass Boston will renew the scholarship for up to three additional years for students who stay continuously enrolled full-time at the university and maintain a 3.0 grade point average or above. Scholarship recipients must be residents of Massachusetts, and the funds can be applied to tuition, fees, or other school-related costs.

“The City of Boston thanks UMass Boston for its commitment to the young people of our city,” said Mayor Menino. “This is an investment not only in the educational future of our public school graduates but also in the future of Boston and its prosperity in years to come.”

The Boston City Scholarship program was developed as part of an agreement with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to transfer ownership of the commission’s pumping station and Calf Pasture property on Columbia Point to UMass Boston. In 2010, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission completed its move out of the Calf Pasture property to a new facility located in Charlestown.

UMass Boston has committed over $2 million to fund the Boston City Scholarship program. When it begins this fall, the scholarship is expected to benefit more than 70 incoming freshmen. The program will continue for approximately 15 years.

“This is a good example of Mayor Menino’s leadership encouraging the agencies to work together to help the people of the City of Boston,” said Vincent Mannering, executive director of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.

The new scholarship program was announced at the John D. O’Bryant High School, where nine seniors from neighborhoods across the city who have already been admitted to UMass Boston learned of their eligibility to be among the first students in the program. The students are from neighborhoods across the city, including Brighton, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roslindale.

“We know our work doesn’t end when our students graduate from Boston Public Schools,” said Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. “We are proud to partner with a great institution like UMass Boston to create resources that will help our students succeed in college, career, and in life. This scholarship is a big step forward in our goal to make college completion a reality for all students.”

About Boston City Scholarships
The Boston City Scholarship program recognizes Boston Public Schools graduates who demonstrate academic achievement and are admitted as freshmen to the University of Massachusetts Boston. Qualified students receive scholarships of $1,000 awarded annually for up to four years. Founded in 2011 to foster college success among BPS graduates, the Boston City Scholarship program is expected to assist about 1,000 students over 15 years. The program is the product of an agreement between the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and UMass Boston to transfer a parcel of property to UMass Boston in exchange for scholarships to BPS students that will encourage them to attend and graduate from college. It is sponsored by UMass Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. For more information, visit www.umb.edu/boston_city_scholarship.

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex urban issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s eight colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.