UMass Boston to Provide $2M in Scholarships for BPS Students

When Victoria Tanis arrived at school on Tuesday, she had no idea she was eligible for a renewable, four-year scholarship worth up to $4,000.

Tanis, of Hyde Park, and eight other seniors at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science found out during a news conference at the school that they are eligible for the Boston City Scholarship, the result of a partnership between UMass Boston, the City of Boston, and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.

“I’m happy,” Tanis, who is interested in a pre-med program, said after the announcement. “It feels good.”

Under the Boston City Scholarship program, Boston public high school seniors with a 3.0 grade point average or above who enroll at UMass Boston the semester after their graduation will receive a $1,000 scholarship. For each year that students stay enrolled full-time and maintain a 3.0 grade point average or above, they will receive an additional $1,000, up to a maximum of $4,000. Scholarship recipients must be Massachusetts residents. The funds can be applied to tuition, fees, or other school-related costs. The scholarship is on top of any financial aid package the students receive.

“I know firsthand the value of a UMass Boston education because of the important role the university has played in my life and my future,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a 1988 alumnus of the school. “I want to make sure other students have the chance to succeed.  As a father, I know the burden of funding a college education.”

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.

“An agreement with the Water and Sewer Commission doesn’t sound so glamorous, but consider this: we expect this scholarship will help 70 BPS graduates this fall,” UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley told the assembled juniors and seniors from O’Bryant.

UMass Boston has committed more than $2 million to fund the Boston City Scholarship program. The program will continue for approximately 15 years. During this timeframe, it is estimated that 1,000 students will receive scholarships.

“The property given to UMass Boston will enable it to continue its goal of providing the best higher education in the United States,” said Vincent Mannering, executive director of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and a Boston State College alumnus. “The second goal is to help students of BPS. We’ve very happy to be a part of that.”

“We know our students can get a great education at UMass Boston,” said Superintendent Carol Johnson. “We’re hoping our students will take advantage of this.”

Victoria Tanis says she’s at the beginning of her college search, and that this scholarship opportunity is a great way to kick it off.

“This will put me at a safe, secure place, knowing I will have help paying off college bills,” she said.