Queensborough Student Profile:

Our students are diverse, successful and motivated. Forty-eight percent were born in another country; 44% speak a language other than English at home. When the City University imposed a rigorous “rising junior exam” (testing students’ ability to succeed at the senior college level), Queensborough students achieved the highest passing rates among CUNY’s six community colleges. Seventy-two percent of our students are employed; 52% work twenty or more hours while pursuing their degree. Over 70% of our students are employed, and many are single parents and the head of their households. Additionally, the majority of our students live in Queens and face the added challenge of finding affordable housing in a borough with the lowest rental vacancy rate in the City (1.78%).

The Case for Scholarships:

Queensborough students arrive at the College with varying financial situations. While some may qualify for financial aid, there are a great many who fall short of the requirements to access tuition assistance. The majority of our students (60%) reported a total household income of less than $25,000. Students who are newly-arrived immigrants and those classified as the “working poor” face enormous financial challenges as they aspire to better paying positions in the workforce. M any of our most successful students have struggled to reach graduation day, while a distressing number of outstanding students simply withdraw from college as they cannot afford the rising costs of tuition and books.

To address this critical situation, Queensborough Community College Fund, Inc. is seeking endowed scholarships from individuals, corporations and foundations. Endowments begin at $10,000. An endowed scholarship fund of $1,000,000 to support approximately twenty full scholarships in perpetuity is our current target and will ensure that students from all backgrounds and cultures are able to contribute to our rich tapestry.

Scholarship Details

• The Scholarship would be administered by the QCC Fund, Inc.
• Assuming a modest 5% rate of return, an endowment of $25,000 would generate $1,250 per year, which could provide significant assistance to one of our many outstanding students who demonstrates financial need. (Current tuition is $1,400 per semester)
• To offer greater flexibility, the $25,000 endowment may be paid in installments over a period of 3-5 years. Once the Fund generates earned income over $500, the College could begin to offer a scholarship.
• Monies for the Endowed Scholarship Fund would become part of the QCC Fund’s Investment Pool, currently managed by the firm Alliance Bernstein.
• The Individual or Corporation would partner with the College’s Scholarship Committee to establish parameters for scholarship recipients, such as awardees’ intended field of study (i.e. business), high school average, grade point average at the College, financial need, etc.
• Applications for the Endowed Scholarship will be reviewed by the College’s Scholarship Committee who will select recipients.
• Awards would be presented at an annual scholarship ceremony, simultaneously recognizing both student scholars and donors as the scholar’s corporate sponsor. The event will be publicized throughout internal and external media.

Endowed Scholarships:

The following endowed scholarships are currently held by the QCC Fund, Inc.

• Drs. Edith Lea and Herbert Schnall Scholarship for Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Students
• Dr. Paris Svoronos Endowed Chemistry Scholarship
• Thomas Chen/Crystal Windows Port of Entry Scholarship
• Roslyn Savings Foundation Scholarship
• Endowed Merit Scholarships for incoming freshmen with an eighty-two average or better