Eighth-graders from Newark, Camden, New Brunswick and Piscataway comprise inaugural group in groundbreaking program leading to tuition-free college education
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Eighth-graders from Rutgers’ home communities of Newark, Camden, New Brunswick and Piscataway were officially welcomed today as the first participants in the Rutgers Future Scholars Program, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to make a tuition-free college education possible for academically promising students who will be the first in their families to earn a four-year degree.
Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick welcomed more than 130 of the nearly 200 students accepted for the program’s inaugural year, along with 150 of their parents, for their first college experience. The students received red Rutgers T-shirts proclaiming them members of the Rutgers Class of 2017 and participated in hands-on learning activities like those they will be doing when the five-year program gets under way this summer.
“You have been chosen by your schools to be part of an exciting program that over the next several years will help you prepare for college,” McCormick told the students today. “You have been selected because your teachers and your schools believe in you and know you have the talent to succeed.”
McCormick announced the establishment of the program last September as a way to expand opportunities for talented students from underrepresented communities to earn a college degree. Each year, the program will accept up to 50 students who are entering eighth grade in each of the four communities where Rutgers’ campuses are located.
Selected on the basis of academic promise and economic need, students will become part of a five-year program offering academic and personal enrichment, mentoring, social development and, ultimately, the economic support for them to attend the university. Those who complete the program successfully and are admitted to Rutgers will not pay tuition or fees.
“Our goal – for Rutgers and I hope for you and your families – is that every one of you does your very best and that in a few years, all of you will be students at Rutgers,” McCormick said.
The Rutgers Future Scholars Program reflects the university’s longstanding commitment to accessibility and diversity. It is being created as a potential national model for addressing the need for an early, structured path to higher education for promising middle-school students in at-risk communities.
This summer, Future Scholars will attend five- to eight-day programs on their local Rutgers campuses during July and August. At the different sites, the students will be able to take courses in a wide variety of disciplines, including the fine and performing arts, life sciences, history, law and criminal justice.
During the school year, they will have opportunities to attend athletic and cultural events on campus and receive academic support, enrichment, guidance and mentoring. During high school, they will attend four- to six-week residential summer programs. Students also will attend a Saturday seminar series, where they will enhance their academic skills and learn about career options. They also will receive preparation for the PSAT, SAT and ACT exams.
Parents will be expected to play an integral role in encouraging their children’s participation. They will be invited to attend workshops and other programs focused on helping their children with homework, partnering with teachers and navigating the college admissions process.
“We are building the Rutgers Future Scholars Program on the concept that a supportive, enriching environment is crucial to helping a young student progress successfully along the path toward high school graduation and college admission,” said Courtney McAnuff, vice president for enrollment management at Rutgers. “Free tuition is an empty promise if we don’t provide the tools and guidance to make college admission possible.”
Costs for the Rutgers Future Scholars Program are expected to be covered primarily through private donations and corporate gifts. Once the students enter college, their educations also may be funded by existing federal and state financial aid programs.
Rutgers has begun a fundraising campaign led by Mark Murphy, president of The Fund for New Jersey, and Luke Visconti, partner and co-founder of Diversity Inc., to ensure a stable source of funding for the program. Private donors already have pledged more than $200,000 to support the program and its various components.
A researcher from Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education will conduct a comprehensive study on the first group of students as they move through the program over the next five years.
“This will provide us with the necessary data to evaluate the program and to make any changes necessary to ensure success,” McAnuff said. “If the program is to become a national model, it will need to collect empirical as well as anecdotal data that can be shared with other institutions.”
Established in 1766, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers offers more than 280 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs. The university is home to 27 degree-granting schools and colleges, and more than 150 specialized centers and institutes.
For more information about the Rutgers Future Scholars Program, go online to http://futurescholars.rutgers.edu or call 732-932-6712.
Media Contact: Sandra Lanman
732-932-7084, ext. 621
E-mail: slanman@ur.rutgers.edu