According to the U.S. Department of Education, almost 65% of all undergraduates enrolled in college in the United States last year received some type of financial aid. In these economic times, this number isn’t surprising. It also underscores the importance of sourcing all available opportunities for financial support. A smart place to start is to search and apply for scholarships.

While some students may assume that scholarships are reserved for valedictorians or star athletes, the reality is quite different. Scholarships are available to a broad range of students with different interests and talent. In fact, Suffolk County Community College provided upwards of $550,000 in scholarships last year to new, returning and graduating students. A full list of scholarships can be found at
www.sunysuffolk.edu/Scholarships.

Scholarship opportunities are available to Suffolk students primarily through the Suffolk Community College Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization and the scholarships that it manages allow qualified students to pursue their education.

“Everybody is encourage to apply for scholarships,” says Rick Guarino, Foundation Executive Director. “Many students are aware of financial aid, but we want to make sure they understand that our scholarship opportunities are available to them as well.”

Simply put, scholarships often make the impossible, possible. Suffolk offers both academic and career-oriented scholarships to incoming, current and graduating students. Here are just a few examples of the many options that are available:

Get There From Here Scholarships

Funded by an anonymous
$5 million donation to the Foundation, these scholarships are offered to help students achieve their highest academic, personal and professional potential. Scholarships may be as much as $5,000 annually.

Bryan Nee is a recipient of a Get There From Here Scholarship and is currently studying theatre arts. “Studying acting at Suffolk has opened up countless avenues of opportunity for me,” says Mr. Nee. “The lessons I’ve already learned are applicable to every function of life.  The people here want to see me succeed as much as I do. Receiving this scholarship is the way that I am starting to reach my goals.”

Stay on Long Island Scholarships

Created by Dr. Shaun L. McKay, President of Suffolk County Community College, the Stay on Long Island (SoLI) scholarships are designed to provide full-and partial-tuition scholarships to current Suffolk students who will be graduating and transferring to selected institutions right in our region. Currently, Suffolk has SoLI scholarship agreements with Adelphi University, Briarcliffe College, Dowling College, Five Towns College, Hofstra University, LIU Brentwood, LIU Post, LIU Riverhead, New York Institute of Technology, St. John’s University, St. Joseph’s College and Stony Brook University.

After earning her associate degree in nursing from Suffolk, Jennifer Hessian knew that she wanted to continue her studies and pursue a bachelor’s degree.  As a recipient of a SoLI scholarship, she was able to transfer to St. Joseph’s College without the burden of student loans. “Thanks to the scholarship, I am debt-free with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing,” she says. “Now, I have the luxury of being able to go right into a Master’s program to be a Nurse Practitioner without the worry of paying back loans.”

Dr. Robert Frey Family Scholarships

The Frey Family Foundation Scholarships are awarded to students who are majoring in mathematics and planning to embark on a career in math-related fields. Scholarships are for full- or part-time students and can total upwards of $5,000 per year.

“I knew that I wanted to pursue my studies in mathematics after graduating from Suffolk,” says
Martin Curley, a recipient of the Frey Family Scholarship and current student at Stony Brook University. “However, any school that I considered was going to be a real financial stretch. With this scholarship, I haven’t had to pay anything my first year. It’s allowed me to focus even more on my studies rather than worrying about paying the tuition. I hope to apply for graduate school and eventually earn my doctorate and go on to become a college professor. “

National Science Foundation STEM Scholarships

Full-time students can receive up to $7,500 through the NSF STEM scholarships. Applicants must be accepted and enrolled in a degree program in biology (excluding allied health programs), environmental science, chemistry, physics, astronomy, meteorology, geology, mathematics, computer science, information technology, engineering science, or electronics/electrical technology.

“The STEM scholarship meant everything to me,” says Oluwafemi Bangbose, a Suffolk graduate who has gone on to earn an engineering degree from Farmingdale State and is now employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory. “It opened up opportunities that never would have come my way.”

HVAC/Oil Heat Institute Scholarships

These scholarships are available to students enrolled in Suffolk’s Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program and vary from $375 to $1,500 for both full- and
part-time students.

“Things were tough at home,” says Osama Rabbani, a recipient of the HVAC scholarship and current student. “If I didn’t receive this scholarship, I was going to have to stop attending Suffolk and just hope for the best. This scholarship made it possible for me to continue my studies and I feel really confident about getting a good job.”

To learn more about all the scholarship opportunities at Suffolk – or how you can become a scholarship donor – simply call

631-451-4111

Drew Fawcett