The MacKenzie Scott Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) Scholarship Fund at Hostos Community College in the division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) will award up to twenty-five (25) $1,000 dollars in scholarship to students wishing to transition from continuing education to matriculate at Hostos. The funds can be utilized by the students for any transition to college expense such as: college application fee, books, registering in a course, transportation, child care to name a few of the needs. Application and selection process for the scholarship will be developed and established during the month of November 2021 to launch and begin recruitment of applicants December 2021 on.
The Need and alignment:
- Currently there are no scholarships available to continuing education students. The Career Success Scholarship – formerly known as the Helena Rubinstein ACE Scholarship is the only CUNY-wide scholarship in place for Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) students. The scholarship pays for occupational training courses but not for the transition to college or academic courses. The establishment of an Hostos ACE Scholarship for the transition to college of continuing education students aligns with the need:
- To address the infrastructure necessary for systemic changes to alleviate structural barriers experienced by all nontraditional students (including continuing education students) from the South Bronx and nearing neighborhoods. We need to set up ways that facilitate the transition of students from continuing education programs to the college seamlessly; that is to help the transition from non-matriculation to matriculation status.
- To align CEWD’s efforts with the colleges overall strategic plan.
- To compliment and support the transition to college by leveraging CUNY and campus-wide CPL/PLA policy embedded into workforce programing to increase college pathway access.
- To establish best practice models for establishing and creating a pipeline of college ready students from our own continuing education division at Hostos.
- To establish a financial aid system that utilizes and leverages multiple funding to offset the cost for students in continuing education (i.e. Perkins).