NEW YORK \u2014 Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei launched the City\u2019s first undergraduate scholarship program for municipal employees, with applications opening March 30.<\/p>\n
The new undergraduate track expands the longstanding Mayor\u2019s Graduate Scholarship Program, which has provided financial assistance to City employees for more than 60 years. Both programs will now operate under the rebranded \u201cMayor\u2019s Scholarship Program<\/a>,\u201d overseen by DCAS.<\/p>\n The Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program gives full-time New York City government employees the opportunity to pursue undergraduate and advanced degrees at participating colleges and universities across the region. The addition of undergraduate scholarships responds to sustained demand from City workers seeking support to earn bachelor\u2019s and associate degrees.<\/p>\n Applications to the graduate program have surged in recent years, increasing more than 30% over the past two years. Participating institutions collectively award between $360k and $530k in scholarships to City employees every year.<\/p>\n \u201cOur city moves when our workers do,\u201d said Mayor Mamdani. \u201cFor more than 60 years, this program has shown that when you make education accessible, working people seize the opportunity. By expanding it to include undergraduate degrees, we are investing in a new generation of public servants who act ambitiously, think creatively and believe firmly in government\u2019s power to deliver for the many.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEducation is one of the most powerful tools we have to open doors, expand minds and build the skilled workforce our city needs to solve today and tomorrow\u2019s challenges,\u201d said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. \u201cThe new undergraduate scholarship will help remove financial barriers for City workers, creating pathways to professional growth and development.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEducation is a powerful investment in our employees and the future of city government,\u201d said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitsaei. \u201cBy expanding the Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program to include both undergraduate and graduate degrees, we are opening the doors for professional growth and building an even stronger workforce for New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n The undergraduate scholarship program launches in partnership with 10 colleges and universities, with additional institutions in the pipeline. The graduate program has grown to include more than 30 participating schools, including Adelphi University, Columbia University, Baruch College, New York University and others.<\/p>\n All scholarships are awarded and funded directly by participating institutions. The Mayor’s Scholarship Program does not provide direct funding.<\/p>\n The initial cohort of undergraduate partner institutions includes:<\/p>\n Adelphi UniversityAlbertus Magnus CollegeColumbia University School of General StudiesCUNY School of Labor and Urban StudiesFordham UniversityLehman CollegeMontclair State UniversityMarist UniversityMetropolitan College of New YorkPurchase College, SUNY<\/p>\n \u201cAdelphi University is honored to serve New York City through the Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program, creating meaningful pathways for city employees to advance their education and careers,\u201d said Shawana Singletary, Chief Enrollment Officer, Adelphi University. \u201cWith a beautiful Garden City campus on Long Island, just 45 minutes from New York City, and a new Manhattan Center located at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street in Midtown, Adelphi offers students both accessibility and excellence. Our programs in social work, education, healthcare, psychology and business are designed to strengthen the workforce and support the communities that make New York thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies is proud to partner with the Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program, an initiative that reflects New York City\u2019s deep commitment to investing in the people who power our public institutions,\u201d said Shannon Clarke, Chief Enrollment Officer, CUNY SLU. \u201cRooted in the history and enduring legacy of the labor movement, SLU is dedicated to advancing public service and social justice, equity and opportunity through education. We believe that expanding access to undergraduate and graduate study for municipal employees not only supports individual career mobility but also strengthens the collective capacity of our public workforce to lead with fairness, dignity and impact. This partnership represents more than a scholarship opportunity; it is an investment in workers, in communities and in a stronger, more just and inclusive city. We are honored to support city employees as they continue their educational journeys and deepen their contributions to New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPurchase College, SUNY is proud to partner with New York City through the Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program to expand access to higher education for New York City\u2019s public servants,\u201d said Purchase College President Michael E. Steiper. \u201cThrough a substantial tuition reduction, we are opening pathways to our distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, liberal arts and sciences. As Westchester’s only comprehensive public college, public service is at the heart of our mission. We look forward to welcoming these new students and supporting them as they pursue their academic and professional goals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLehman College is proud to support the program, affirming our support of NYC’s municipal workforce and the role these employees play in ensuring a prosperous future for all New Yorkers,\u201d said a Lehman College spokesperson.<\/p>\n \u201cColumbia University School of General Studies is thrilled to participate in the Mayor’s Undergraduate Scholarship Program,\u201d said a Columbia University spokesperson. \u201cThe expansion of this program to support full-time New York City employees seeking undergraduate education aligns perfectly with the School of General Studies’ mission to attract and educate the most talented nontraditional students. We are excited to expand on our recent efforts to ensure that New York City’s best students can access a Columbia University education.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mamdani administration is continuing to expand workforce development initiatives and create new pathways for career advancement. Based on a recent sampling of approximately 100,000 City employees, nearly half did not hold an undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n The application period for the first undergraduate cohort will run from March 30 through April 27, with selected participants expected to begin their studies in fall 2026. Applications for the graduate scholarship cohort application will open in mid-September.<\/p>\n City employees must apply through their agency personnel offices and meet the admissions requirements of participating institutions. Additional information is available on the Mayor\u2019s Scholarship Program <\/a>website<\/a>.<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK \u2014 Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":156627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":{"0":"post-180373","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-ny","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-nyc-headlines","12":"tag-nyc-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}