By GREGORY ZELLER //
Front-page fights over women’s rights may divide us, border security may frighten us and faith in our elected officials may be staggeringly low – but the American Dream is alive and well at Farmingdale State College.
Farmingdale State has become the first Long Island college – and the first in the State University of New York system – to partner with TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college-access program supporting immigrant youth.
The Washington-based, donor-supported nonprofit has announced a goal of awarding 1,500 scholarships – covering tuition, fees and supplies – in its 2022-2023 academic year scholarship round. That’s a 50 percent increase over scholarships awarded in previous scholarship rounds, and Farmingdale State is jumping on board.
“Farmingdale State College and TheDream.US share a common mission,” noted Farmingdale State President John Nader. “This partnership underscores the college’s long and successful commitment to reach talented students who often lack opportunity.”
John Nader: Proud participation.
Applications are open to immigrant youth – with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Temporary Protected Status – who arrived in the United States before the age of 16 and before Nov 1, 2016. The scholarships are open to first-time college students and community college graduates pursuing bachelor’s degrees, with annual awards up to $37,000 for first-timers and $31,000 for community college grads.
Since its 2016 launch, TheDream.US – a project of the 501(c)3 New Venture Fund – has provided more than 7,500 college scholarships to DREAMers attending 70-plus partner colleges in 21 states and the District of Columbia. To date, more than 2,100 graduates have gone on to careers as nurses, teachers, computer scientists, entrepreneurs and more, “all contributing to the social and economic prosperity of this country,” according to the nonprofit organization.
TheDream.Us President Candy Marshall said the scholarship network is “grateful for the partnership with Farmingdale State College” and the opportunity to help more New York-based immigrant youth achieve their higher-education dreams.
“Time and time again, our graduates’ successes show why expanding access to higher education and stabilizing DREAMers’ futures is good for our country,” Marshall said in a statement. “Despite the many obstacles DREAMers face, they continue to persevere and work hard to achieve their education goals and pursue a meaningful career.”
The current scholarship round started on Nov. 1, with applications scheduled to be accepted through the end of February 2022. With his college becoming the first SUNY school to accept TheDream.US scholarship applications, Nader called the alliance “a point of pride” for Farmingdale State.
“As a leading engine of opportunity for students in the region and in SUNY, we are particularly proud to be partnering with TheDream.US,” Nader added.
