Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ has been selected as a 2022 PATH Scholarship recipient through the Ellucian Foundation. The PATH (Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope) Scholarship provides grants to higher education institutions to support students facing economic hardship. UCNJ received $10,000, which was distributed to over 40 students for housing costs, tuition expenses, and food.
This is the first time UCNJ has received the PATH Scholarship from Ellucian. The PATH Scholarship is provided by the Ellucian Foundation and was established in 2020. UCNJ is one of 65 higher education institutions to receive funding from Ellucian.
“Education has the power to transform lives. This year we are focused on support for students facing financial hardships at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and all Minority Serving Institutions in the U.S. as more focus is needed to ensure higher retention and graduation rates, and address the critical issues of growing food insecurity,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian. “HBCUs and all MSIs represent an incredible cross-section of colleges and universities committed to providing access to higher education. We are pleased to support these institutions in their efforts to ensure all students can achieve their dreams without interruption.”
In order to receive the scholarship, students had to apply and disclose what type of assistance was needed. The scholarship was based on need and distributed at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester.
“The UCNJ community is grateful for the support Ellucian is providing to our students in need,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “With this scholarship support, we are hopeful that students can focus more on their academics and be able to spend less time worrying about costs.”
“The Ellucian Foundation supports student success and increased access to higher education globally,” said Jennifer Welding, Executive Director of the Ellucian Foundation. “No student should ever be denied an education due to lack of funding. The PATH Scholarship helps students navigate through financial challenges to reach their educational goals.”
The UCNJ County College Foundation has given out more than one million dollars in scholarships to UCNJ students this past year. For more information, go to https://www.ucc.edu/union-county-college-foundation/. For more information on the Ellucian PATH Scholarship, go to https://stayonpath.org/.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. UCNJ was named a semifinalist for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The College operates campuses in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains. In addition to physical campuses, the College offers more than 20 programs that can also be completed online as part of our emerging Virtual Campus. UCNJ enrolls almost 20,000 credit, non-credit, and continuing education students and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. For more information, visit www.ucc.edu.