In news that will encourage bright, hardworking students to attend SUNY colleges in the future, the Smart Scholars Early College High School program at Farmingdale State College has received a grant from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
The Smart Scholars program will receive a HESC College Tour Initiative grant that will allow 100 students to visit SUNY colleges this summer for an immersive college experience. The initiative provides low-income New York State high school students with the opportunity to experience college first-hand by eliminating the financial burden and costs associated with college campus visits.
The desire to provide access to disadvantaged students parallels the mission of the NY Smart Scholars program. Smart Scholars ECHS provides students who are traditionally underrepresented in post-secondary education the opportunity and preparation to accelerate the completion of their high school studies while earning college credits at the same time. The Farmingdale State College partnership extends to a cohort of students in Brooklyn who are classified as Students in Temporary Housing (STH). In March, we featured the inspiring story of first-generation Smart Scholar student Renado Taylor, 18, during our celebration of Early College High School week. Taylor will attend Farmingdale’s Aeronautical Science program in the fall.
This summer, students like Taylor will engage in a fully immersive collegiate experience on SUNY campuses. They will live in dorms, take college classes, prepare for the next school year, and tour the facilities on campus. The first 50 students from the program will visit SUNY Albany from July 24th to July 27th. A separate group of 50 students will have a similar experience while staying at Farmingdale State College from July 28th to July 31st.
Make sure to follow Generation SUNY as we spend time with the Smart Scholars on campus, bringing you video interviews with students, and coverage of their experience.