Two area schools receive grants

St. John’s University in Queens and the Research Foundation of CUNY at Brooklyn College are the recipients of $200,000 in education grants to help typically underserved populations gain access to higher education.

The grants were part of $2 million in awards to 22 programs across New York State to help low-income and first-generation students, foster care youth, veterans and other underrepresented groups obtain a college degree.

"These funds are going directly to local, community-based organizations to help underrepresented and low-income students prepare to enroll and succeed in college," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "In today's economy, a college degree is almost always needed to secure meaningful employment and launch a successful career.”

The grants are funded through a $7 million College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) award received by New York State from the U.S. Department of Education.

The programs, run by organizations across New York State, provide crucial services directly to students, including academic support, college preparatory programs, financial aid awareness, and training for school counselors.

“Communities across New York will benefit as more students from all social and economic backgrounds graduate from college with the skills to fill jobs right here in our state," added Cuomo.

Projects include instructional and academic support, college awareness workshops for parents and guardians, outreach to students at risk of dropping out of high school and college, and other innovative projects.

St. John’s University also received a separate grant of $50,000, brining the total amount of funding to $250,000 for that institution.