FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2008
Contact: Kim Court, Public Affairs
(315) 498-2054
Grant from Gifford Foundation Creates Scholarships and
Emergency Fund for Students in Need
SYRACUSE, NY – The Rosamond Gifford Charitable Foundation (The Gifford
Foundation) has established the “Gifford Jump Start Fund” at Onondaga
Community College to assist currently enrolled students who may be struggling
to maintain their enrollment due to unexpected financial emergencies.
The gift from the Gifford Foundation also created scholarships in the amount of
$500 each that were recently awarded to 20 economically disadvantaged
students per semester for the 2008-09 academic year.
“We are especially grateful to The Gifford Foundation, one of Central New York’s
preeminent philanthropic organizations, for their leadership and their sincere
interest in contributing to the success of students in our community,” said
Thomas Burton, vice president of institutional advancement at Onondaga
Community College.
These funds recently became available from a $400,000 grant from The Gifford
Foundation in 1999. This marks the first time the College has been able to offer
this type of assistance to students with emergency financial needs or unexpected
circumstances.
“The generosity of the Rosamond Gifford Charitable Fund illustrates the growing
trend of creating community partnerships to assist our students most in need of
financial support to better their lives through education,” said Kris Duffy,
associate vice president of enrollment services. “We are grateful for this support
and are excited to continue to provide assistance to students who greatly enrich
the diversity of our student body,” said Duffy.
Applications for the scholarship are available at Student Central, located in the
Gordon Student Center. Students requesting emergency funds for unexpected
circumstances should speak with an enrollment associate at Student Central in
the Gordon Student Center.
With nearly 11,000 students, Onondaga Community College is the secondlargest undergraduate institution in Central New York and was named one of the
fastest-growing community colleges in the country by Community College Week.
Founded in 1961, it is a comprehensive two-year college operating under the
State University of New York (SUNY) and is locally sponsored by Onondaga
County. Onondaga offers nearly 50 programs of study, bachelor and master’s
degrees available on campus through a partnership with Keuka College, and
more than 80 other transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities.
Home to the 2008 NJCAA national champion men’s tennis team and the 2006
and 2007 NJCAA national champion men’s lacrosse team, Onondaga has nine
intercollegiate men’s and women’s athletic teams.
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