Suffolk County Community College: New Community College Scholarship Program Announced By LIPA

Press release from Suffolk County Community College:

11/9/2022.

For Immediate ReleaseNovember 9, 2022

Officials from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today joined with representatives
from Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College to announce a new
community college scholarship program. The LIPA Scholarship is designed to provide
education and training for students from households with incomes below the median
income of Long Island and the Rockaways (approximately $100,000 for a family of four)
living in historically underserved communities.

The LIPA Scholarship is a $350,000 commitment over the next five years to provide
50 full scholarships for students to attend either Nassau or Suffolk County Community
College to obtain an associate’s degree or certificate that will help them pursue
a career in the electric utility or clean energy sectors.

This investment is an effort to ensure that our workforce represents all the communities
LIPA serves and that all of our customers can participate in the growing career opportunities
available in the electric utility and clean energy industry.

Thomas Falcone, Chief Executive Officer of LIPA, said: “Electricity is the clean fuel of the future. Studies predict electricity will provide
more than 70 percent of New York’s energy needs by 2050, and that it will be entirely
carbon-free. With this growing industry, LIPA’s commitment to fund 50 scholarships
at Nassau and Suffolk Community College over the next five years will ensure that
our workforce represents all the communities LIPA serves, and that all our customers
can participate in the fabulous and growing career opportunities available in the
electric sector.”Dr. Edward T. Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College, said: “The Long Island Power Authority’s generous scholarships will help us recruit and
sustain students entering the STEM fields transforming our workforce and our region’s
economy. With this support, LIPA joins the college in bridging our promising students
from financial need to the high-need, high-wage disciplines that lead to a rewarding
career.”

Dr. Maria Conzatti, Interim President of Nassau Community College, said: “Together with LIPA, Nassau Community College is pleased to meet the workforce development needs
of our business partners and the educational aspirations of the Long Island community.”

The curricula offered at Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College
include courses relevant to the work LIPA does to meet the clean energy goals set
by New York’s Climate Act, as well as to fulfill LIPA’s mission of providing clean, reliable, and affordable
energy to Long Island and the Rockaways.

The LIPA Scholarship will support income-qualified, graduating high school seniors,
allowing them to extend their educational development and enter the utility and clean
energy sectors. Participation in the LIPA Scholarship will provide graduates with
a competitive edge in applying for employment at LIPA and its contractor, PSEG Long
Island, who plan to hire hundreds of entry-level workers over the next five years.

This five-year program will provide annual funding for ten full-time, two-year scholarships
for low- to moderate-income students who reside in disadvantaged communities, as identified
by New York’s Climate Justice Working Group, planning to attend Nassau Community College or Suffolk County Community College.
Residents of the following communities served by LIPA are eligible for the LIPA Scholarship:

Nassau County

Suffolk County

Last revised: 11/9/2022. The Director of Communications

This press release was produced by Suffolk County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.