Rhode Island Foundation Offers $2 Million In Scholarships

As the end of the school year approaches and colleges and universities send out financial aid packages, local students have to opportunity to apply for more than $2 million in scholarships from the Rhode Island Foundation. The funds have been made available through a combination of individual, family, corporate and organizational donors.

"This support can turn dreams into reality for our donors and the recipients," said Foundation President Neil Steinberg. "The impact of their generosity will ripple through our state for decades as these students make their marks in their fields and on their communities."

According to the foundation, the scholarships are projected to help make college more affordable for several hundred students, covering part of tuition, fees or book costs. Scholarships available range from general assistance to specialized awards aimed at students who plan on majoring in certain fields.

"The support I've received has afforded me the opportunity to pursue my master's degree and embark on my career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist," said Brittany Williams, a Johnston resident and graduate nursing major at Rhode Island College.

Williams received a scholarship from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Edward J. and Virginia M. Routhier Fund.

Beyond field of study, other specialized awards focus factors including gender and family history, including the Patty & Melvin Alperin First Generation Scholarship, which assists students who are the first in their family to attend a college or university or the Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund, which offers assistance to African American students.

“I am grateful and honored to have received a Major Jeremiah P. Murphy Scholarship," said Talia Zuena a freshman health sciences major at Quinnipiac University and Cranston native. "My future educational and career goal is to attend a postgraduate physician assistant program and join the healthcare professional community."

A full list of scholarships along with requirements and deadlines is available on the Rhode Island Foundation's website.