Scholarship Gala Proceeds to Help Buffalo Public Schools Graduates

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Underscoring its commitment to help improve educational outcomes for students in the Buffalo Public Schools, the University at Buffalo has established a new scholarship fund to benefit graduates of the city's schools.

UB is matching $74,275 in funds raised at the university's second Scholarship Gala to create the scholarships, investing half in an endowed fund to provide long-time resources, while using the rest to assist up to 10 students next fall.

Including the money earmarked for Buffalo Public School students, the gala on Nov. 10 raised a total of $190,000 for undergraduate and graduate student scholarships across the university. This was nearly double the amount raised at last year's inaugural gala.

"Public institutions of education serving every kind of student -- from the pre-kindergarten level through post-graduate education -- share a common mission: to ensure that all qualified students have access to a first-rate education," said UB President John B. Simpson.

"This new scholarship fund is an outstanding outcome of the vital partnership between UB and the Buffalo Public Schools, serving to create valuable educational opportunities and helping to keep more of our promising young people here in the region for their higher education," Simpson added. "Our students are, very literally, our future -- the future of UB, and of the larger communities we serve, here in Western New York and across the globe."

While approximately 50 percent of UB undergraduate students last year demonstrated financial need, only 25 percent received assistance through scholarships and grants. The other students turned to student loans, work-study programs and part-time work to fund their education at UB.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.