By Naeisha Rose
Municipal Credit Union, one of the oldest credit unions in New York state as well as one of the largest in the country, will be giving away $71,000 in scholarships and grants to college-bound high school seniors in Queens for the launch of the 2019 MCU Scholarship Program.
The credit union has 72,300 members throughout communities in southeast Queens alone and it wants its members, their children and their grandchildren to be able to afford to go to college as tuition’s for higher education institutions balloon.
“Empowering the youth throughout the communities we serve is at the heart of our credit union values,” said MCU Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Louise Cogan-Rupani. “We are very proud of our long-standing scholarship program and the opportunities it provides us in recognizing and rewarding young people for their outstanding academic performance and community service.”
The cost of a private university is $35,676 annually, according to 2018 data from U.S. News & World Report, one of the leaders in analyzing and tracking consumer information. Over 100 private colleges charge at least $50,000 or more in tuition across the United States.
High school seniors can pick up applications at MCU branches at 61-35 Junction Blvd. in Rego Park, 188-39 Linden Blvd. in St. Albans and 134-66 Springfield Blvd. in Springfield Gardens or visit the MCU website before the Jan. 4, 2019, deadline for the nine scholarships and 13 grants offered by the credit union.
To be eligible for The MCU Scholarship Program, members, their kids or their grandkids must be in good standing and would be judged based on their academic performance, extracurricular and community activities, references and an essay expressing their personal goals, according to MCU.
“We hope our scholarships will enable these students to achieve their goals in and out of the classroom and succeed in their future endeavors,” said Cogan-Rupani, who oversees the scholarship program this year.
Students applying for the scholarship will automatically be entered for a $500 statewide Public Relations and Marketing Council Scholarship, according to MCU. The nine scholarships are worth $5,000 each and the 13 grants are valued at $2,000 each.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
