More than $700,000 in scholarships will be distributed by the Empire State College Foundation to eligible students for the 2019-20 academic year, thanks to generous alumni, employees, foundations and friends of the college.

At ESCFAST, the Empire State College Foundation Application for Scholarships Tool, students complete a general application, which filters from among all scholarships and presents students with the most suitable options.

ESCFAST takes into account students’ specific personal and work situations, academic interests and courses of study, financial need, geographic location and other factors. The process speeds and facilitates selection from more than 100 scholarships.

For example, ESCFAST assists students studying art, environmental sustainability, social and/or public service, creative writing and other areas to learn about scholarship opportunities targeted to their specific programs.

Scholarships centered on subjects, such as English, biology, communications, criminal justice, labor studies, marketing, math, nursing, psychology, sociology, teaching and more, also are available.

Many awards are based on specific student needs or circumstances.

Several scholarships are available for single parents, parents who are working, students learning part time, those learning online, while others are available for students living in specific counties and regions of New York, or those who are members of a union.

Students are encouraged to seek additional support and guidance from their faculty mentors about the best matches.

Applications may be submitted beginning Monday, April 1, through Sunday, June 30.

Eligibility guidelines are posted to the college’s website and students can monitor the status of their application through ESCFAST.

Awards will begin with the fall 2019 term.

The college’s alumni and employees are responsible for a substantial portion of the $700,000 in scholarships.

Many scholarships were created by, or in the name of, a college alumnus, a member of the faculty, staff or administration.

More information about the college’s donors is available online.

About the Empire State College Foundation

During the college’s 2018 fiscal year, the college’s foundation provided $1.6 million to directly benefit students, implement collegewide initiatives and support research and assist with faculty and staff development.

Last year, more than 1,900 alumni, employees and friends partnered with the college by making a gift in support of the work of the foundation.

Need-based student scholarships comprise the most significant use of foundation funds. During 2018-19, the foundation distributed more than $778,000 to support more than 700 students living across the country.

The foundation also sponsors a no-interest loan program for students, in the form of an advance of $500 per term on a student’s financial aid funds for education expenses.

These funds are offered by the foundation for education expenses at no interest, with guaranteed repayment. More than $1 million is loaned to students through this program each year.

In addition to donor-established scholarships, emergency funding and foundation-subsidized loans, a fund of $25,000, which includes matching funds from SUNY, was distributed solely to students from historically underrepresented populations, which further demonstrates the college’s ongoing commitment to expanding access and increasing completion diversity, equity and inclusion.