Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and a slew of elected officials announced today the restoration of the CUNY Merit-Based Scholarship Program, formerly known as the Peter Vallone scholarship.
In the new city budget, the City Council allocated $11.1 million into the program that will provide merit-based scholarships to New York City high school student graduates who are able to maintain a B average and above at City University of New York schools. The program will start in the fall of 2014 and will grant first-year students $400 dollars per semester for supplies, textbooks and other expenses.
The scholarship was named after the former longtime speaker of the City Council, Peter Vallone, father of current Councilman Paul Vallone. Ms. Mark-Viverito, an alumnus of a Baruch College graduate program, celebrated the restoration of the scholarship after her predecessor, Christine Quinn, cut funding to it.
“The CUNY Merit Scholarship represents our commitment today to our city’s tomorrow by providing $11.1 million to reward graduates for their hard work and academic achievement and to connect them with the support and resources they need to succeed,” she said.
Christine Quinn cut the scholarship completely in retaliation against Vallone because he had pissed her off.
She also cut funding for senior citizen centers because a council member didn't thank her in a P.R. release.
There is just not enough bad stuff that can happen to Christine Quinn.
That the current council speak and council has brought the Vallone Scholarship back is very, very good news for CUNY students.
It's also very, very good news that Christine Quinn got hammered in the 2013 election and is no longer in power.
Cutting the Vallone Scholarship to retaliate against Peter Vallone Jr. was a shitty thing to do and something I will never forget or let Quinn live down so long as I can type.
My daughter and a niece as well as many of their friend saw this scholarship fade away to nothing. Many relied on it to help with books or transportation, even food. My younger daughter now a junior and a B+/A- student of course received nothing. it would be nice to compensate the kids in CUNY since this scholarship was taken away. many would be so appreciative of the extra help. What was done with that money? Hopefully it was invested or was it squandered?
ReplyDeleteI was very upset when they cut the Vallone Scholarship. This was a very good way to help students attending CUNY get a little money above and beyond the Pell Grant and TAP. It really helped a lot of kids out. That Quinn cut it in an act of revenge on Peter Vallone Jr. was an unforgivable act - how many kids did she harm by doing this? And to what end?
DeleteIn any case, I'm glad it's back. It's not as much as it once was, but $800 will surely help families.