NU makes new commitments to Hill students

Northeastern University (NU) has vowed to provide 100 percent of need-based financial aid for Boston Public School (BPS) students from Mission Hill, Fenway and Roxbury starting in 2014, following months of lobbying by residents and elected officials.

NU has agreed to give priority admission to those same BPS students to its Foundation Year program, which includes academic, career and mentoring services and support, and the university will also sign transfer agreements with Roxbury Community College and Bunker Hill Community College.

Currently, NU offers BPS students targeted scholarships, including one aimed at students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes that can only be awarded to students nominated by BPS officials. The Foundation Year program is also open to high school graduates and GED diploma holders, but is currently not prioritized by neighborhood. NU also waives application fees for BPS students and provides mentoring programs. It does not guarantee need-based financial assistance to any student.

City Councilors Tito Jackson and Miek Ross, along with state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz have all been active to various degrees in asking NU for a higher level of commitment to the Mission Hill and surrounding areas during the last year’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP) process. Jackson in particular has been vocal about creating more opportunities at NU for area BPS students.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.