Johnson C. Smith University announced that The Leon Levine Foundation has committed a $1 million grant to the President’s Gap Scholarship Fund, in addition to the $200,000 of support received from the foundation in the last two years.
Established in 2013 by the JCSU Board of Trustees, the President’s Gap Scholarship Fund is an expendable and endowed scholarship fund that directly addresses gaps between financial aid students receive and the total cost of their college education. Approximately 484 students received crucial gap funding during the 2014-2015 school year, totaling almost $1.5M in assistance provided.
“One of the four key reinforcing dimensions of retention and graduation rate success is funding to graduate,” said President Ronald L. Carter. “This gift from The Leon Levine Foundation makes a huge statement about the vital importance of helping our students secure the financial means to complete the coursework required for a JCSU degree. It’s a very transformative commitment.”
The foundation’s gift to the fund will support students who face a shortfall between financial aid packages and the cost of tuition, helping improve student retention and keeping higher education accessible for deserving students who might otherwise find themselves barred.
“We are proud to support Johnson C. Smith University and the President’s Gap Scholarship Fund,” said Tom Lawrence, executive director of The Leon Levine Foundation. “The fund will help hundreds of students achieve their goals. We believe that education is a pathway to self-sufficiency and young people should have access to a quality education, no matter their interests or financial means.”
Kenyatta Little, a senior majoring in Communication Arts, is one of many students who directly benefitted from the fund. In 2015, her mother was laid off from her job in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“We were unsure how we could make ends meet and cover the cost of the tuition payment plan,” Little said. “The President’s Gap Scholarship Fund made up the difference my sophomore and junior years. It took a lot of stress off of my family and enabled me to continue my education.” Little plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2017 and enroll in law school.
About Johnson C. Smith University
Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is an independent, close-knit urban university located in Charlotte, N.C. It has a growing national reputation for integrating the liberal arts with business, the sciences and technology in ways that empower tomorrow’s diverse entrepreneurial citizens and leaders to be change agents in their professions and communities. Offering 25 fields of study, including a master’s degree in social work, to more than 1,400 students from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, the university’s programs focus on intellectual rigor, social consciousness and global responsibility. Visit
www.jcsu.edu or follow the university on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Monday, July 11th 2016 at 7:01PM
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