On Monday, October 30th, Le Moyne College announced that they would offer all full-time incoming first-year New York State students $10,000 over the course of four years.

According to Bill Cheetham, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, “This is a brand-new program that we have been developing for months. Our enrollment management team is constantly seeking to enhance the value of a Le Moyne education and differentiate the College from its private and public competitors. We believe that Promise NY will do both these things.”

The Promise NY program is set on keeping Le Moyne students on a path to complete their undergraduate degree in four years. The “Full Promise” states that the program consists of five major components. First, students will be provided with an automatic $10,000 scholarship over the course of four years, with no income eligibility requirements. Second, students will be kept on a path to complete an undergraduate degree in four years. Third, students will connect with a mentor from the Le Moyne community. Fourth, students will be provided with an internship opportunity while enrolled at the college. Fifth, students will be set up with a job interview with Le Moyne alumni.

Cheetham states that the Promise NY program differs from the Enhance Excelsior Scholarship because it provides much more than a
financial benefit. All of the elements of the program will help students graduate sooner and be more job ready once students leave Le Moyne.

“Promise NY is our way of ensuring that students have nothing standing in their way when it comes to their education and their futures,”
stated Le Moyne President Linda LeMura.

According to Le Moyne College’s Promise NY page on their website, the college will “promise to work with you to stay on track by helping
you pursue a major that aligns with your goals and interests, help you find the right faculty, staff, alumni or community partner to mentor you from your first walk on campus to your walk across the stage, find and complete a challenging internship, and enjoy a meaningful experience that fits with your career aspirations.” Lastly, “we promise that you will have the chance to interview with one of our outstanding alumni before graduation to test-drive your interviewing skills and gain valuable feedback on how to advocate for yourself in a competitive job market.”

“We already work with many alumni who serve as mentors to students now. Under this program, we will increase the number of mentors who are available to help students in this critical area,” Cheetham stated. “Our alumni are extremely active in a number of different aspects related to supporting the College, and this increased role fits perfectly with their desire to give back to the College and help current students.”

The “Full Promise” also states that the scholarship is awarded to New York State- Le Moyne applicants regardless of income, and students do not have to pay the award back if they decide to move out of state after graduation. The $10,000 scholarship will be distributed equally over the course of four years, in which students will receive $2,500 per year. Students do not need any application for this program. NYS residents will receive a notification of the award along with their admission acceptance letter.

Cheetham states that the program is available to all first-year students from New York state who will be starting at Le Moyne in Fall 2018 and
beyond. There is no limit to the number of students who can receive the award in each incoming class. For those from other states, there is a
similar program called the Dolphin Award that they can benefit from.

In order for the Promise to work, students and the college will come together under a specific set of common sense responsibilities. The “Full Promise” states that students must remain enrolled full time in good academic standing, follow the curricular plan for their major, meet with their advisors regularly and seek guidance from academic support services as necessary.

Follow up information and details will be outlined in the 2018/2019 Le Moyne College Catalog.

For more information, or to view the “Full Promise,” please visit https://www.lemoyne.edu/Portals/0/BfmPdfs/admission/PromiseNY.pdf