New Jersey City University and the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County signed a memorandum of understanding today with the intent to help students in underserved communities receive a higher education.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Upon successful completion of BGCHC programs and meeting NJCU’s admission requirements, participants will receive conditional admission to NJCU and a 15 percent tuition discount for up to four years if they remain in good academic standing.
“This unique partnership is at the heart of honoring our institutional responsibility to the community that we are privileged to serve. Too often, for both social and systemic reasons, young people’s promise is dimmed,” NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo said in a statement.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County is a source of light in these students’ lives and for their families, and we have an opportunity here to brighten that light even more. As a product of Hudson County, this collaboration is personally meaningful, because it was organizations like the Boys & Girls Club that were significant catalysts in my own academic and professional journey.”
The programs offered by BGCHC will focus on peer mentorship, pre-college programming which will expose local students to college life, career exploration, and skill-building workshops.
Additionally, NJCU’s Men of Color Initiative members will serve as peer mentors to BGCHC participants by providing academic guidance, personal support, and leadership development.
BGCHC participants will also have access to NJCU’s Pre-College: GEAR UP College Bound Program, designed to enhance college readiness through academic enrichment, test preparation, and college application support.
“I’d like to thank President Acebo and NJCU for their partnership that extends valuable resources to our participants. Our goal is to provide a healthy space where students can enhance their abilities so that they have the greatest chance at success,” added BGCHC CEO Gary Greenberg.
“Higher education is still one of the most impactful ways in which today’s youth can increase their future earning power. This partnership allows our kids to explore that space and see it as a real option for them if they decide to choose this path when the time is right.”
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, state Senator Angela McKnight (D-31), Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez (D-33), and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, all celebrated the newly announced partnership.
“I’d like to commend President Acebo and Gary Greenberg for taking this principle and walking the walk so that Jersey City’s students have a real option to pursue higher education at a price that won’t saddle them with student debt,” noted Fulop.
“It takes a village to raise strong communities and NJCU along with the Boys and Girls Club have come together to be a great example one should follow,” added McKnight.
Furthermore, the partnership will foster community engagement activities on NJCU’s campus, including seminars, workshops, and cultural events, to promote educational opportunities and strengthen community ties.
To that end, regular reviews and assessments will be conducted to measure the partnership’s outcomes and impact on underserved and underrepresented students.
