LaGuardia Community College has announced its new Friedman Fund for new New Yorkers. Photo: LGCC
Oct. 17, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
LaGuardia Community College has announced a new $1.5 million fund for non-US citizens to apply for financial assistance.
The Friedman Fund for New New Yorkers will offer support to students with non-citizen status in the U.S. through scholarships, emergency aid, and experiential learning stipends. These stipends will enable students to participate in hands-on learning opportunities, such as internships and research projects, outside the classroom.
The fund, provided through a $1.5 million commitment from the Friedman Family, builds on existing financial support provided to students through the LaGuardia Community College Foundation. The Foundation currently provides a total of more than $4 million in financial support to 3,000 students each year.
The Friedmans, a philanthropic New York-based family that has carved out successful careers in the city, said in a statement that they were proud to support LaGuardia Community College due to the school’s role in supporting immigrant communities.
“When we stepped back from our professional careers, we were interested in giving back to New York City,” the Friedmans said in a statement. “Our interests led us to CUNY and LaGuardia Community College for its diversity and critical role in working with immigrants, old and new, in degree, literacy and career-building initiatives. We were gratified to find partners at LaGuardia who shared our vision for a great city.”
Kenneth Adams, president of LaGuardia Community College, said the new Friedman Fund will help make quality education accessible for students of any nationality. Adams also said the fund will help immigrants integrate into the New York workforce.
“This family has a passion for helping in ways that feel right to them, and this led them to focus on new New Yorkers and their needs,” Adams said in a statement. “They, like all of us at LaGuardia, believe that it is possible for New York to address the challenges of integrating all kinds of aspiring New Yorkers by public education and workforce development.”
The Friedman Fund will provide students of US non-citizen status with access to emergency aid through LaGuardia CARES (College Access for Retention and Economic Success), which helps students overcome financial barriers through resources, referrals and local community services. The fund will also establish the Friedman Fellows, which will train new New Yorkers to help their fellow students.
Jay Golan, executive director of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation, a non-profit providing financial assistance to students at the school, said the Friedman Family will help offer more support to all students.
“The Friedmans understand that a true commitment to new New Yorkers at LaGuardia extends to all of our major areas of support,” Golan said.
Located at 31-10 Thomson Ave., LaGuardia Community College is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates in addition to more than 65 continuing education programs.
Students can apply for appropriate financial programs by clicking here.
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