Novelis gift to fund two new scholarships for SUNY Oswego students

Novelis, an industrial aluminum company in Oswego, donated $150,000 to SUNY Oswego to endow two scholarships for SUNY Oswego students with financial need.

Representatives from Novelis came to the campus Dec. 9 to announce the gift and meet with college President Deborah F. Stanley, who retires at the end of the month.

“This gift strengthens the connections between our two anchor institutions in Oswego County and beyond,” President Stanley said. “These scholarships will have a deep and resounding effect on SUNY Oswego students by helping them cover the cost of college, and provide secondary benefits, resulting in the creation of a well-educated work force for our region. We feel fortunate to have a corporate partner—a neighbor—who shares in and supports our mission of contributing to the common good.”

“Novelis and SUNY Oswego share a resolute commitment to Oswego County and to the people who live, work and learn here,” said Jeff Cruse, plant manager, Novelis Oswego. “The Novelis Path Forward Scholarships will provide opportunities for students to grow their knowledge, pursue their passions and give strength to our community. We are proud to make higher education more accessible for students, helping to build brighter futures together.”

The first Novelis Path Forward Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each will be awarded to two incoming students with financial need in fall 2022.

Approximately 87 percent of SUNY Oswego students receive some form of financial aid to cover the $7,070 annual tuition, plus room and board costs of nearly $15,000, for in-state residents. Nearly one-third of Oswego students are the first in their family to attend college, and 41 percent of Lakers receive Pell Grants intended for students with exceptional need.

Privately funded scholarships enable students to focus more on schoolwork and extracurricular activities and less about their budget. SUNY Oswego offers more than 635 privately funded scholarships valued at more than $1.4 million every year to its students.

“On behalf of the students who benefit from the Novelis Path Forward Scholarships, I want to thank Novelis for helping us bridge the financial gap for students so that they can pursue their higher education goals, change the course of their lives and often the lives of their families, and cross the threshold into a world of new opportunities,” President Stanley said.