Feinstein gives $500,000 for RIC scholarships

CRANSTON and PROVIDENCE – Alan Shaw Feinstein today announced a $500,000 donation to Rhode Island College that will establish a scholarship fund for Feinstein Junior Scholars who are accepted to RIC.
“The Feinstein Foundation has been very supportive of the college over the past 15 years, and this latest gift is a tribute to the commitment Mr. Feinstein has made to our students and the citizens of the state,” said Peg Brown, vice president for college relations at RIC.
“Support for public higher education is vital to the future economy of the state,” she added. “These scholarships will help to prepare our students for those future leadership positions.”
The RIC Feinstein Leadership Scholarships – renewable for up to three years, based on academic standing – will provide up to $5,000 over four years to students who start as freshmen and continue to meet program requirements. The fund itself will provide $250 per year and the college will provide a four-fold match of $1,000 per year, bringing the total to $1,250 per year per qualifying student, RIC spokeswoman Jane Fusco told Providence Business News in an e-mail interview.
In addition to meeting academic standards, the program will require that scholars perform community service and write a yearly account of their achievements for submission to the college.
“I look forward to seeing how the recipients of the scholarships – our former Junior Scholars – continue their commitment to helping to better the lives of others,” Feinstein said in a statement today.
A limited number of Feinstein Leadership Scholarships will be available at RIC beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year. RIC President John Nazarian said they are expected to significantly enhance the college’s recruitment and retention efforts.
Rhode Island College, founded in 1854 as the R.I. State Normal School, was renamed the R.I. College of Education in 1920 and took its current name in 1960, when it broadened its curriculum beyond education. RIC now enrolls about 9,000 students. To learn more, visit www.ric.edu.
The Feinstein Foundation – founded in 1991 by local philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein – is dedicated to alleviating hunger and encouraging community service. For more information about the foundation, CEO Alan Shawn Feinstein or the Feinstein Junior Scholars, visit www.FeinsteinFoundation.org.