In recent months, two CIC State Councils programs benefited undergraduate students: the long-running CIC/UPS Scholarships grant program and the new Bright Futures Internships project. In addition, the State Councils Advisory Committee welcomed a new member in July 2021.
Student Scholarships
This summer, CIC distributed more than $1.4 million to State Council members through the CIC/UPS Scholarships grant program, enabling college students to receive the highest individual scholarship amount awarded through the program in 19 years.
The CIC/UPS Scholarships program supports student access, equity, and inclusion at independent four-year colleges and universities that grant degrees in the liberal arts. Distributed annually through State Council members of CIC, awards for the 2021–2022 academic year will provide $3,200 scholarships to 449 full-time undergraduates who qualify as low-income, minority, first-generation, or new American students. This year’s program will award the financial aid to students whose enrolling institutions are members of one of the 26 CIC State Councils (see recipient list below).
Carol Schuler, vice president for State Council programs, said, “With this year’s awards, CIC affirms its commitment to inclusion and equity through the scholarships that are given in the name of UPS, whose financial support created the CIC/UPS Educational Endowment. CIC’s goal is to help underrepresented students benefit from the superb education offered by private colleges and universities.”
Since the inception of the program in 1985, more than $62 million has been awarded in scholarship grants to state associations to assist 22,220 first-generation, low-income, minority, or new American students at independent colleges across the country.
State Council Recipients of 2021 CIC/UPS Scholarship Program Grants
| Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities Associated Colleges of Illinois Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation Florida Independent College Fund Independent College Fund of Maryland Independent College Fund of New Jersey Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas Foundation Independent Colleges of Indiana Independent Colleges of Washington Independent Higher Education of Colorado Fund Iowa College Foundation | Louisiana Independent College Foundation Michigan Colleges Alliance Minnesota Private College Fund Missouri Colleges Fund North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities North Dakota Independent College Fund Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Oklahoma Independent Colleges and Universities Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities |
Career-Readiness Initiative
CIC recently received a $30,000 grant from the UPS Foundation toward support of a new career-readiness initiative, the Bright Futures Internships project, in collaboration with the UPS Talent Acquisition Management Team. The new grant will support CIC services that prepare CIC/UPS Scholarship recipients to apply for paid internships with UPS. These scholarship recipients will now be able to connect to opportunities at UPS, one of the world’s leading corporations, with more than 500,000 employees worldwide. UPS offers paid internships in a wide range of fields, including human resources, marketing, engineering, information technology, finance, and accounting and offers its student interns long-term career pathways.
CIC President Marjorie Hass noted that the project will connect students to a corporation that already is committed to their success in college. “Over a 40-year period of continuous support, UPS has provided more than $62 million in direct financial aid to private college students,” said Hass. “This new internships opportunity will reinforce the impact of the scholarships and help the selected students move on to a promising career, whether at UPS or elsewhere. This is an outstanding opportunity for CIC to enhance outcomes for these Pell-eligible first-generation, low-income, minority, or new American students, and we are most grateful to UPS for partnering with us on this initiative.”
CIC has selected MaryAnn Baenninger, former president of Drew University (NJ) and of College of St. Benedict (MN), to serve as senior advisor for the project. She will work closely with Hass and Carol Schuler to strengthen campus services and interventions that focus on career preparation for CIC/UPS Scholarship recipients. For more information about the CIC/UPS Bright Futures Internships Project, contact Schuler at cschuler@cic.nche.edu or (202) 466-7230.
Advisory Committee
In July, the State Councils Advisory Committee, which provides advice to CIC on matters related to programs for State Council members, welcomed Treva Haugaard, executive director of the Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges and Universities Foundation. Haugaard replaces two-term member Lou Manzione, who recently retired as president of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey.
Other members of the committee include Robert Bartlett, president, Michigan Colleges Alliance; Paul Cerkvenik, president, Minnesota Private College Fund; Paul Pribbenow, president, Augsburg University (MN); Bill Spiker, president, Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges; Terri Standish- Kuon, president and CEO, Independent Colleges of Washington; and Mick Weltman, executive director, Associated Colleges of Illinois. CIC President Marjorie Hass and Vice President for State Council Programs and the Online Course Sharing Consortium Carol Schuler also serve on the committee.
The committee informally represents CIC’s 26 State Council members who serve nearly 500 private colleges and universities. Committee advice to CIC staff helps guide requirements for State Council grant programs, funding priorities, and the State Councils Annual Conference. The committee’s presiding officer—currently Bill Spiker—also serves on the CIC Board of Directors.