AGBU Awards Over $1,100,000 in College Scholarships in 2009-2010

By Natalie Gabrelian

New York, NY - For more than 80 years, the AGBU Scholarship Program, through endowment funds established by generous donors, has contributed toward the higher education of thousands of promising young Armenians enrolled in leading colleges and universities around the world. Today, through its newly established AGBU Fellowship Program and added focus on specialized fields of study, such as the performing arts and religious studies, the Scholarship Program offers financial assistance to a broader range of Armenian students worldwide.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, close to 400 students and professionals studying in 25 countries worldwide benefited from AGBU's scholarship assistance, with distributions across six continents totaling over $600,000. Over 67% of the awardees are pursuing studies in the United States, Egypt, Bulgaria, Syria, Lebanon, France, and the United Kingdom.

Applications undergo a selective review process by the AGBU Scholarship Committee, comprised of a select group of members of the AGBU Educational Advisory Committee and Education Department staff. Decisions are based on the applicants' academic and/or artistic achievements, financial need, and their display of public/community service, with particular attention given to their involvement in the Armenian community. Furthermore, selected applicants must exhibit the potential for success and contributions to the Armenian people and nation that are most promising.

A More Focused Approach

In 2009, the AGBU Scholarship Program transformed its mission to providing outright grants, and eliminated the offering of graduate student loans. Adopting a more focused approach, it witnessed the creation of five (5) distinct scholarship categories.

AGBU Fellowships for US-Based Study were awarded to nearly 30 students from the United States and Armenia, pursuing graduate studies in the fields of law, medicine, health- and public administration, architecture, graphic- and industrial design, international relations, and economics. Enrolled in highly competitive colleges and universities in the United States, the recipients hail from such educational institutions as Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, NYU, and UCLA.

AGBU Performing Arts Fellowships were awarded to 36 aspiring musicians from conservatories and universities of music in Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the United States. Continuing its tradition of supporting promising performing artists, the AGBU New York Special Events Committee (NYSEC) contributed towards scholarships to four New York-based students, who had applied to the AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship Program. Joining NYSEC in making a dynamic difference in the performing arts aspirations of a new generation of Armenian youth from New York was a generous grant provided by the Levon and Satenig Nazarian Endowment.

Twelve AGBU Religious Studies Fellowships were awarded in the 2009-2010 academic year. The recipients include candidates for priesthood from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, NY, and parishes affiliated with the Western Diocese in California, as well as a doctoral student in theology from Switzerland.

Comprising the largest category of scholarships, AGBU International Scholarships were awarded to over 250 students pursuing higher education in their countries of residence. Many are graduates of AGBU schools around the world. In providing the necessary outreach and support to this worldwide program, the AGBU chapters, through their committees and staffs play a vital role in identifying and evaluating potential candidates. The chapters also facilitate scholarship recipients' active involvement in their communities through a variety of programs that comprise youth leadership and mentorship opportunities.

The newly established AGBU Heritage Scholar Grant is a one-time award offered to a college-bound high school senior graduating from each of the three AGBU High Schools in the United States – AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, MI, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, CA, and AGBU Pasadena High School in California (presently, the AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian High School). Candidates are nominated by the principal and a faculty member of their AGBU high school, and are evaluated based on academic excellence, school spirit, and involvement in community service. The 2009 Heritage Scholars are honors and advanced placement (AP) students, valedictorians, salutatorians, varsity athletes, and active leaders in their cultural and religious communities, with big dreams for the future.

In addition to these scholarships, AGBU allocates $500,000 in the form of grants to various universities in Armenia, including the American University of Armenia (AUA), the French University and others.

The AGBU Scholarship Program is a division of AGBU's Education Department, which oversees and subsidizes the operations of 16 elementary and secondary schools, along with a similar number of Saturday schools, afterschool and extension programs, with an annual operational budget of $20 million.

The AGBU Scholarship Program is maintained with the generosity of many benefactors, whose specific wish is to financially assist Armenian students pursuing higher education. Today, the generous gifts from friends and members of the AGBU enable the organization to offer, each year, hundreds of grants for studies at universities and colleges worldwide. Involved community members have contributed toward the sustenance and development of our language, tradition, religion & culture. It is AGBU's hope that its scholarship recipients, too, will assist the organization in accomplishing its mission in their own capacity.