McCourt School expands scholarships for veterans and military-connected students
A new $250,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies will eliminate out-of-pocket costs for seven military-connected students, support current Newmark Scholars, and fund veterans and national security programming.
The McCourt School of Public Policy is pleased to announce the expansion of the Craig Newmark Veterans Scholarship Fund, increasing access to a McCourt School education for active-duty servicemen and women, veterans and military-connected students.
The Craig Newmark Veterans Scholarship Fund provides scholarships, experiential learning opportunities and community programming in support of military-connected students at the McCourt School of Public Policy. This new $250,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies will provide tuition assistance for up to nine new Newmark Scholars and continue to support the current cohort of Newmark Scholars, eliminating their out-of-pocket expenses for the 2023-2024 academic year. The gift will also support and expand the work of the National Defense Policy Initiative, a McCourt School student organization, by providing dedicated resources for events, outreach and other programming needs related to McCourt’s military-connected community.
“Our country faces a lot of challenges, and veterans and military-connected individuals bring a unique set of skills and perspectives to contribute to solutions,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. “I am pleased to continue my support of active-duty, veteran and military-connected students at the McCourt School, and the School’s mission to develop a more diverse pipeline of skilled public servants.”
The Craig Newmark Veterans Scholarship Fund was established in 2021 through a $125,000 gift from Craig Newmark and was expanded in 2022 through a gift of $200,000.
Building a more diverse pipeline of public servants
The McCourt School is a diverse community of problem solvers, including several dozen military-connected students and approximately 20 active-duty U.S. Army Officers participating in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Internship program .
“The McCourt School and Craig Newmark Philanthropies share a commitment to supporting active-duty, veteran and military-connected students,” said Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy. “We are deeply grateful to Craig for his continued support of our students, and of military and national security programming at McCourt.”
By eliminating financial barriers to a McCourt School education, including for active-duty servicemen and women, veterans and military-connected students, the School hopes to empower students to immediately pursue their calling as public servants, allowing them to bring ethical, evidence-based and inclusive approaches to public problem-solving.