LINTHICUM Md. Maryland State Employees CU will present a $50,000 annual gift to the University System of Maryland Foundation, to be awarded to students transferring from one of the state’s two-year community colleges to any of the system’s 11 undergraduate institutions and two regional higher education centers.
“The new SECU-USM Scholarship Program will allow would-be transfer students who otherwise might be unable to continue their educations to pursue their undergraduate degrees,” said Rod Staatz, president of the $2.6-billion credit union.
By incenting current community college students or recent graduates to continue their education at an in-state university, officials said the SECU-USM Scholarship Program will help to keep more college-educated workers in Maryland. According to Staatz, data shows that graduates of Maryland’s four-year colleges “are much more likely to stay in-state once they graduate and join the work force locally.”
Community college students applying for the scholarships must have at least a B average and be SECU members. Membership in SECU is open to all students attending a Maryland community college.
