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Scholarship Program To Aid Laid-Off Workers Launched By Drexel University’s Sacramento Graduate Center 
SACRAMENTO – With unemployment continuing to rise in the Greater Sacramento area, the Drexel University Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento announced today it will cut tuition in half for students starting their graduate programs in September who have been laid off and unable to find a new job. Drexel’s program, called “Bridge to the Future,” is intended to help the region’s talent prepare for the economic rebound, as they will be receiving their degrees approximately at the same time as economic forecasts are projecting the surge to return. Drexel University is believed to be the first California higher education institution to dramatically lower tuition during the current recession. “Greater Sacramento has been through economic cycles before, and this downturn is not going to last forever,” said Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III, Dean and Chief Executive Officer of Drexel University’s new Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento. “When the rebound comes, our region needs to be ready to catch the wave. That means we need to be investing now in our best asset – our human capital. Drexel’s Bridge to the Future Grants will help prevent ‘brain drain’ and allow those who will power our region’s future growth to use the time now to improve their knowledge base and skills.” To qualify for a Bridge to the Future Grant, applicants must:
The Program will also be available to any student who enrolls in September and thereafter is laid off. “We want to remove at least some of the uncertainty that potential students might feel,” said Oxholm, “and give them the confidence that they can complete our degree program once they start it.” Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson applauded Drexel for the initiative. “As I have said many times in many places for many years, having an educated workforce is essential to the future of this region. Individuals and employers alike should be taking every chance they get during this period of economic stillness to get themselves ready for the economic surge that will return to this region,” Mayor Johnson said. “We need to be ready for it, and now is the time for us to make the investments in our future. I thank and applaud Drexel University for helping us to focus on the future and for leading the way with this Bridge to the Future Grant program.” Drexel, founded in Philadelphia in 1891 and now a top-ranked national university, opened its doors to students in Sacramento on January 5 and is offering 10 master’s and one doctoral program in careers at the heart of Greater Sacramento’s growth and economic development initiatives – entrepreneurial business, knowledge management and information science, engineering, health care, and education. Drexel University has created a $10 million Sacramento Leadership Fellowship Program to assist area residents who want to pursue advanced degrees. Once awarded, the Bridge Grants are renewable as long as the student maintains a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, continues to be enrolled at the Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies, and remains unemployed. Drexel holds Information Sessions at the Center every two weeks at 6 p.m. To learn more about applying for fall programs and the Bridge Grants, sign up for the next session on Tuesday, April 7, from 6 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at One Capitol Mall in Sacramento. For further information, visit www.drexel.edu/sacramento or write sacramento@drexel.edu or call 916-325-4600 or toll-free 888-389-3781. Below are comments from regional business leaders about Drexel’s ‘Bridge to the Future’ grant “We all need to position ourselves for success once the economy rebounds…organizations and individuals. The best thing we can do as individuals is to make sure our skills, training and knowledge are aligned with critical workforce needs and economic objectives. Few higher education institutions nationally are as in touch with real time economic needs as Drexel.” David Butler, "Preparing leaders for the future is important to ensure that we as a community have thriving businesses," said Steve Gandola, President and CEO of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "Not only will this program assist people who are currently unemployed, it will give all students who enroll an assurance that if they lose their job they will be able to continue their studies without having to bear the full financial cost." Steve Gándola, “A quality workforce has been and will continue to be what drives corporate decision-makers when considering where to locate their companies. It is important for the region to invest in our ‘human capital’ now so we are able to maximize the opportunities that will come tomorrow. Programs like Drexel University’s ‘Bridge to the Future Grant’ will enable individuals and companies to do just that.” Barbara Hayes, “Given these challenging economic times, it is now more important than ever that we invest in this region’s greatest asset – our people. Drexel University has stepped up to the plate, and through their leadership commitment to build a stronger region, has found an innovative solution to not only preserving our greatest regional asset but strengthen it. At the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, we are proud to partner with Drexel University, and are committed to ensuring economic prosperity for all communities.” Pat Fong Kushida, "Drexel University continues to step up their engagement with our community. This program is another example of how Drexel is finding creative ways to help educate our future workforce in a very difficult economic climate." Matt Mahood, |
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