Will the Forever Orange Scholarship apply to the Class of 2022?

Will Forever Orange scholarship apply to the Class of 2022?

SU's Graduate School is expected to announce a decision later this month.
Published: October 12, 2021
Syracuse University Commencement 2015

Later this month an announcement will be made regarding the continuation of the Forever Orange Scholarship and if it will be extended to the Class of 2022, according to Amy Sloane-Garris, Executive Director of Graduate Enrollment at Syracuse University.

The Forever Orange Scholarship offers a 50% discount on graduate degrees from SU to all undergrad seniors who go directly into their graduate studies. While some colleges within the university provide discounts to alumni, such as the School of Education that offers a 25% discount through The Orange Alumni Scholarship, none have extended to an entire class of graduates.

The scholarship was originally started in the spring of 2020 as a response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically identifying the blow the job market took and in turn its impact on the senior class’ ability to find employment, according to the College of Visual and Performing Arts website.

Emma Mauer, who graduated in 2020 from the English education program at SU, first heard about the Forever Orange Scholarship from her academic advisor. She says she was able to attend graduate school and still prioritize her health after undergrad because of the discount.

“I used the money I saved to pay for rent and still worked part-time for part of grad school but I was able to stop working for a semester and go home when COVID got bad,” Mauer said.

Mauer received her graduate degree in literacy education in spring 2021 and now holds a specialized teaching position with higher pay than if she hadn’t taken advantage of the Forever Orange Scholarship.

Current seniors are now wondering whether this opportunity will be extended to them. Television, Radio, and Film senior Candice Bina said it should.

“It feels like my college experience is ending before it really took off because of COVID; I never got to go abroad or do a lot of things I would have loved to try,” Bina said. “The discount would allow me to stay here and make up for lost time so I can confidently graduate without regrets.”

Bina hopes to utilize the Forever Orange Scholarship to pursue the VPA Film program in order to finetune her skills “as an aspiring filmmaker and visual storyteller” but would only consider staying at SU if the 50% tuition discount is applied.

The graduate school will announce its decision on the status of the Forever Orange Scholarship by mid- to late October, according to Sloane-Garris. For students like Bina, the decision is one that could shape their academic future.

“I think the university continuing this discount would incentivize any student, not just ones impacted by covid, to consider pursuing a graduate degree here,” Bina said. “Honestly, a 50% discount should always be offered to Syracuse alumni.”