![\"h_butoday_16-10591-CHEN-026\"](\"\/federal\/files\/2017\/01\/h_butoday_16-10591-CHEN-026.jpg\")
<\/a>Rosy Chen (ENG\u201917) and both of her sisters have benefited from the Community Service Award program. It\u2019s \u201cthe main reason why I\u2019m at BU,\u201d says the computer engineering major. Photo by Cydney Scott.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nBoston University has deepened its commitment to the city of Boston by expanding a scholarship program to offer all graduates of Boston public high schools who are admitted to the University a chance at a debt-free education.<\/span><\/p>\n The BU Community Service Award<\/span><\/a>, a seven-year-old program that has been limited to incoming freshmen, will be made available to transfer students who are Boston public high school graduates, beginning with the 2017 fall semester.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis scholarship will make a tremendous impact in the lives of our BPS students,\u201d says Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. \u201cWe know that BPS graduates are smart, dedicated individuals, and Boston University is offering them a fantastic opportunity to pursue their degree without the financial burden so many students have to take on. I\u2019m grateful Boston has a strong academic partner in Boston University and look forward to BPS students benefiting from the expanded scholarship program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are pleased to expand the eligibility to our Community Service scholars program to Boston Public School graduates who transfer to Boston University,\u201d says President Robert A. Brown. \u201cWe are hopeful that creating this opportunity for financial aid will allow more students from Boston to study and graduate from Boston University.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rosy Chen (ENG\u201917), a 2013 graduate of Boston Latin School, is one of the 150 undergraduates currently supported by the program, which meets the full calculated financial needs of students: tuition, room and board, books, supplies, travel, and fees, all without loans. \u201cThe Community Service scholars program is the main reason why I\u2019m at BU,\u201d says the computer engineering major.<\/span><\/p>\n Chen, whose mother is a seamstress and whose father works in a restaurant, says the scholarship program has made it possible for her and her two sisters, Anna Chen (Questrom\u201913), a Boston Latin Academy graduate, and Helen Chen (Questrom\u201915), who graduated from Boston Latin School, to attend BU.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not very often that someone can graduate from a private institution without any loans,\u201d she says. \u201cThe program made it possible, and I\u2019m grateful for that. With this degree, I\u2019ll be able to get access to more opportunities, whether it be grad school or whatever career path I choose to follow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Christine McGuire, vice president ad interim for enrollment and student affairs, says 35 to 40 freshmen each year take advantage of the program, which has a graduation rate of 94 percent. The cost to the University averages $41,000 per year, per student.<\/span><\/p>\n This year the University admitted 17 transfer students who were graduates of Boston public schools. Many transferred from another university, a handful from local community colleges.<\/span><\/p>\n The program, created in 2009, has provided 348 Boston Public Schools graduates with over $36 million in scholarships. Each student is given a University faculty or staff mentor as a resource and support throughout his or her four years. Community Service Award recipients must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA and successfully complete at least 12 credits per semester. After their first semester, they are required to perform 25 hours of community service each semester, under the guidance of their mentor. They must also reapply for financial aid each year, including income verification documents.<\/span><\/p>\n The cost is mostly met with University scholarship funding.\u00a0If eligible, students in the program may also receive federal grants and work-study funding. Students complete the normal financial aid process, which includes submitting a CSS Profile and FAFSA applications. A few may choose to take loans to cover expenses that go beyond their calculated eligibility.<\/span><\/p>\n