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Mayor Mamdani expands NYC scholarship program to include undergraduate degrees
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Mar 30, 2026
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published Mar 30, 2026
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani is launching the city’s first undergraduate scholarship program for municipal workers, with applications opening Monday.
The Mayor’s Scholarship Program will allow full-time city employees to apply for financial assistance to pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees, in addition to advanced degrees, officials said.
The initiative expands the 60-year-old Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program, which has awarded city employees between about $360,000 and $530,000 a year in scholarships from participating schools, according to City Hall.
“Our city advances when our workers can too,” Mamdani said in a statement. “By connecting city workers to undergraduate and graduate educations, we’re empowering the next generation of civil servants who act ambitiously, think creatively and believe firmly in government’s ability to improve the lives of working people.”
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services oversees the scholarship program, but the city does not fund it. Instead, participating colleges and universities provide the scholarships.
City employees interested in applying must submit applications through their agencies and meet admissions requirements for their chosen schools.
According to City Hall, the undergraduate scholarship program is launching in partnership with 10 colleges and universities, including Columbia University School of General Studies, the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies and Fordham University, with more expected to join. More than 30 schools already participate in the graduate scholarship program.
Applications for undergraduate scholarships are open from March 30 through April 27 for programs beginning this fall, officials said. Graduate scholarship applications will open in mid-September.
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Zohran Mamdani
education
new york city
Catalina Gonella
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