New England Society Scholarship Program

The New England Society in the City of New York (NES) has a long, distinguished history of philanthropic outreach dating back to its founding in 1805. These eleemosynary initiatives have varied over the years, from distributing firewood to needy families and supporting cultural institutions to providing relief to victims of natural disasters in New England.  But in 1945, NES decided to focus its philanthropic outreach on education, and the organization launched its College Students' Loaning Fund which provided emergency loans to students at New England colleges and universities. Over 75,000 students received loans during the program's 45-year period. In 1953, NES expanded its educational outreach and launched the NES Scholarship Program to provide financial help to New York City students attending colleges and universities in New England.

Since the Program’s launch, NES has funded over 100 scholarships. With the average college tuition, fees, room and board reaching $40,000 annually, the need to ensure access to higher education for students from limited means is critical. NES scholarships reduce student loan liability, and they lend confidence and provide a sense of achievement to these young scholars.

NES offers scholarships of $25,000 per student over a four-year period. To qualify for consideration, the candidate must be an incoming freshman to a New England college or university, live in one of the five boroughs of New York City, and be in need of financial aid. Many factors are taken into consideration when selecting scholarship award recipients, but need is paramount.

Candidates must complete and submit an NES Scholarship Application. The NES Scholarship Program is administered by a Scholarship Committee who reviews the applications and then contacts candidates for an interview with the Committee. Students are notified with a decision once all applicants have been interviewed. Scholarship funds are issued directly to the college or university each semester. Recent scholarship award recipients have attended Bates College, Bowdoin College, Connecticut College, Harvard University, MIT, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Wellesley College, and Wheaton College.

The NES Scholarship Program is funded through contributions from Members, annual dues and fundraising events. Additional funding comes from private foundations and corporations, primarily through matching gift programs. NES is a 501 (c)(3) organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.