Oneida Times

New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-C-Rome, announced that the New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators is offering four $3,000 scholarships, two for academics and two for athletics. The scholarships are open to New York residents who are current college students or high school seniors preparing for college and reside in a district represented by a conference member.

Sen. Griffo's district covers Oneida and Madison counties and parts of Herkimer and Chenango counties. Applicants are required to have a GPA of 85 or higher, be engaged in community service and extracurricular activities, demonstrate financial need, and if applying for an athletic scholarship, be involved in organized sports. It's worth noting that applicants do not need to be of Italian American heritage to apply.

The application deadline for these scholarships is Friday, March 15, and the recipients will be announced in April. The winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Albany. Interested students can access and complete the application online at https://www.nyiacsl.org/apply-for-scholarship-form.

Sen. Griffo highlighted the importance of these scholarships, stating, “The price of attending college is a very serious concern for many students and families throughout New York State. This is a chance to help students lessen the burden of college debt and to defray some of the expenses incurred when seeking higher education. I encourage every eligible student in my district to apply for this scholarship.”

The New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators is a bipartisan organization that promotes and celebrates the Italian American community in the state. Sen. Griffo has been actively involved in the Conference and previously served as its president.