TRENTON – Thomas Edison State University announced today that The Tuchman Foundation has committed to strengthen the TESU Foundation’s pledge to assist enrolled Coast Guard students affected by the government shutdown.
According to Tuchman Foundation chair Martin Tuchman, a new Coast Guard Educational Fund will join the TESU Foundation’s pledge to cover February tuition for enrolled Coast Guard students. It will also help to cover Coast Guard tuition for the following two semesters, if the government shutdown continues. Additionally, the new fund will include up to $500 per student to cover emergency personal expenses such as textbooks for those registered in the February term. The Tuchman Foundation’s pledge could total as much as $65,000 in support of Coast Guard students.
This gift is the first step toward the creation of a broader Military Student Reserve Fund to assure the continuous education of enrolled students who face exigent circumstances that may prevent them from continuing with their education through no fault of their own.
“The University is committed to doing everything possible to reduce the negative impact of these emergencies on our military students, just as we are to addressing the urgent situation currently facing our Coast Guard students,” said Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, president. “We are extremely grateful to The Tuchman Foundation for this display of generosity and humanity.”
“We began discussing this concept earlier this year with the idea of establishing a fund for the purpose of addressing tuition costs for students from the military, who faced unexpected hardships and were qualified and accepted into the University’s program,” Tuchman explained. “By serving as a backstop for Thomas Edison State University students, we ensure that they can continue their education without being affected by government shutdowns or other distractions.”
The Tuchman Foundation and its affiliates currently provide scholarships to New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seton Hall University, Mercer County Community College and Trenton Catholic Academy.
Toni M. Terry, BA