Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt given $2 million for scholarships

Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt given $2 million for scholarships
By Elizabeth Doran / The Post-Standard
May 21, 2010

Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt has become the first school in New York state to receive a $2 million grant to provide scholarships to top high school students with financial need.

The first scholarship will be awarded to a student next fall, MPH officials said. Eventually, the grant will underwrite at least seven scholarships, to be renewed each year the student is enrolled at the private school.

The $2 million endowment grant from the Colorado-based Malone Family Foundation is to be used exclusively for scholarships for students in grades 7 to 12. The idea is for the grant money to be invested and the returns used to continue funding scholarships in perpetuity, MPH officials said.

Tuition at MPH ranges from $15,835 for seventh grade to $17,875 for a 12th grader.

“For a small independent school in Central New York, this is a huge deal,” said Lynne Allard, MPH’s director of admission. “It almost doubles our endowment, and with more scholarships funds to award, we will be able to accept more bright and motivated kids whose opportunities are hampered simply by finances.”

The Malone Family Foundation, which works to help financially needy gifted students receive a quality education, has awarded annual endowment grants to three independent schools in the United States since 1997.

MPH did not submit an application for the grant; they were contacted and asked to submit a grant proposal, officials said.

Schools are chosen based on their academic caliber, staff quality, gifted and talent programs, Advanced Placement and enrichment programs, attention to individual students’ needs and interest, the school’s commitment to offering financial aid and whether it serves a diverse ethnic and economic population.

Malone Family Foundation was founded by Dr. John C. Malone, a communications and media executive and investor, and his family.

The scholarship will pay for tuition and school-related expenses such as books and computers for students in the top five percent of their class with demonstrated financial need.

The grant to MPH is in addition to an existing Crosby scholarship program, which is a merit-based scholarship opportunity.

Head of School Baxter Ball said he’s thrilled we “will be able to bring an even greater numbers of motivated and talented students into our school.”

More than 40 percent of MPH students are currently receiving financial assistance through tuition grants and the school’s longtime Crosby merit scholarship program. The school now provides more than $700,000 in merit scholarships and more than $1 million in need-based tuition grants.