Cumberland Farms announced today that nearly 1,000 high school students from the class of 2014 have applied to the company’s popular Believe and Achieve Scholarship program, which helps bright and determined young people realize their college dreams. The applications are currently being individually evaluated, and 130 winners will be announced this coming spring.
Cumberland Farms’ successful and competitive scholarship program began in 2007, and over the past seven years the convenience store has provided more than $800,000 in financial assistance to college bound students.
The scholarships, which are awarded based on both academic performance and financial need, can be an important factor in whether students are able to meet the high costs of attending college. “I am so grateful to have received a Believe and Achieve scholarship from Cumberland Farms,” explained 2013 recipient Elizabeth Valenzuela. “The scholarship went directly to my tuition and was a big help, especially since my first semester was more expensive than I expected.” Ms. Valenzuela is now in her second semester at Trinity College, and is thriving with a 3.8 GPA.
The Believe and Achieve program provides $1,000 scholarships to eligible graduating high school seniors across the Cumberland Farms service area. This year alone, the company will award $130,000 in Believe and Achieve Scholarships to students across 11 states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Believe and Achieve program is open to any student entering a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school who lives within 30 miles of a Cumberland Farms location.
“We are proud to provide this meaningful help to students like Elizabeth Valenzuela who live in the communities we serve,” said Ari Haseotes, President and Group Chief Operating Officer, Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies. “We are committed to providing young adults with the best possible opportunities for advancement, and our Believe and Achieve scholarships are a great way for us to accomplish this goal and make a difference in the lives of young people.”
Since formalizing its Corporate Giving Program seven years ago, Cumberland Farms has donated millions of dollars in cash and products to causes that directly benefit thousands of young people through scholarships, direct-to-school programs, youth sports, local fundraising and more.
