The Student Government Association (SGA) at Montclair State University has made history this year, giving out $40,000 in scholarships to undergraduate students.
Recipients are chosen based on merit, academics, leadership, community service and financial need.
SGA president Mikayla Houston shared the work she and her team performed to reach this goal.
“As Student Government [Association] president, one of my main goals was to provide more opportunities and resources for students,” Houston said. “One key way we aimed to achieve this was by increasing the amount of money allocated for scholarships.”
Typically, the SGA is able to award $15,000 to $17,000. But, their scholarship fund reached new heights this semester.
“[Offering] more money is great,” said Mohamed Fayes, a senior political science major. “It’s awesome. So seeing stuff like that, which genuinely helps students, I mean, it’s a pleasant surprise.”
Below is a list of the offered scholarships, which closed on March 7:
- SGA Eby Ohmadike Memorial Scholarship
- SGA Transfer Student Scholarship
- SGA Commuter Student Scholarship
- SGA Castanon Dreamer Scholarship
- SGA Outstanding Freshman Scholarship
- SGA Non-Traditional and Veteran Student Scholarship
- SGA Outstanding Student Scholarship
- SGA Executive Scholarship
- Dr. Edward Martin Scholarship
- SGA Amanda Ducky Quesada Memorial Scholarship
Omayma Jabara, the vice president of the SGA and president of the Scholarship Fund, comments on the future of the offerings.
“While we celebrate this milestone, our work is far from over,” Jabara said. “We are committed to ensuring that the Scholarship Fund remains strong and continues to grow, so that administrations can keep giving back to the undergraduate student body for years to come. This fund represents a commitment to supporting each other as students of the same undergraduate body, which is at the heart of this administration’s values.”
John Sullivan, a graduate student in teaching commented the financial stress some students face when paying for tuition and other academic needs.
“I think it’s good,” Sullivan said. “I think any time you can give students more money, [there is] more opportunity. It reduces the burden that students have to go through putting themselves through college. College expenses are [growing] more and more year after year.”
Jabara shared that the collaboration between her and the SGA secretary and treasurer of the Scholarship Fund Brianna Donnelly led to this accomplishment.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the good work of the executive secretary, who serves as the treasurer of our Scholarship Fund,” Jabara said. “Together, we worked to maximize the impact of these scholarships and support as many students as possible, and I am proud of our work.”
Donnelly reflects on the achievements the Scholarship Fund team has made.
“Watching our efforts translate into tangible opportunities for others has been incredibly rewarding,” Donnelly said. “Managing these funds was never just about numbers, it was about ensuring that students had access to the resources they needed to succeed.”
Houston commented on the benefits of assisting her peers through these scholarship offerings.
“Being able to ease some of the financial burdens our peers face and help them pursue their education has been incredibly rewarding, and I hope this initiative continues to grow in the future,” Houston said.
