The École Becomes the First Independent French-American School in NYC to Offer Full-Tuition Scholarships for Middle School Students
For the 2020-2021 school year, The École will award up to three full-ride scholarships for new students in Middle School (6th-8th Grade). The scholarship will cover the full tuition for the student’s duration at The École. Therefore, if a scholarship winner starts the 2020-2021 school year in 6th Grade, their tuition will be covered for three years, through 8th Grade.
The École has decided to take this exciting step because it saw a need in the current dual-language offerings in NYC. Most public schools that offer a dual French-English program end in 5th Grade. So parents with children in those programs who would like to continue their bilingual education are left with very few options. The École’s recent expansion of its main building has created more space to welcome more children. This has thus enabled the school to implement this scholarship program.
Requirements for Scholarship Applicants
Candidates who wish to apply for the scholarship must:
- Not be a current student at The École
- Be in 5th-7th Grade during the 2019-2020 school year
- Speak, read and write in French and in English
- Submit original writing samples in French and English, as well as an original essay on the importance of bi/multilingualism. The essay may be in English, French, or both!
The selection will be based on three main criteria: financial need, diversity and merit. Candidates who apply and meet these criteria will be chosen for the final round of selection. They will then be invited to the school on Saturday, February 29 or Sunday, March 1, 2020 to give two short presentations to a jury, one on an assigned topic, one on a topic of their choice. The jury will be composed of teachers and administrators from The École. In addition, American author and journalist, Bill Buford, and Fabrice Jaumont, French author, researcher and Education Attaché at the Embassy of France in NYC will also be part of the jury.
“We, like many parents, know the value of a bilingual education. This is why The École would like to help some families to continue the bilingual education of their children,” explain Philippe and Laurence Roux, The École Benefactors. “Our unique dual program… will prepare these students for the next step of their education, whether in a public or private school, here in the US, in France or abroad.”
Need more info?
Families interested in applying for the scholarship can visit our website or write to scholarship@theEcole.org to find out more about the application process. The deadline to apply is February 22, 2020, and the results of the scholarship awards will be made public on March 10, 2020.