For many college students, the biggest barrier to completing a degree program is not academic—it’s financial. Since the fall of 2022, Buffalo State University’s GRIT Scholarship has been helping ease the financial burden for deserving students. Unlike many scholarships, GRIT eligibility is not based on grade point average but rather a student’s demonstrated GRIT: Guts, Resilience, Impact, and Tenacity. Nominations come from a faculty member or campus advocate, and the scholarship is renewable upon the continued nomination by the nominating party. As such, it is the personal relationships between faculty members, staff, and students that makes GRIT possible.
“The success of a first-generation college student has many complications that can be difficult to pinpoint,” said Jim Finnerty, vice president for institutional advancement and external relations. “At our Foundation, we believe that a meaningful relationship with a faculty member or other mentor can be key to helping a student navigate these unpredictable challenges. More often than not, finances are going to be one of those challenges, and combining mentorship with financial support can have an exponential impact beyond either one alone. The GRIT scholarship is meant to not only leverage those relationships but encourage more. The main criterion of the scholarship is that the mentor can demonstrate the GRIT of the student and their commitment to their long-term success.”
The scholarship was conceived after longtime Buffalo State Foundation board member Michael Bonitatibus, ’79, read Angela Duckworth's bestseller GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Bonitatibus believes that the smallest amount of “GRIT”—when combined with financial support and the passion of a faculty member—is invaluable in setting a student on a lifelong path of success. In reflection of these beliefs, GRIT Scholarship recipients receive not only financial aid but also education and guidance through ongoing financial literacy training. The scholarship may be presented to a student at any point during their Buffalo State career.
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