Help students achieve their dreams
Cornell University’s School of Continuing Education (SCE) dates back to 1876 and is dedicated to fulfilling Ezra Cornell’s vision of an institution “where any person can find instruction in any study.”
Thanks to our partnerships across the university, SCE makes available Cornell’s life-changing programs, remarkable faculty, and vast resources to more than 5,000 traditional and non-traditional students from around the world each year, from high school students to college undergrads, alumni, professionals, and retirees.
“If it weren’t for your generosity, I would never have had this life-changing experience.” ~ Valeriya, Precollege alumna
SCE programs take place on campus, online, and around the world in a variety of formats and lengths to serve the needs of its diverse students.
In our Summer and Winter Sessions, students earn credits, complete requirements, accelerate their degrees, or ease their fall and spring course loads. High school students from more than 506 countries come to Cornell in the summer to experience life at an Ivy League institution.
If you, your loved ones, or someone you know has enjoyed or benefited from any of our programs, if you’re inspired by our mission, or if you’d like to make a positive difference in the world, we hope you’ll consider supporting us.
Ways to Give
1. Make a gift
Gifts of all sizes are gratefully accepted and can be applied toward the program of your choice:
- Cornell University Precollege Summer Programs for High School Students
- The Dean’s Discretionary Fund for Continuing Education, which allows the dean to direct your gift to where the need is the greatest
How to make your gift
Visit the Alumni Affairs and Development website. Under “Select a fund to support,” click “Colleges and schools” and then, under “Select colleges and schools,” choose the “School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions” and your giving option.
If you have any questions, please call 1-800-279-3099.
“By awarding me the Stephen Paul Scholarship, you have reduced my financial burden, which allows me to concentrate more on what is important for me: education. Your generosity has inspired me to help others by giving back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help other students achieve their goal just as you have helped me.” ~ Pedro Acosta
2. Offer a scholarship for a precollege student
The generosity of a number of individuals makes it possible each year for almost 200 high-achieving, low-income students to attend our Precollege Summer Programs for High School Students. These students gain confidence in their abilities, master critical college study skills, earn academic credits recorded on a Cornell University transcript, learn to navigate the college admissions process, and explore their areas of interest under the guidance of renowned Cornell faculty.
Each year, however, the pool of talented applicants is deep, the financial need is great, and hundreds of deserving students apply for aid that we’re unable to give. Scholarship gifts of any size are needed to bridge this gap.
To learn more, visit the Precollege giving page for information about scholarships that are making a critical difference in the lives of students who receive them.
As Precollege Summer scholarship recipient Madelyne Serrano said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. Thanks to your kindness, I was able to attend [Precollege summer program]. It was a short three weeks, but those three weeks have changed my life. Attending [Precollege]showed me what I am capable of accomplishing and how to do it.”
To make a gift to the Precollege Summer Program, visit the Precollege giving page or contact SCE Dean Mary Loeffelholz (see below).
Read about the impact of Precollege scholarships
Bronx high schoolers from the Marble Hill School for International Studies in New York City aim for college, via Cornell Precollege (formerly Summer College). Read the story in the Cornell Chronicle.
For more information
For more information about ways to support SCE or to discuss a gift to SCE, please contact
Mary Loeffelholz, Dean
School of Continuing Education
Cornell University
B20 Day Hall (144 Feeney Way)
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: (607) 255-7393
Email: ml2657@cornell.edu
Thank you.