The Actuarial Foundation, well-known for its 24-year tradition of providing lifelong math education and financial literacy through its learning resources and scholarships, is proud to partner with Hartford Promise to create a unique scholarship for Hartford Promise Scholars. The Actuarial Foundation Diversity Hartford Promise Scholarship will be available beginning in 2019.

Hartford Promise is a large-scale College Scholarship Fund and Integrated College Success Program that provides Hartford students the financial resources, support services, and key relationships that lead to college success. Richard Sugarman, President of Hartford Promise, says Hartford Promise is modeled after similar programs that have developed since 2005 in many districts across the United States, including Denver, Pittsburgh, New Haven and Kalamazoo, MI.  Each of these programs is based on the principle that investing in education is the most effective way to foster community, well-being and economic development. Four hundred Hartford Public High School students have become Promise Scholars in Hartford Promise’s first three years of operation. In addition to the scholarship, each Hartford Promise Scholar is supported by Hartford Promise throughout college; this includes staying in touch with Promise Scholars, working closely with colleges and facilitating connections to key people, supports and services at those colleges, creating a peer-to-peer Promise Community of support, and providing resources for internships.

The Actuarial Foundation’s Diversity Scholarship promotes diversity within the actuarial profession. Since 2009, the Foundation has awarded 389 Diversity Scholarships totaling $919,000. To date, over half of these recipients are in the process of taking actuarial exams. Each applicant to the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship has access to an actuarial mentor to guide them on their journey to becoming an actuary.

Starting in 2019, the Foundation will underwrite any Hartford Promise Scholarship, up to $5,000/year over four years, for any student that qualifies and wants to pursue a degree in the actuarial sciences.  The Actuarial Foundation Hartford Promise Diversity Scholarship will be a last dollar scholarship, as are all Hartford Promise Scholarships. “There is a real synergy between our two organizations in our commitment and efforts to support education. We are so proud to partner with Hartford Promise and give students the access to education and the tools they need to be successful,” said Jason Leppin, executive director of The Actuarial Foundation. Richard Sugarman, President of Hartford Promise agreed, saying, “Providing the highest quality education and opening all the doors of possibility for every child in our community has been a core value and longstanding priority for me. Hartford Promise offers a transformative opportunity to make the dream of higher education a reality for every Hartford student. I’m excited to partner with The Actuarial Foundation in offering this unique scholarship opportunity as we continue to build the significant, sustained promise that all our children deserve.”