English faculty member Halcyon Mancuso Krebs and her husband Thomas Krebs have made the largest financial commitment in Framingham State University’s history in order to establish full-ride scholarships for students in the humanities and social sciences.

The Mancuso English, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences Scholarships will cover 100 percent of the cost of tuition, fees, room and board for up to four academic years. The scholarships, which incoming students will be eligible to apply for starting in fall 2019, are funded entirely through a financial commitment by Halcyon and Thomas Krebs of approximately $2.4 million.  

"I have chosen to support academic majors that often do not get the financial support that they deserve,” says Halcyon Mancuso Krebs. “More than ever, businesses and government so desperately need employees who have studied the humanities and social and behavioral sciences. Such employees possess the ability to think critically, abstractly, and with nuance and compassion for others and, therefore, are prepared to imaginatively confront the challenges of our diverse world. Their learning does not channel them into one narrow area but, rather, affords flexibility that their future careers will require."

The Mancuso Scholarships will support academically strong FSU students who demonstrate financial need and who choose to major in English or specified majors in the Humanities/Social & Behavioral Sciences. They will allow Mancuso Scholars the financial resources to fully experience college life, and encourage recipients to link robust career preparation and extra-curricular activities with academic work in order to better position Mancuso Scholars for post-college, entry-level positions.

“It’s difficult to put into words how grateful the entire FSU community is to Halcyon and Thomas for making this incredibly generous donation to the University,” says FSU President F. Javier Cevallos. “At a time when the humanities and social sciences are being pared down at institutions across the country, this donation reaffirms Framingham State’s longstanding commitment to providing an outstanding liberal arts education.”

There will be two Mancuso Scholarships awarded every year, starting in fall 2019. One will always be reserved for an English major, which is the subject Mancuso Krebs has taught for many years, and the second will rotate each year between majors in the humanities (Art History, Communication Arts, History, Liberal Studies, Spanish, World Languages) and social sciences (Geography, Global Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology).

To learn more about the Mancuso English, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences Scholarships, visit www.framingham.edu/mancuso-scholarships.