Columbians of New Jersey Italian Studies Scholarship

A non-profit philanthropic organization, the Columbians Inc. of New Jersey is comprised of Italian-American business leaders and professionals. The organization has raised more than $1 million for scholarships, to relieve hardship, and for cultural and Italian heritage programs. The Columbians established this endowed fund at Ramapo in 1998 to support efforts on the Ramapo campus that “promote Italian history, language, and culture.” Since then the fund has supported a variety of programs such as lectures by Fulbright scholars, scholarships for students studying abroad in Italy, and an excursion for students to attend Italian Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City. An annual component of the program is the Italian Studies Awards.