Harvard initiates new scholarships for Allston-Brighton:

Harvard University will honor the legacy of a beloved member of the Allston-Brighton community with the new Brian Honan Scholarships, which offer to Boston municipal employees full tuition scholarships for Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education (DCE). Honan, a Boston city councilor representing Allston-Brighton, died suddenly in July at age 39.

The Brian Honan Scholarships will provide full tuition scholarships to courses in the graduate-level Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management (CSS) program of the DCE’s Extension School. The Office of the Mayor of Boston will select the awardees – three each term – giving preference to city employees who live in Allston-Brighton.

“My family is very honored by this scholarship program in my brother Brian’s name. Education and public service meant a great deal to Brian. Harvard’s commitment to our community and to our city’s public employees is truly appreciated,” said State Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Brighton).

“I’m grateful to Harvard University for providing these new scholarships in memory of Brian Honan,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Brian was a great friend to the Allston-Brighton community who understood that education is not only the foundation for a fulfilling life, but a catalyst for improving the quality of life in our city. It’s a tremendous tribute to Brian and his work that these scholarships benefiting the people of Allston-Brighton will be a part of his legacy.”

Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers said, “Harvard is proud to honor the extraordinary public service of Brian Honan in a way that advances the professional development of his colleagues and friends in city government.”

In addition to the scholarships honoring Honan, Harvard has created three other scholarship initiatives to open the University’s doors to Allston-Brighton residents.

The Allston-Brighton Community Scholars Program will award 10 Allston-Brighton residents each year two-thirds tuition remission on any course at the Harvard Extension School. Community Scholars will be selected by the Allston Civic Association in conjunction with the Allston/Harvard Institutional Master Plan Task Force.

Three Allston-Brighton high school students will receive full tuition for one DCE summer school course through the Secondary School Scholarships to Harvard Summer School. The Allston Civic Association, in conjunction with the Allston/Harvard Institutional Master Plan Task Force, will nominate students.

And the Lowell Scholarship Program, which existed previously, provides an unlimited number of half-tuition scholarships to Harvard Extension School to secondary school students, teachers, and administrators. Candidates are nominated by their high school administration.

“The mission of the Division of Continuing Education is to provide access to the resources of Harvard to people from the community,” said DCE Dean Michael Shinagel. These scholarships, he said, help Harvard reach out to its newer neighbors in the Allston-Brighton community.

The scholarships provide “a way of getting Harvard more firmly rooted in our community,” he said. “Here we are, the global university … but we shouldn’t neglect those people closest to us geographically.”