Scholarship Program
One of the Foundation’s first projects was to expand the Thurman Thomas scholarship that was founded in 1994 when Thurman was still playing professional football for the Buffalo Bills. In this new collaboration with the SUNY Erie Community College Foundation, the Thurman Thomas Family Foundation will provide funds to allocate up to three disadvantaged students per year with full tuition, fees, books and related costs upon entering the second year of their program. This equates to approximately $5,000-6,000 per award in scholarships to students who might not otherwise have the resources to finish their education.
To be eligible, students must have graduated from a school district within Erie County, be of African American descent, be a full-time matriculating student at SUNY Erie, have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have a letter of recommendation from a member of the SUNY Erie faculty, staff, or alumni, high school counselor or administrator.