News

January 3, 2019

Berkshire Bank Announces NeXt Gen ScholarsSM Program $100,000 In Scholarships Available

Berkshire Bank is excited to announce the 2019 NeXt Gen Scholars^SM scholarship awards program. Through this program, any individual planning to attend a two or four-year college or technical school in the fall of 2019 will have an opportunity to receive one of forty scholarships. A total of $100,000 in scholarship money will be awarded by the Berkshire Bank Foundation to those who live or attend school where Berkshire Bank has a presence in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The NeXt Gen Scholar^SM recipients will embody academic excellence while sharing Berkshire Bank’s commitment to community service and volunteerism. Applications will be evaluated based on the individual’s record of volunteer service, academic success, and financial need. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of a 3.0 and a household income under $100,000 (or individual income of $50,000) to be eligible to apply. Each NeXt Gen Scholar^SM will receive $2,500 in funding to support their education efforts. A team of more than 200 Berkshire Bank employee volunteers will review the applications and select the 2019 recipients. To be considered, all applications must be submitted online by 11:59pm on January 31, 2019.

Just as NeXt Gen Scholars^SM play an active role in their communities, Berkshire Bank encourages its employees to do the same through XTEAM^®, its nationally acclaimed Employee Volunteer Program which provides paid time off to employees to volunteer during regular business hours. Last year 100% of the bank’s employees participated in the program and donated nearly 40,000 hours of volunteer service. Berkshire Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Berkshire Bank also donates more than $2 million annually to nonprofits throughout the Bank’s footprint.

To learn more about the program or apply online, please visit www.berkshirebank.com/scholarships.