Eileen recalled her time at TC fondly.  While she did not mention any one faculty member by name, she remembered a nurturing atmosphere in which those learning their craft were also encouraged to think creatively.

Eileen, a graduate of the College’s Developmental Psychology program, was surprised to learn how much the per-credit cost of tuition had risen during the past 60 years, but she was all the more determined to lessen the financial burden of earning a top-flight TC education. She wanted to make sure that her gift would be in perpetuity and that it would benefit any deserving student in need of financial assistance.  She also wanted to make a gift with estate tax advantages.

Eileen established the Eileen A. Cutler Endowed Scholarship Fund. She worked with Louis Lo Re, Director of Planned Giving, to create an agreement that dovetailed with her objectives. The agreement stipulates that funds would be used to assist students through general scholarship funds.

Eileen passed away earlier this year.  True to her wishes, her personal adviser transferred the designated assets to TC free of legal fees and taxes.

Eileen Cutler’s strong desire to help students in need has been realized – for now and in perpetuity.

Now Charlotte has made a remarkable new commitment to the endowed fund through the creation of a new charitable gift annuity of more than $500,000. The gift annuity, which will provide guaranteed income to Charlotte during her lifetime, will also more than double the corpus of the endowed scholarship fund when it matures upon her death. 

Though she never finished her doctorate – she left the College to direct strategic and community planning for the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY, where she served for 22 years – Charlotte has remained passionate about providing opportunities for advanced study at TC for those most in need of funding. The Charlotte M. Hamill Scholarship Fund is an extraordinary and lasting testament to that desire and one that will continue to benefit current and future generations of students.

TC, the nation’s oldest and largest graduate school of education, will offer scholarships to admitted master’s students from Brazil beginning in Fall 2013. This opportunity is made possible through a new partnership between the Teachers College and the Lemann Foundation, which funds one of Brazil’s largest private scholarship programs and was established by entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann in 2002 to strengthen public education in Brazil.

The new Lemann Fellowship scholarships to Teachers College apply only to master's programs and cover all the tuition costs, plus part of the student’s living expenses. Registrations for the 2013-2014 academic year are open until April 15th.

Over the next 10 years, the Lemann Fellowship program will train 500 leaders at Teachers College and other universities, including Harvard and Stanford. Candidates who are deeply committed to strengthening public education and to solve some of the most serious social problems still confronting Brazil are encouraged to apply.

After earning their Teachers College degrees and returning to Brazil, Lemann Fellows will receive career development support as they join the growing network of Lemann Fellows, currently numbering nearly 100, who hold prominent positions in nonprofit foundations, education departments and international organizations.

“We are proud that Teachers College is the graduate school of education of choice for outstanding international students, who become great future educators and leaders in their countries, says Thomas Rock, TC’s Executive Director of Enrollment Services. “We are thrilled to participate in the Lemann Fellowship program, and look forward to welcoming a cadre of talented students who will enrich our intellectual environment and enhance TC’s global diversity.”

Candidates who are eligible for a Lemann Fellowship should contact Dr. Rock at enrollmentservices@tc.columbia.edu, or call the Office of Financial Aid at 212-678-3714. 

Published Friday, May. 17, 2013