RIT President Bill Destler and his wife, Rebecca Johnson have pledged a $1 million endowment to the Rochester City Scholars program. Destler and Johnson actually founded the program in 2010.
It provides free tuition to the university for Rochester public school graduates who are admitted as freshmen to full-time study at RIT and who also meet income eligibility requirements. Destler says that lack of finances should not prevent a talented student from getting a college education.
Over the last four years, nearly 100 students have participated in the program. It is funded through private donations and institutional support.