Camden students offered full scholarships to Rutgers

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- They are doing more than thinking about college in Camden, New Jersey.

More than 200 students were inducted into a program Tuesday that could offer them full scholarships to Rutgers University.

Dr. Gloria Bonilla Santiago, the founder of the LEAP Academy University Charter School, challenged the students to promise themselves they will do their very best in school.

In a ceremony this morning, college became accessible for all 182 kindergarteners through 8th graders as they were inducted into the Alfredo Santiago Scholars program which offers full-tuition scholarships to Rutgers to graduates who maintain a 3.5 GPA.

Offering the program to LEAP Academy's younger students creates a virtual pipeline from birth to college graduation.

It was a dream of Dr. Santiago's husband who died in 1996.

"He always used to say to me, 'We need to find ways to set up an endowment for these children and when he passed away that's the first thing that came to mind. I'm going to honor that dream that he had," Santiago said.

The afternoon ceremony consisted of 72 9th through 12th graders, all of whom will also have the opportunity for a full scholarship to Rutgers.

Since 2005, the Alfredo Santiago Scholarship program has made it possible for 82 students from Camden to attend college.