College Scholarships

Dr. Eugene Pergament, Hillhouse High School and Yale alumnus, gave $100,000 to The Community Foundation in 2010 for college scholarships for Hillhouse graduates, and pledged to do the same for the next nine years.

The majority of scholarships at The Community Foundation are administered through the Guidance Departments of each school while a few are administered by the Education Subcommittee of The Community Foundation's Board of Directors. More than $1.2 million in scholarships was awarded from funds at The Community Foundation in 2009-2010 due to the generosity of donors, like Dr. Eugene Pergament (photo bottom right) who wanted to give something back to his hometown community.

An excerpt from the New Haven Register:

Dr. Eugene Pergament is a reproductive geneticist with degrees from Yale University, Purdue University and the University of Chicago’s medical school.

But the only reunion he goes to is his high school reunion.

James Hillhouse High School that is, class of 1951.

“I had an opportunity because of that education to go to an Ivy League school and graduate school and even medical school. I felt that Hillhouse was the basis for my success,” he said.

As a way to give back for that education, Pergament is donating $1 million to his old high school to be used for scholarships for students going on to college. Hillhouse will get $100,000 a year for 10 years and will have autonomy is choosing which lucky 10 students get $10,000 scholarships to put toward their college tuition.