As enrollment declines and political scrutiny reshape higher education, the humanities are facing mounting pressures, ranging from budget cuts and shrinking federal support to a growing emphasis on workforce-aligned degrees.
At the City University of New York’s Macaulay Honors College, that pressure is colliding with a different goal: preparing students for graduate study in fields that are increasingly difficult to fund. To help bridge that gap, Gary Schwartz, founding director of the college, recently donated $250,000 in celebration of its 25th anniversary to establish the Gary Schwartz Endowed Scholarship for Advanced Study in the Humanities.
Schwartz, a Greek and Latin professor and interim dean of academic affairs who retired in 2021 after 52 years of service, said the scholarship reflects his belief that sustained advising and targeted financial support can be transformative for undergraduates pursuing doctoral paths—particularly those who might otherwise lack the resources to cover costs like research, study abroad and graduate school preparation.
“The humanities have been whacked as a field and attacked daily,” Schwartz said. “I wanted to provide some real firepower for students who are committed to continuing in the humanities but don’t always have the financial backing to do it.”
Supporting the humanities: Announced this week, the scholarship will fund two annual awards aimed at helping undergraduates reach key milestones on the path to doctoral study. One award of up to $7,000 will support expenses such as research and fieldwork, study abroad and graduate school preparation. A second award of up to $3,000 will fund experiential learning opportunities in professional or research settings. The first two recipients—one for each award—are expected to be selected in the 2027–28 academic year.
CUNY chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said the funding is designed to give humanities students the financial flexibility to explore and commit to graduate study at a time when support for those pathways is declining.
“It is important for those students in the humanities to know that there are opportunities for them to explore if this is the right career path for them in terms of an advanced degree when, at times, nationally, support for the arts and humanities at the graduate level seems to be shrinking,” Matos Rodríguez said. “We know that there is less support for that kind of graduate work as compared to fields in STEM or health, so this gift from Gary is particularly noteworthy.”
Dara Byrne, dean of the college, said increased competition for doctoral programs is often tied to the availability of funding, raising the bar for undergraduates seeking fully funded opportunities.
“What it does is put additional pressure on our already incredible students to have the level of preparation—and the support for that preparation—that will position them to compete nationally for fully funded doctoral programs,” Byrne said. “For many of the students we serve, including those who are first in their families to attend college, there’s a real financial gap in accessing those opportunities.”
Why this matters: Byrne said expanding support in the humanities is critical to helping students not only access opportunities, but also recognize them in a field where pathways can be less visible.
“It’s important to remember that even the most talented students don’t always see the full range of what they can do with a humanities degree,” Byrne said. “Having advisers and mentors who guide them—not just through coursework, but through what’s possible—can make all the difference.”
Schwartz said giving undergraduates the financial capacity to explore the humanities can be critical in helping them decide whether pursuing a doctoral degree is right for them.
“I used to tell students that they’re going to have long lives—look at me—and this is just one part of what they may do,” Schwartz said. “If they’re serious about it, pursuing a Ph.D. is an important first step.”
Get more content like this directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.
