Foundation

Although community colleges provide the best value in higher education, many students need assistance with fees, books, supplies, housing and transportation. A large percentage of our students are working either full-time or part-time in order to pursue their higher education. Increasing numbers of our students are returning to college to retrain or update their skills for job advancement and technical expertise. Scholarships bring higher education into the reach of students for whom a college education would perhaps otherwise not be attainable. You may choose to support a currently existing scholarship or develop one in your own or a loved one's name.

The Foundation and Financial Aid offices work closely together to meet the need of our donors. Scholarships are advertised at the beginning of each calendar year and are awarded in May at the Annual Awards Ceremony. An annual recognition event is held in the spring in honor of scholarship donors.

The College of the Canyons Foundation Scholarship Program exists to encourage academic excellence, recognize outstanding achievement and provide students with an additional resource for their educational costs. The Foundation also strives to meet the needs of our donors in their desire to recognize students with exceptional ability and promise.

 

Scholarship donors are invited to establish Endowed Scholarships in the name of special people, events or organizations to honor them in perpetuity. An endowed scholarship is established with a principle gift of $1000 or more. The original gift and additional installments to the scholarship are invested and the interest income is allowed to build. As a guideline, the Foundation has established a target principle of $10,000 before the award can be given to a recipient. The first scholarship will be awarded 1 year after the scholarship reaches the target level with the amount of the award based upon the interest earned. Funds that do not build to the $10,000 level within five (5) years of the date the scholarship was established will become a General Scholarship and awards will be made out of the principle balance.

 

General Scholarships are temporary scholarships that make awards out of the principle amount of the gift. Because these scholarship funds are by nature expendable and must be liquid, they are generally not invested in higher yield or long-term accounts.

1. Contact Michele Edmonson at  the Foundation office to notify them or your intent to establish a scholarship.

2. The Foundation office will provide the scholarship guidelines and criteria forms.

3. Donors return the completed forms to the the Foundation after making decisions regarding the parameters of the scholarship. Donors are encouraged to be as non-specific as possible on the criteria for selection, in order to attract a significant pool of student applicants.

5. The Foundation office acknowledges all gifts that are received.

6. Changes or revisions may be made to the scholarship criteria at the discretion of the donor; however, changes will not take effect until after an award cycle has been complete.

7. An update on the progress of the scholarship is provided to the donor upon request.