SCC to provide full scholarships for Columbus County Students

Monday, September 26th, 2016

At a recent special announcement ceremony, Southeastern Community College unveiled a scholarship program to make college accessible to all high school students in Columbus County. With leadership from the SCC Board of Trustees and the SCC Foundation Board of Directors, and the generosity of the SCC Foundation’s donors, the college will implement the SCC Success Scholarship program beginning in the fall of 2017.

“Helping deserving students pay for college is why we serve on this board,” said SCC Foundation Board President Butch Hooks, “so increasing the number of students who we assist is very rewarding.”

“It is an honor to be chair of the SCC Board of Trustees during this exciting time,” added SCC Board of Trustees Chair Henry Edmund, “and we are extremely proud to be the first community college in Southeastern North Carolina and only the fourth in the state to implement this kind of initiative.”

The SCC Success Scholarship program will provide up to two years of tuition and fees for Columbus County students enrolling at SCC directly following graduation. The scholarship also requires continuous enrollment in the fall and spring semesters.

“The America’s College Promise campaign prompted schools across the country to discuss ways to offer free college initiatives for their students,” said SCC President Dr. Tony Clarke. “At SCC, we want to serve as many students in Columbus County as possible, so we began exploring how to implement a college promise program for Columbus County.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must earn a C or better in at least two courses offered through SCC’s Career and College Promise (CCP) program during their high school career.

“As more students enroll in the Career and College Promise program and prove that they are college ready, it makes sense for us to eliminate the cost barrier that some of those students face when paying for college,” added Clarke.

The Career and College Promise program allows high school students who are deemed college-ready to take tuition-free college courses while in high school. SCC currently has more than 120 students enrolled in college courses under the CCP program.

The implementation of the SCC Scholarship Program fulfills the vision shared many times over the years by long-time SCC Trustees Billy Hooks and Sam G. Koonce, Sr., according to Lonnie Fox, retired SCC vice-president of operations and finance and SCC Foundation Board member.

“Both Mr. Hooks and Mr. Koonce would often say that they believed that all graduating high school students in Columbus County should have the opportunity to attend SCC and that cost should never be a barrier,” recalls Fox.

Additional criteria for the scholarship include a 2.8 unweighted GPA in high school and, though the Success Scholarship will be awarded regardless of financial need, students must also complete the FAFSA for federal financial aid and apply for all other SCC scholarships before receiving the scholarship.

The first information session regarding the SCC Success Scholarship will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the SCC Auditorium on Thursday, October 6th. Other information sessions will also be scheduled and individuals can contact Student Services at (910) 642-7141, ext. 279 with questions.