Cedar Rapids, Iowa (May 26, 2015)-More than $3 million in scholarships will be available for Kirkwood Community College students for the 2015-2016 academic year. This is the first time available scholarship funds have exceeded the $3 million mark.
This total consists of earnings from Kirkwood Foundation endowed funds, amounts received and committed by Kirkwood Foundation donors for annual scholarships, and institutional scholarships.
“We are fortunate to have such strong support from our community,” said Kirkwood Foundation Executive Director Kathy Hall. “It places the gift of education within reach of many students who could not afford higher education on their own. This makes eastern Iowa stronger by providing real-world job skills and preparing an emerging workforce with the skills they need in the new economy.”
Kirkwood has one of the largest community college scholarship programs in the country. Recently the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) released a national benchmarking survey showing that the median for the total scholarship dollars awarded by community colleges in FY14 was just $250,000. Kirkwood awarded $2.4 million in that same time period. The percentage of students receiving scholarships at Kirkwood during that time was nine percent, more than double the average of other community colleges in the study. The amount of each scholarship award was also over 50 percent higher than the average.
The Kirkwood Foundation exists to bridge the gap between the needs and resources of Kirkwood Community College. The nonprofit, tax exempt corporation, was established in 1969 to raise funds to provide assistance to students who wish to enhance their lives through education and training. Historically, the Foundation supports the college in areas that are not supported by taxes, tuition or grants.
The 2015-2016 online scholarship application is now open for second-round applications. All students at Kirkwood are eligible to apply for scholarship funds. The deadline to apply is July 15.
For more information on Kirkwood scholarships, go to www.kirkwood.edu/scholarships.