Midland County CCAN helping future students with new scholarship | News | ourmidland.com Midland County CCAN helping future students with new scholarship
It may be summer, but thereas at least one group that isnat taking a break from its focus on higher education for area students.
The Midland County Career and College Access Network is in its third year of helping students, especially first generation and low-income students, work towards completion of a postsecondary education. The organization now has another tool to reach its goal: the Midland Believes scholarship to debut in 2017.
Valerie Gerhart is the Career and College Access coordinator, and said the scholarship was an idea formed by a committee as a way to assist students who fall in a gray area of financial assistance.
The Midland Believes scholarship is aimed at first-generation or economically struggling college students who have attended a Midland County high school for at least two years with a minimum GPA of 2.0. Students would submit an essay along with financial aid documents.
The scholarship is $2,000 and renewable for a second year when a student is enrolled in an accredited in-state public or private college, university or tech school.
Some individuals have already expressed interest in contributing to an endowment fund for Midland Believes, Gerhart said. The goal is to establish a $4 million endowment fund through the Midland Area Community Foundation in order to provide $200,000 to cover 50 new and 50 renewable scholarships every year, but Gerhart said it will most likely start with 10 scholarships and build from there.
At least 24 percent of Midland County high school graduates in 2015 were considered economically disadvantaged. aWeare very excited for the impact Reach Higher will have on our staff and our students.a
During a recent MCCAN update, Sharon Mortensen said a lot has happened in the past three years of the organization.
aTo really change our community, one of the most transformational agents there is education,a said Mortensen, president and chief financial officer of the Midland Area Community Foundation, before introducing the Midland Believes scholarship.
Those interested in contributing to the Midland Believes scholarship are encouraged to contact the foundation at (989) 839-9661.
A lot of thought was put into the name of the new scholarship, Gerhart said, but earlier ideas didnat have the same impact as Midland Believes.
aItas got to be something even deeper,a Gerhart said.
