Editor’s Note: This post was written and submitted by Mike Liou, Vice President of Solutions Marketing at Ellucian.
Students today often juggle the demands of school and life — which can include employment, families, financial obligations, and more — in their pursuit of higher education. Oftentimes these students are forced to make difficult decisions based on their financial situations, ultimately putting their goal of achieving a better future at risk.
In an effort to improve completion rates and ensure certification or degree attainment, many community colleges have created guided pathways programs to help give students a defined path to successful outcomes, as well as finish on time and with less debt.
Ellucian felt compelled to do its part as well by establishing the Ellucian Pathways Scholarship to provide financial support to enrolled students in an effort to help them complete their studies. The 2019 Pathways Scholarship will award a total of $100,000 to 20 students from institutions with guided pathways programs.
Ellucian serves a community of institutions that reaches more than 20 million students worldwide. Many of these students will face financial hardship in their pursuit of higher education. We truly believe that education has the power to transform lives, as well as positively impact local communities and the overall economy.
In 2018, Pathways Scholarship applicants were first-generation college students, veterans, immigrants, single parents, and adult-learners who all have an extreme passion for education and the courage to continue growing and learning. They are overcoming obstacles and challenging themselves to achieve their dreams of going into nursing, education, social work, physics, and more — all with a clear vision of the impact they intend to have on the world.
It is clear that guided pathways programs are helping students complete their degrees, but the sheer volume of submissions for this scholarship in 2018 underscores the need that still exists for so many students. Two students from each of the below institutions were awarded a scholarship:
- Alamo Colleges District
- Community College of Baltimore County
- Central Piedmont Community College
- George Mason University
- Hillsborough Community College
- Odessa College
- Orange Coast College
- Pima Community College
- St. Clair County Community College
- University of California, Riverside
One student recipient’s response summarizes the impact of this scholarship: “I’m so excited to have received the Ellucian Pathways Scholarship, as it is a true investment in my academic and professional development. I am grateful that you believe in me and my success, and I look forward to using it to offset my college expenses and, of course, serve others.”
To apply for the Ellucian Pathways Scholarship, institutions must show proof of guided pathways programs and encourage students to submit a two-minute video sharing their story, education goals, and the impact higher education has on their life. The deadline for scholarship applications is Friday, April 26. Additional details on the scholarship and submission can be found at ellucian.com/scholarship.
Learn more at ellucian.com.
