Forty-two scholarships totaling over $18,750 will be awarded to students after the application deadline Feb. 26.

The OCCC Foundation is offering the scholarships, said Jennifer Harrison, director of Development. To make it easier for students to apply, they only have to fill out one application and they will be considered for all the categories where they fit the criteria.

Organized in 1998, the foundation has helped hundreds of students pay for their education, Harrison said. Since 2009, they have raised $1.4 million in scholarships, and have awarded $682,376 to students.

She said she has been development director for nearly nine years at OCCC. She hopes students take the opportunity and put their names into consideration.

“I encourage all students to apply,” Harrison said. “If we don’t have enough applicants, we simply can’t award those scholarships.”

Although each scholarship is different, there is a general criteria that must be met in order to be considered.

“All of the scholarships require you to be intent on acquiring an associate’s degree at OCCC,” Harrison said. “Most scholarships also require you to have a GPA of at least 2.0”

Almost all of the scholarships require at least 6 to 12 hours of credit earned at OCCC.

Humanities major Noah Elkins spoke about his experience receiving the Alvin Druckhammer Scholarship. “I work part time at a bank,” Elkins said, “Most of the fees fell on me, and the scholarship really helped in paying those off, along with the books.”

Elkins also shared some advice for future applicants. “Don’t start looking for scholarships too late,” Elkins said, “I want to go through my college career without any debt, and so far I’ve done that with these scholarships.”

Pre-education and Spanish major Janelle Lawson said the Gammel Family Scholarship helped her cope with tough financial times.

“We accrued a lot of debt just trying to stay afloat,” said Lawson. “It helped with tuition, it helped with books, it helped with financial survival.”

Lawson also wants students to take every opportunity to receive financial help.

“Don’t be afraid to try,” Lawson said, “It’s your story. It’s your needs.”

Harrison said the number of scholarships speaks to the community’s care for students.

“We believe in the students that go to school here. We want to see every student succeed in getting a college education,” said Harrison.

Students can apply for scholarships from the OCCC Foundation website at occc.academicworks.com.

To find more information on the OCCC Foundation and what it offers, contact Jennifer Harrison directly at 682-1611 ext. 7771, or email her at jharrison@occc.edu.

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Scholarships available

Application deadline Feb. 26

[one_half last=”no”]Tom Kraft Occupational

• Therapy Assistant (OTA) Scholarship – $2504
• Connie Nieser Memorial Scholarship- $1600
• Safari McDoulett Memorial Scholarship- $1000
• President Jerry Steward Investiture Scholarship- $1000
• Engineers for Tomorrow Endowed Scholarship- $1000
• Jimmy Acquaye Memorial Scholarship- $1000
• Alejandro Rendon Sanchez Memorial Scholarship- $750
• INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy Assistant Scholarship – $650
• Bartlett Memorial Scholarship – $500, Students must have declared major in the Division of Business
• Cindy Williams Endowed Nursing Scholarship- Amount Varies
• Cody Watkins Memorial Scholarship – $500
• Derek Calhoun Nursing Scholarship – $500[/one_half]

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• Harvey Conner EMS Professional Scholarship- Amount Varies
• Jack Cain Memorial Scholarship – $500, Students must have completed or be currently enrolled
• in Math 2104, and must be a returning student in Summer or Fall 2016.
• Kayla Fessler Business Scholarship – $500
• Kenneth R. Nance Memorial Scholarship- $500
• OCCC Association of Alumni and Friends Scholarship- $500
• Robert P. Todd Leadership Scholarship- $500
• The Dr. Marion Paden Endowed Distinguished Leadership Award – $500
• Sechrist Family Endowed Scholarship – $300
• Mary Nell Scruggs Holton Scholarship- Amount Varies
• Nursing Home Workers Scholarship-Amount Varies

More scholarships available
occc.academicworks.com

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