索尔兹伯里,N.C. – Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is participating in the statewide Finish Line Grant program, helping to identify and assist students whose educational goals may be at risk because of financial emergencies.
The College is working alongside the Centralina Workforce Development Board to provide emergency funds for students who face unexpected life challenges that threaten to derail their program completion.
“We know that many of our students are juggling work, 家庭和学校, and life sometimes throws them a curve,”医生说。. 卡罗尔年代. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus. “When we can offer resources to help them clear a hurdle and continue their education, everyone wins – the student, the College and the community.”
Since Governor Roy Cooper first announced the program in the summer of 2018, Finish Line Grant initiatives have been launched at all 58 North Carolina community colleges in partnership with their local workforce development boards. The grants have helped more than 1,700 North Carolina community college students complete training and education to prepare them to enter the workforce, 超过1美元.1 million in assistance awarded.
伊娃·尼科尔森 knows firsthand the difference a Finish Line Grant can make. She balanced academic life at Rowan-Cabarrus with family and the demanding role of Student Government Association president, which required frequent travel among the College’s five campuses. With worn tires on her truck and medical bills that had mounted as she had battled and beaten cancer, she feared the time would soon come that she would be unable to pay her tuition and complete her degree.
A Finish Line Grant awarded her money to help with medical bills and also paid for new tires, alleviating enough financial burden that she was able to graduate in May 2019 with an Associate in 艺术 degree.
“我非常感激. The grant alleviated some of my stress and made it possible for me to stay on track,尼科尔森说, who is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree at a four-year university. “我工作很努力, and I would have been devastated if I hadn’t been able to make it through to graduation.”
Nicholson and fellow Rowan-Cabarrus student Charles White have helped spread the word by participating in Awake58 Fellows, a group of community college students, many of them Finish Line Grant recipients, who work to create awareness of the grant program. They encourage their peers to apply for grants and serve as resources for faculty, staff and others to ensure that as many students as possible can benefit.
To apply for a Finish Line Grant, a student must have a 2.0 or higher grade point average, have completed at least 50 percent of their program of study, and be a United States citizen. A student may be awarded up to $1,000 per semester to be used to pay for course materials, 住房, 医疗费用, child care and other emergencies.
The Finish Line Grant program is part of Governor Cooper’s N.C. 准备工作主动性, which focuses on education, workforce development and employment, 本地创新.
“We are pleased to be part of this program to keep students on the path to completion,斯伯丁说. “We have many talented, deserving students who are motivated to complete their education and enjoy rewarding careers, and we want every one of them to have that chance.”
To learn more about the Finish Line Grant program, please call 704-216- RCCC (7222) and ask to speak with a financial aid advisor.