The students will be on the Craig and Rangely campuses exploring a variety of degrees including arts and sciences, cosmetology, pre-nursing, and pre-dental hygiene.
CNCC received $150,000 in a program grant aimed at supporting Colorado students—especially those from low-income and/or under-represented backgrounds—on the path to and through college and into a career.
CNCC was one of the institutions awarded the COSI program grant and scholarship program because of the community college’s proven student success initiatives. These students will participate in group learning activities that build personal, academic and workforce skills.
Robyn Wilson, director of advising at CNCC, explained, “The additional support built into this scholarship provides a structure where students are part of a team that meets regularly and peers support each other.
I commend the governor and the Colorado General Assembly for recognizing the value in student success activities as an important part of a scholarship program. I am also grateful to the CNCC Foundation for supporting this matching scholarship fund.”
The COSI program includes building personal learning techniques, frequent advising meetings, weekly tutoring and study halls, a mentoring program and an internship that prepares the students for their chosen career field.
The Colorado General Assembly last year designated $3.4 million to the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) as a seed investment to create a network of student support and scholarship programs throughout the state.
This historic state investment aims to address workforce readiness, the degree attainment gap and affordability issues that put a college degree out of reach for too many Coloradans.
“The goal is to increase post-secondary education while better preparing Colorado students to earn a livable wage, graduate with less debt and positively contribute to the growth of our state’s economy,” said Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, who is overseeing the Initiative. “We believe by partnering with philanthropists, business leaders and community groups we can bolster Colorado’s talent pipeline.”
The COSI scholarship is a matching grant separate from the program grant. This year, the CNCC Foundation raised new funds to be able to support the eight students at a level of about $48,000. This is an ongoing scholarship and donations are needed to continue to grow this program.
If you would like to donate to the COSI scholarship initiative or have any questions, please contact Robyn Wilson at 970-675-3292 or email [email protected].
