Almost $40,000 in scholarships available to veterans as of 2021

S.E.E.4VETS, a veterans advocacy group based in Scottsdale, has created the S.E.E.4VETS Veteran Legacy Endowment with the Yavapai College Foundation. According to Jane Hersh, the Community College’s Director of Veterans Education and Transition Services, “Our partnership with S.E.E.4VETS has blossomed over the years and their support has grown to nearly $40,000 in scholarships to veterans at Yavapai College as of 2021.”

S.E.E.4VETS (an acronym for “Support Education and Employment for Vets,”) is an eight-year-old non-profit dedicated to helping veterans complete their education and find success in civilian life. Directed mostly by retired military members, S.E.E.4VETS works through community colleges in the Western United States to find transitioning military members that other programs might miss.

“We were looking for this niche where the veterans community was not being well-served. That’s where we thought we could help.” Lt. Gen (Retired) USAF Vern “Rusty” Findley, S.E.E.4VETS Board Vice Chair, explained. “We looked at the major universities and their [veterans] programs were pretty solid. But we did find some holes at the community college level. That’s where we zeroed in.”

Since  2012 the program has awarded more than $1 million in scholarship aid to 153  students

Yavapai Community College has announced that twelve nursing and radiology students have received Community Healthcare scholarships.  The program for students in these areas was established in 2012.  Since that time, more than $1 million in scholarships have been awarded to 153 students. This is on average about $6,500 per student.

According to the Community College press release, these scholarships are intended  to ensure aspiring nurses and “rad techs” are able to make good on their intentions and put their skills to work in the community.

Funds for the scholarships come from  the Community College Foundation, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Prescott, Yavapai Regional Medical Center – Dignity Health, Margaret T. Morris Foundation, the Harold James Family Trust, Prescott Radiology and Fain Signature Group.

Congratulations to the students who received the scholarships. They are: 

Elizabeth Adame of Prescott (nursing)

 Cassandra Bailey of Cottonwood (nursing)

Sarah Chidgey of Prescott (nursing)

William Cooper of  Chino Valley (nursing)

Cheyene Gabbard of Prescott Valley (nursing)

Hailey Hanson of Prescott (nursing)

Sandra Hauptman of Prescott Valley (nursing)

Guadalupe Ocampo of Paulden (nursing)

Megan Palmer of Camp Verde (nursing)

Nicole Welker of Prescott  (nursing)

  Rachael Guidetti of Prescott (radiology)

 Kara Yazzie of Prescott Valley (radiology)

Source:  Yavapai Community College press release of 30 August 2021 by JJ McCormack.

Must meet criteria of Return-to-Work-Bonus program to be eligible for a scholarship

On May 13, 2021, Governor Doug Ducey and DES announced Back To Work programs to help individuals transition from unemployment to a new job, and ensure those currently receiving unemployment have support available to help them in this critical step forward. With this new program, Arizona will stop taking the federal government’s supplemental pandemic unemployment benefit effective Saturday, July 10. Arizona will also provide support for unemployed individuals seeking to upskill their careers with adult education programs as well as additional child care opportunities:

Return-to-Work Bonuses

Arizona will set aside $300 million of federal resources to offer a one-time bonus of $2,000 to certain eligible individuals who return to the workforce and get a full-time job, while those who return part-time will receive $1,000. The bonus will be awarded when the individual has stopped filing for unemployment benefits and completed at least 10 weeks of work with an employer, and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

In order to qualify for the bonus, an individual must have already filed for unemployment benefits. Arizonans filing for unemployment benefits after May 13 will not be eligible for Return-to-Work bonuses. The individual must also make $25 per hour or less, equivalent to a yearly salary of $52,000, at their new job and must begin working by Labor Day — Monday, September 6. Qualifying individuals may accept a job with an employer immediately to qualify for the bonus. 

Education Incentives

The State will also provide $7.5 million for community college continuing education scholarships for currently unemployed workers who are eligible for the Return-to-Work bonuses — as well as $6 million for GED test preparation and exam fees for eligible workers without a high school diploma.

Initiative funded by CARES and CRRSAA federal grant money to support students in need due to COVID-19

COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEWS RELEASE: Prescott AZ (April 17, 2021) – Yavapai College has announced that it will be offering students who are registered for credit classes ‘One Class Free’ for the fall 2021 semester. 

The ‘One Class Free’ initiative is funded by CARES and CRRSAA federal grant money to support students in need due to COVID-19. 

Any student registered for a credit class is eligible to receive up to three credits worth of tuition for free, at the standard tuition rate, with a maximum of $285 received per student. 

Eligible students include: 

• New students taking credit classes 
• Continuing students taking credit classes 
• Personal interest students taking credit classes 
• High school students taking credit classes   

To apply for the grant money, students must complete this quick survey located at www.yc.edu/CARES. 

Yavapai College recently announced that it would move to the green phase of its COVID-19 re-entry plan, beginning on June 1. The move to the green phase will bring back more in-person classes and services. 

Registration for the summer semester is now open for all degree-seeking students, and classes begin on June 7. 

Registration for the fall semester opens on Monday, April 19, for all degree-seeking students, and classes begin on August 16. 

Visit www.yc.edu or call (928) 717-7777 to connect with an Admission Advisor and get started today. 

Categories : Yavapai College

Intended for student in an automotive career field

The Sedona Car Club is providing  a $2,500 scholarship to Yavapai Community College through its Foundation for a student interested in pursuing an automotive career.  The scholarship is available for students just enrolling in the College or students  that are already there.

To apply for the scholarship, students must complete the scholarship application and   Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The Community College should be contacted regarding further questions about applying for assistance.

College suggests it may be in violation of Title 9 and female soccer team may  correct a male/female inequity; 5-year plan in the works to use Foundation to support all athletic scholarships; lowering out-state tuition for athletes will allow wider national recruiting by coaches

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board had a far-ranging discussion about student athletic scholarships at its October meeting.  The discussion was a part of the overall consideration of the tuition and scholarship proposal brought to it for approval by the Community College Administration.

It was revealed by Vice President Rodney Jenkins that the College may be operating in violation Title 9, a federal statute that says that Yavapai Community College is  legally required to provide girls and boys with equitable sports opportunities.

 When addressing the Governing Board, Vice President Rodney Jenkins explained that “we are adding women’s soccer and it’s a Title 9 add.  Fifty-eight percent of our underrepresented students are female.  Forty-two are men. We are at 62 percent of our athletes being men.  We have to bring that fifty-eight percent in line within three percentage points and adding a sport is probably the only way to do it . . ..”

He also said that the plan is to have 85 percent of those students on the [female] soccer team come from Yavapai County.

The reduction in out-state tuition for student athletes will allow Yavapai Coaches to recruit nationally rather than in the 6 state area.   At present the out-state tuition rate puts them at a recruiting disadvantage.

The College also made it clear that it is working on a five-year plan to remove all athletic scholarships from the College’s General Fund budget and rely on the Community College Foundation to raise that money.

An edited version of the long discussion is contained in the twelve minute video below.  You may view the entire discussion by going to the Governing Board Community College web site or by clicking here. 

Money going  to help students stay in college;  schools have up to one year to spend the federal CARES funds

In a story in the May 22 Arizona Republic written by Rachel Leingang, Arizona State University announced  that it will not send checks to students affected by the coronavirus pandemic during the spring semester. It has decided to defer  its spending of nearly $32 million the federal government gave the school and spend it over the coming year.  The money came from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES).

ASU President Michael Crow told the reporter that  the university will instead use the money going forward to help students stay in college. He also told the reporter that he can do this because the  school has up to one year to spend the CARES funds.

The decision by ASU is in  contrast with other large universities in Arizona, all of which have already paid out some CARES Act funding to their spring students.  It is also in contrast with Yavapai Community College, which has already distributed several thousands of dollars in CARES funds to student.

ASU  was allotted the largest amount of money of any college in the country at $63.5 million. Of that, $31.8 million must be spent on emergency financial aid grants to students.

You may read all of the story by Rachel Leingang on web by clicking here. Or going here. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2020/05/22/arizona-state-university-wait-spend-cares-act-money-students/5241176002/.