Thousands in scholarships available for students through AC Foundation by Joni Maxwell The Ranger Reporter

About $399,000 in scholarships is available through the Amarillo College Foundation for awards based on academics and financial need.

"The awards depend upon the criteria of the scholarship," said Betty Howell, executive director of the foundation. Considerations usually are academic performance, need and service to the college, but they can vary depending on donor standards, Howell said. Departmental rewards also are available.

Jason Fields, an AC graduate with an associate degree in mathematics, receives $2,500 per year from the Computer Science Engineering Math Scholarship.

"It was truly a godsend, because I could take a large number of hours and only worry about the work associated with it, not the cost," Fields said. Specialized scholarships exist for students in the Honor Society, Student Government Association and the Adult Students Program.

Financial aid from awards may pay for tuition, books or, in Laure Connolley's case, it provides her with more ability to attend clinicals. As a radiation therapy major, she must travel to Lubbock every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to train at a cancer treatment facility.

"The more I go to school, the more I have to cut back my work hours, so it becomes harder and harder to pay upcoming school expenses," Connolley said. She received $1,000 combined from scholarships and the Amarillo Area Challenge.

"Applying is a simple process that 10 minutes of your time could be worth $300 to $500," Howell said.

General applications can be obtained in the Student Service Center. "Any student with a 2.0 or higher GPA should submit one," Howell said. Students must send a high school or college transcript on their application along with a short essay on why they are deserving of assistance.

Since last year, the college has seen a 60 percent increase in applicants. There was not a relationship between enrollment and availability of financial aid. "Growth has been steady for 10 years," said Brad Johnson, director of enrollment management.

The money is allocated between March 1 and July 1, with every student evaluated beforehand. "Ordinarily, a scholarship committee reviews eligible applicants and using a points system to choose the most appropriate students," Johnson said, "We try to be equitable to all students."

If a recipient declines an award, it is pooled by the foundation committee and is distributed to the next most deserving person.

"Most of our scholarships are endowed funds, which means we award the investment returns based on the market value," Howell said.

"The total endowment for this year was a little over $10 million, but only a percentage can be given away. A portion of about $2 million is part of a federal endowment fund."

"Scholarships are only available because someone gave to the college, and we as a college are very grateful," Johnson said.

Predominately individual community members, AC staff, regents and businesses have been donating since the establishment of the foundation in 1962.