Students set to graduate from Gavilan College this year received
almost $70,000 in scholarships from the college Educational
Foundation and the Office of Financial Aid.
Students set to graduate from Gavilan College this year received almost $70,000 in scholarships from the college Educational Foundation and the Office of Financial Aid.
More than 100 different scholarships were celebrated recently during an awards ceremony at the college. Twelve new scholarships were awarded this year, contributed by donors including the Gavilan College Educational Foundation, Gavilan College employee groups and Goldsmith Seeds/Gilroy Rotary. Two awards have been funded in honor of retiring Vice Presidents John Baker and Martin Johnson.
Laura Hain received the largest single award: a $20,000 scholarship, given over two years, for the Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Program at UC Santa Cruz
Another sizable award of $3,000 went to Monique Prado, from CSU Monterey Bay, which she will attend this fall.
Two students, Candida Padilla and Amanda Reyes-Cerny, received a California Chafee grant, given to foster youth and former foster youth.
As a demonstration of commitment to and belief in students, Gavilan administers a scholarship program which recognizes and rewards individual merit, leadership and potential. Although a California Community College education remains one of the most affordable in the nation, many students struggle to pay for tuition, fees, books and living expenses while they are going to school. Gavilan students have access to three forms of financial assistance to help them pay for college: loans, need-based grants, and scholarships.
Scholarships are an important component of the financial aid mix, and can make the difference in whether or not a student can complete his or her studies, said Audren Morris, director of financial aid. Scholarships can increase student success by allowing them to concentrate on their studies by working fewer hours.
Unlike loans, scholarships do not increase a student’s debt load after college. Aside from the financial help, scholarships let students know that the community cares about them and values what they are trying to achieve. Each scholarship has different criteria, usually determined by the donor.
