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妻友社区 program to benefit first-generation students
A new scholarship at 妻友社区 (GGC) will help first-generation college students reduce the cost of their education. Generally, first generation students are defined as those whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree.
Made possible by a $250,000 pledge to the from (Peach State), the initiative, called The Peach State Federal Credit Union First-generation Scholars Program, will provide scholarships funded by an endowment. The endowment will allow this scholarship to live in perpetuity.
Once fully funded, The Peach State Federal Credit Union First-generation Scholars Program will provide a $2,500 scholarship to an incoming freshman. The scholarship can be renewed annually for four years, totaling $10,000.
鈥淭his will be a very significant program for our students,鈥 said GGC President Jann L. Joseph. 鈥淚n many cases, scholarships are the difference between students who drop out of school and those who move on to graduate.鈥
Joseph said that she鈥檚 thankful for the continuing support from Peach State, who have invested in GGC through academic scholarships, student engagement and participation in GGC鈥檚 .
Peach State President/CEO Marshall Boutwell currently serves on the Board of Visitors in the college鈥檚 School of Business. Boutwell believes it is important that all students have the opportunity to better their lives and achieve their goals, and education is the key to that success.
鈥淲e were founded more than 60 years ago by educators. Staying true to those roots is very important to us as a credit union and something that we strive to support through the work of the . We鈥檙e thrilled this endowment will create scholarships for first-generation students. It is our hope that this support will help them achieve their goals, and positively impact their lives and the lives of their families,鈥 said Boutwell.
More than 35% of GGC students are the first in their families to attend college. Data from the shows that one in three undergraduates 鈥 or nearly five million students 鈥 identify themselves as first-generation students. In Georgia, nearly of college students are the first in their families to attend college.