COLUMBIANA CO. College program gets grant

The program has provided more than $45,000 in scholarships.
SALEM -- The Mahoning Valley College Access Program received a $30,000 grant from the Ohio College Access Network, a start-up grant that will enable the program to provide its free services to students and parents in Columbiana County.
MVCAP will operate a college resource center in space provided free by Kent State University Salem in its Academic Center. The MVCAP currently has free office space provided at KSU Trumbull and Youngstown State University.
Students and/or parents can phone the MVCAP at (330) 675-7606 or (330) 941-7477 to leave a message and schedule an appointment to discuss university admissions and financial aid in the College Resource Center at KSU Salem.
For the needy
In addition to assisting with the completion of college applications and the free application for federal aid, the MVCAP has provided more than $45,000 in scholarships to needy students during the past three years.
The MVCAP is a nonprofit, charitable organization launched in 2001 with a mission to increase the number of students in the Mahoning Valley who continue their education beyond high school.
Grant-funding and charitable contributions, now surpassing $450,000, make possible free advising and information on university admissions and financial aid, early-awareness of college books for elementary pupils, and "gap" scholarships to benefit students and parents in Trumbull, Mahoning and, now, Columbiana counties.
The president of the MVCAP board of directors is Al Brant, retired chairman and president of Second Bancorp Inc. Dave Heilman, retired president of Delphi Packard Electric, is vice president of the MVCAP board. Executive director of the MVCAP is Joe Rottenborn, formerly superintendent of Columbiana Exempted Village Schools.
Phone Joe Rottenborn at (330) 675-7606 for additional information on the MVCAP.