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EGCC grant will pay students’ tuition
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Despite what your grandmother told you, some things in life are free.
Graduating high school students in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average may get free tuition to Eastern Gateway Community College.
“This is the first year,” said Ann Koon, EGCC spokeswoman. “It’s brand new, and it is being introduced as part of our move to the Valley Center, the new location.”
Last week, college officials announced their move into the Plaza Place building at East Boardman and Champion streets this fall.
These are tough times for a lot of people in the Mahoning Valley, said William Mullane of Warren, vice chairman of the EGCC trustees.
“We’re hearing from a lot of guidance counselors from various schools that students are having a tough time coming up with the money to put toward college,” he said.
Many jobs are expected to soon become available in the Valley, particularly related to the shale industry, and those jobs require specific training or a two-year degree, he said.
Industry representatives have voiced concern about a lack of workers with the required training to fill those jobs, Mullane said.
It seemed like an opportune time for the college to begin the process to help those students and families, he said.
The Gateway Grant covers tuition only. Books, fees and supplies must be paid for by the student.
The grant covers tuition for four consecutive semesters for students who attend the college full time beginning with the fall semester after graduation.
“And there is no competition for it and no limit on how may people can get it,” Koon said.
To qualify, students must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid of FAFSA. If they meet eligibility for a Pell Grant, that takes priority.
For those who don’t qualify for the federal grant or if their federal grant amount doesn’t cover the full tuition, the Gateway Grant will pay for it.
The grant is patterned after Eastern Gateway’s Horizon Grant which has been available to Jefferson County students since 1995.
“Because so many of our students — 69 percent to 70 percent — qualify for some kind of financial aid, we’re looking at the same type of students in our expanded area,” Koon said.
Though many students planning to attend four-year universities solidify their college plans earlier in the year, a lot of students who attend community colleges do not, she said.
“Typically, a large bulk of our students do not enroll until July or August,” the spokeswoman said.
She encourages those interested in the grant, though, to apply sooner rather than later.
Information is available by contacting the Valley Center at 330-744-8967 or at www.egcc.edu/gatewaygrant.