Announcing The Pathway Scholarship Fund
Howard Community College's mission is to provide pathways to success, but for too many students, financial barriers may stand in the way of that success. Earlier this month, before a crowd of college faculty, staff and officials, County Executive Ken Ulman announced a new college assistance program to help remove these barriers. In a presentation to a packed room in the Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall, County Executive Ulman detailed The Pathway Scholarship Fund, which calls for $2.5 million in new county funding that would go to the Howard Community College Educational Foundation for student scholarships, with $500,000 set aside to encourage matching grants from donors.
County Executive Ulman said he was creating the program to ensure that all students seeking an HCC education – from high school seniors accumulating credits to adults and veterans seeking targeted career training – faced no obstacles as they gained skills to enter the workforce and lead productive lives. “Education is the foundation of our community and our economy, and it is why Howard County and Maryland have an exceptional quality of life,” County Executive Ulman said. “We know where the barriers are. They are in cost. They are in time. We can remove those barriers, and we will.”
Joining County Executive Ulman to announce the fund was President Kate Hetherington, along with other college and county officials. “Our mission at Howard Community College is providing pathways to success,” said Dr. Hetherington. “The Pathway Scholarship Program is an exciting and innovative initiative that will reach Howard County residents at any step along their educational pathway, providing them with the support necessary to earn a college degree and achieve success."
The Pathway Scholarship Fund is the first investment of its size in the state of Maryland, and will more than double the college's funding for institutional aid grants. To view photos from the announcement, visit the college's Flickr set.