CCCS News
Community College Foundations Awarded $3.9 Million through State Scholarship Initiative
CCCS and 13 Member Colleges Receive Funding for Scholarships and Student Supports
May 7, 2024 (Denver, CO) – The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and its thirteen member colleges have received almost $3.9 million from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), a state program that works to reduce barriers to higher education and workforce training.
The Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges received nearly $600,000 through COSI’s Matching Student Scholarship program, which will provide funding to all 13 CCCS colleges as matching challenge incentives for scholarships. In addition, the Foundation received $70,000 through the Career Launch program that furnishes scholarships for students pursuing in-demand credentials.
“We are grateful to receive these generous grants from COSI to continue powering our scholarship program,” said J. Adam Cermak, Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges. “These funds will allow us to keep college in reach for hundreds of community colleges students while moving the needle on credential completion.”
Several colleges earned Community Partner Program Grants, which aim to improve enrollment and retention in public postsecondary institutions. CCCS colleges will collaborate with local high schools to boost college-going rates through 2026.
“The funding from this grant is crucial to the success of our students, as it provides critical wraparound services such as coaching and advising,” said Donna Nelson, the Chief Development Officer for the Pikes Peak State College Foundation. “We know that providing scholarships for tuition is only one part of the solution to increase the number of higher education graduates in the Pikes Peak region. The CPP Grants help to close the gaps even more.”
Read the full list of grantees below:
| County-Based Awards | |
|---|---|
| Grantee | Amount |
| Arapahoe Community College Foundation on behalf of Arapahoe County | $771,656 |
| Front Range Community College on behalf of Larimer County | $210,559 |
| Lamar Community College Foundation on behalf of Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Prowers Counties | $38,648 |
| Morgan Community College Foundation on behalf of Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Washington, and Yuma Counties | $87,503 |
| Northeastern Junior College Foundation on behalf of Logan, Phillips, and Sedgwick Counties | $32,812 |
| Otero Junior College Foundation on behalf of Crowley and Otero Counties | $36,928 |
| Pikes Peak State College on behalf of Teller County | $9,154 |
| Red Rocks Community College Foundation on behalf of Jefferson County | $392,662 |
| Institutions of Higher Education Awards | |
| Grantee | Amount |
| Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges | $590,467 |
| Community Partner Program Grants – Postsecondary | |
| Grantee | Amount |
| Community College of Aurora | $150,000 |
| Front Range Community College | $200,000 |
| Lamar Community College Foundation | 80,000 |
| Morgan Community College Foundation | $80,000 |
| Northeastern Junior College | $80,000 |
| Pikes Peak Community College Foundation | $342,000 |
| Pueblo Community College | $200,000 |
| Red Rocks Community College Foundation | $150,000 |
| Community Partner Program Grants – Pre-Collegiate | |
| Grantee | Amount |
| Lamar Community College Foundation | $100,000 |
| Morgan Community College Foundation | $100,000 |
| Northeastern Junior College | $100,000 |
| Career Launch Grants | |
| Grantee | Amount |
| Arapahoe Community College Foundation | $75,000 |
| Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges | $70,000 |
| Northeastern Junior College Foundation | $30,000 |
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About the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges
Founded in 1987, the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges advances the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of the Colorado Community College System. Specifically, the Foundation actively seeks contributions from public and private sources to make scholarships available statewide, advance key programmatic initiatives, provide training and support for CCCS college foundations, and develop partnerships to implement state of the art programs that meet the workforce needs of the 21st century.
About CCCS
The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the state’s largest system of higher education and workforce development, delivering thousands of programs to over 125,000 students annually through 13 colleges and 35 locations across Colorado. The System’s open-access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to high quality, affordable higher education opportunities. The System Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the colleges under the direction of the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). Join us in changing the way Colorado goes to college www.cccs.edu.