Oct 01, 2020

HACC Foundation Supports Students with Scholarships, Tuition Giveaways and Grants

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The HACC Foundation, a nonprofit educational trust established in 1985 to raise private and corporate revenues in support of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, announces funds for current and future students. These initiatives support the College’s mission of learning for all; learning for life.
 
HACC Foundation Offers More Than $2.6 Million in Scholarships
The HACC Foundation offered $2,698,466 in credit scholarships to HACC students for the spring 2021 semester.
 
Many scholarship opportunities are available to current and future HACC students enrolled in a variety of programs. The HACC Foundation also offers scholarships to students in noncredit programs.
 
Scholarships – which do not have to be repaid – are vital for many HACC students who want to avoid debt while earning their credentials. Following are testimonials from HACC scholarship recipients:
 
“Scholarships represent one of the only viable options for the modern student to move forward and get ahead in the short term without being held back by crippling debt in the long term.” – Derek Eberly, HACC Alumnus
 
“As a student with a large financial burden, I struggled with whether or not I could afford to get my degree. It’s frustrating when you want to earn a degree to make a better living but can’t afford to get the degree. HACC has a large number of assistance programs and scholarships available to students that make that burden a lot less scary!”
– Alison, HACC Student
 
“I was a single mom when I first started attending HACC…HACC was helpful in finding scholarships and securing Financial Aid for me so that I could attend full time and still be a Mom to my daughter.” – Catherine Snavely, HACC Alumna
 
The next scholarship cycle will open in February 2021. To learn more, please visit hacc.edu/Scholarships. 
 
Students Get a Hand Up from the HACC Foundation
The HACC Foundation offered $313,000 in tuition giveaways to HACC students to make it easier for them to enroll in summer and fall 2020 classes.
 
Tuition giveaways provide students free money for their tuition and fees. The HACC Foundation dramatically increased the number of tuition giveaways available to current and future students in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and additional financial burdens placed on HACC students.
 
From March through August 2020, the following tuition giveaway opportunities were offered:
 
Recipients Budgeted Amount
Healthcare scholarship applicants impacted by the pandemic $118,000
Future HACC students $80,000
Healthcare scholarship applicants impacted by the pandemic $50,000
Current HACC students $50,000
Future HACC students $40,000
International students $30,000
Students returning to HACC after an absence $20,000
Healthcare scholarship applicants $3,000
Students enrolled in HACC’s Paramedic Program $2,000
HACC Honors Program students $1,000

Linnie Carter, Ph.D., APR, HACC vice president of college advancement and executive director of the HACC Foundation, said, “HACC students are the most resilient scholars I have ever met. The pandemic knocked many of them off of their feet – figuratively. To help our students regain their footing, the HACC Foundation offered them a hand up. This much-needed financial assistance will allow our students to complete their studies at HACC and become financially independent and productive citizens.”
 
For more about how HACC and the HACC Foundation have adapted to meet the needs of students during the pandemic, please see this video.
 
HACC Awards Launch Your Future Grants for New Students
HACC recently awarded brand-new Launch Your Future Grants to first-time students who may have missed out on scholarship opportunities.
 
The Launch Your Future (LYF) Grant was awarded in 2019 as a need-based grant funded by the HACC Foundation. It is designed to help new students who are just starting at HACC. Selected students were awarded the LYF Grant based on information submitted on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
 
Recipients of the LYF Grant for the 2020-21 academic year received $750 for the fall semester and $750 for the spring semester, for a total award of $1,500.
 
Carter said, “This grant is near and dear to my heart. The recipients were not eligible for federal Pell grants. However, we know that these students have limited financial resources and need help with their HACC expenses. Therefore, the HACC Foundation was honored to fill the gap in this way.”
 
About the HACC Foundation
The HACC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established in 1985 to raise private and corporate revenues in support of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. The HACC Foundation provides funding for student scholarships, innovative academic programs, state-of-the art training equipment and modernized facilities. To learn more about the HACC Foundation, please visit haccfoundation.org. To contribute to the HACC Foundation, please visit hacc.edu/GiveNow. 
 
About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the first and largest of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges. HACC offers approximately 100 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 17,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on Twitter (@HACC_info), follow us on Instagram (@HACC_edu), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews.