Oprah Grant

Nashville State Community College Foundation Receives Its Largest Private Grant from The Oprah Winfrey Foundation

(Nashville, Tenn., January 11, 2005) - Nashville State Community College Foundation (NSCC Foundation) announced today that The Oprah Winfrey Foundation donated $140,000 to provide need-based scholarships to part-time students at NSCC. Many of these individuals would be unable to attend college without financial support. The grant is the largest private donation ever made to the NSCC Foundation. The scholarships will be available to qualified students beginning Fall Semester 2005.

The primary purpose of The Oprah Winfrey Foundation grant is to provide part-time students who have a financial need the opportunity to take classes at NSCC free of charge. Tuition at NSCC is the lowest in the state at $93 per semester hour. The majority of the courses are three credit hours; therefore, a typical course would cost a paying student at NSCC $279, excluding textbooks and a $5 application fee. Some courses offered are five credit hours, which would also be covered by the grant. Tuition at the college is half of that at a public, four-year state school in Tennessee and more than one-third less than most private colleges in Tennessee. Nonetheless, approximately 35% percent of NSCC students depend upon financial assistance to attend college.

Executive Director of NSCC Foundation Jill Johnson said, “Of the 7021 students currently enrolled at the college, approximately two-thirds attend part-time. These scholarships can make a difference for part-time students.” According to officials at NSCC, for Fall Semester 2004, an estimated 400 students were dropped from the NSCC registration system at the payment deadline. College officials believe that the majority of these students could not attend because they could not pay the part-time fees.

Oprah Grant

According to Johnson, NSCC students are not your typical traditional college students. “The average student age is approximately 29 years old. Most of our students are balancing jobs and school at the same time, many with families to take care of. They are taking these classes to better themselves, and it is the NSCC Foundation’s responsibility to financially support qualified students.”

Johnson also said that many of these students are part-time because they are also working, but the fact that they are working puts them above the income level to qualify for federal financial aid. Furthermore, “because the lottery scholarships were designed primarily for traditional students, less than three percent of NSCC’s 7000 students received any lottery monies. We needed a way to support this type of student, and The Oprah Winfrey Foundation grant has provided us this opportunity,” said Johnson.

The majority of NSCC students are from Nashville and stay in Nashville after graduation, providing the local economy with a steady stream of qualified employees. Nationally, state college tuition has increased 52.5 percent since 1999. At the same time, state funding is decreasing and enrollments increasing. NSCC is no exception. The college has seen a steady increase in degree-seeking students since 1998. Nationwide community colleges enroll approximately 48 percent of all first generation college students, making their presence critical to the advancement of education in the United States.

Applications for these part-time scholarships are available through the NSCC Financial Aid office. To obtain a web application, please visit www.nscc.edu.

Individuals and companies interested in supporting the NSCC Foundation can purchase tickets or sponsorships to the Nashville State Community College Foundation’s Second Annual "Sweethearts for Scholarships" Silent Auction/Dinner Fundraiser scheduled for 6 p.m. on February 4, 2005, at the Stadium Club at Vanderbilt. Individual tickets may be purchased for $100 and table sponsorships are available for parties of 10 for $1000. Event sponsorship packages are also available. All monies raised from the event will be used to provide scholarships to deserving students. For more information about this event or for general information about the NSCC Foundation, please contact the NSCC Development Office at 353-3743 or visit the NSCC website at www.nscc.edu/foundation.

[Return to Foundation Homepage]



		Nashville State Community College Foundation Receives Its Largest Private Grant from The Oprah Winfrey Foundation (Nashville, Tenn., January 11, 2005) - Nashville State Community College Foundation (NSCC Foundation) announced today that The Oprah Winfrey Foundation donated $140,000 to provide need-based scholarships to part-time students at NSCC. Many of these individuals would be unable to attend college without financial support. The grant is the largest private donation ever made to the NSCC Foundation. The scholarships will be available to qualified students beginning Fall Semester 2005. The primary purpose of The Oprah Winfrey Foundation grant is to provide part-time students who have a financial need the opportunity to take classes at NSCC free of charge. Tuition at NSCC is the lowest in the state at $93 per semester hour. The majority of the courses are three credit hours; therefore, a typical course would cost a paying student at NSCC $279, excluding textbooks and a $5 application fee. Some courses offered are five credit hours, which would also be covered by the grant. Tuition at the college is half of that at a public, four-year state school in Tennessee and more than one-third less than most private colleges in Tennessee. Nonetheless, approximately 35% percent of NSCC students depend upon financial assistance to attend college. Executive Director of NSCC Foundation Jill Johnson said, “Of the 7021 students currently enrolled at the college, approximately two-thirds attend part-time. These scholarships can make a difference for part-time students.” According to officials at NSCC, for Fall Semester 2004, an estimated 400 students were dropped from the NSCC registration system at the payment deadline. College officials believe that the majority of these students could not attend because they could not pay the part-time fees. Oprah Grant According to Johnson, NSCC students are not your typical traditional college students. “The average student age is approximately 29 years old. Most of our students are balancing jobs and school at the same time, many with families to take care of. They are taking these classes to better themselves, and it is the NSCC Foundation’s responsibility to financially support qualified students.” Johnson also said that many of these students are part-time because they are also working, but the fact that they are working puts them above the income level to qualify for federal financial aid. Furthermore, “because the lottery scholarships were designed primarily for traditional students, less than three percent of NSCC’s 7000 students received any lottery monies. We needed a way to support this type of student, and The Oprah Winfrey Foundation grant has provided us this opportunity,” said Johnson. The majority of NSCC students are from Nashville and stay in Nashville after graduation, providing the local economy with a steady stream of qualified employees. Nationally, state college tuition has increased 52.5 percent since 1999. At the same time, state funding is decreasing and enrollments increasing. NSCC is no exception. The college has seen a steady increase in degree-seeking students since 1998. Nationwide community colleges enroll approximately 48 percent of all first generation college students, making their presence critical to the advancement of education in the United States. Applications for these part-time scholarships are available through the NSCC Financial Aid office. To obtain a web application, please visit www.nscc.edu. Individuals and companies interested in supporting the NSCC Foundation can purchase tickets or sponsorships to the Nashville State Community College Foundation’s Second Annual "Sweethearts for Scholarships" Silent Auction/Dinner Fundraiser scheduled for 6 p.m. on February 4, 2005, at the Stadium Club at Vanderbilt. Individual tickets may be purchased for $100 and table sponsorships are available for parties of 10 for $1000. Event sponsorship packages are also available. All monies raised from the event will be used to provide scholarships to deserving students. For more information about this event or for general information about the NSCC Foundation, please contact the NSCC Development Office at 353-3743 or visit the NSCC website at www.nscc.edu/foundation. [Return to Foundation Homepage]