By Sophi Sandlin
Student Reporter
Amarillo College is working to make higher education more accessible than ever by offering a diverse array of scholarships to support students from all backgrounds. Whether incoming freshmen or returning students, the need for financial aid support all throughout a student’s academic journey has become a main focus of the school.
The most commonly awarded scholarship, especially for those coming directly out of high school, is the THRIVE scholarship. The scholarship was created in partnership between Amarillo ISD, Amarillo College, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation and the Amarillo Area Foundation. This scholarship has a couple of requirements but is normally awarded to those who went to an AISD high school for an allotted amount of time and keep a minimum GPA of 80. Thrive covers tuition, fees and book expenses for up to 60 credit hours at Amarillo College for eligible students.
THRIVE is just the beginning. Due to the AC Foundation, which collects funds from local donors to distribute to a demographic of their choosing, Amarillo College offers a wide range of specialized and unique scholarship opportunities. “It’s important that they know we have a variety,” Kay Campbell, administrative assistant for scholarship support, said. “We have 640 plus scholarship awards and donations.”
Campbell, who is in charge of sending out the awarded scholarships to students, describes the AC foundation’s goal as working to break down the financial barrier for students who specifically want to go to AC. “We try to find the most deserving students,” Campbell said.
The wide range of donors supporting the AC Foundation allows for scholarship requirements and eligibility criteria to vary greatly, from highly specific to more general.
“They make the donations and I work with them to establish the instruments saying what the guidelines are,” Chief Operating Officer of the AC foundation, Tracy Doughtery, said. “They’re all different. Some are for nurses, some are for STEM majors and some are just general.”
Campbell added that the inclusivity of AC Foundation scholarships demonstrates how diverse funding sources create opportunities for a wide range of students. “It could be that they are looking for a single mother who is an English major over the age of 35,” Campbell said. “They’ll cover just about anyone.”
To Micheal Whitaker, a mass media major, the application process is becoming increasingly less difficult to navigate. He received a $1000 scholarship due to the Supplemental education opportunity grant. “I was reached out to and because I was a mass media major and no one else had applied,” Whitaker said. “All I had to do is tell them I wanted it.”
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