CSN seeks hundreds of mentors for Promise Scholarship program

The deadline is closing in on College of Southern Nevada officials as they work to recruit mentors for the state's new Promise Scholarship program.

Maria Marinch, executive director of Inclusive Learning and Engagement at CSN, said the college ideally would like to recruit 1,500 people to mentor the more than 9,000 high school seniors who applied.

But they're a long way from that number, and the deadline of Dec. 31 as spelled out in the new legislation is nine days away.

"We're hoping we can pull together, cross the line and get the mentors we need for these students," Marinch said.

Meeting with an assigned mentor is just one requirement students must meet to be eligible for the last-dollar scholarship program, which covers student fees at a community college after other aid sources, such as the federal Pell grant, have been exhausted.

According to Marinch, 811 people have signed up to be mentors, and of that number, 350 have completed the required 20-minute online training.

"The needle is moving every day," Marinch said, adding that the overall time commitment for a mentor will be between two to five hours in the spring.

Student applicants have to complete their own online training, which provides an introduction to the program and CSN, to remain eligible. If all 9,386 students complete the training by the end of the year, college officials will need to identify at least 950 mentors to keep the ratio of students to mentors at 10 to 1, as required by law.

The Nevada Legislature this year approved $3.5 million for the pilot program, which is modeled after the Tennessee Promise Program.

Nate Mackinnon, vice chancellor for community colleges for the Nevada System of Higher Education, said mentors don't have to know the ins and outs of the college admissions process, or be associated with CSN, they just need to be a responsible adult, he said.

"We're overwhelmed by the incredibly positive turnout from students and we're trying to get the same equally overwhelming response from busy adults willing to be mentors, who may not know they can give back in this way," he said.

While not ideal, Mackinnon said the college will continue recruitment efforts in January if the needed mentors are not secured.

"We believe the legislation and the spirit of the legislation is to promote student success," he said. "We view our ability to get mentors as essential to that. We're working as hard as we can, and we'll continue to do so."

He said speed bumps like this are not uncommon for new programs such as the Promise scholarship.

"I think the college has done yeoman's work to get people to apply," he said. "It's really hard. It's the first year of the programs. We spent months educating high school seniors, guidance counselors and parents about the program so they could apply, and once they applied, we had to spend time educating everyone else."

K.C. Brekken, executive director of the CSN Foundation, said organizations across the valley have provided several mentors, including Dignity Health, with 35, and Nevada Energy, which has recruited more than 50.

"We have mentors who serve in hospitality, mentors who are teachers, police officers, retirees, nurses and CEOs of major corporations," Brekken said. "This community has embraced our Promise students. It's incredible."

Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.

Promise Mentor qualifications

The state law that created the Promise Program requires potential mentors to undergo a criminal background check. A person convicted of a felony cannot serve as a mentor.

Mentors must be 21 years old.

Mentors may not employ the person being mentored.

Mentors may not be related by consanguinity or affinity within the third degree to the students being mentored.

Mentors may not be compensated for their service.

To apply, visit www.csn.edu/mentor-application.

Source: College of Southern Nevada

Source: CSN seeks hundreds of mentors for Promise Scholarship program

Collegiate Riders Can Apply For Scholarships & Awards

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The deadlines for the 2018 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) student competitor scholarships were announced by the Intercollegiate Equestrian Foundation (IEF). Founded in 1984 by Joan Johnson and George Lukemire, the IEF has awarded nearly one quarter of $1 million in scholarships to date.

IHSA student riders in need of tuition funds are urged to apply. Coaches are also encouraged to nominate their students for scholarships and awards. There is a range of scholarships and awards with various qualifications. Information and application forms may be found at IHSAinc.com.

The Intercollegiate Equestrian Foundation (IEF) Scholarship is open to IHSA undergraduate members and non-members. An application can be found on the IHSA website. Scholarship winners will be announced at the 2018 National Championship Horse Show in May and scholarship awards will be mailed to the recipient following the announcement. IHSA member and non-member applicants must submit completed applications with all required materials by Feb. 23.

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In 2017, 17 applicants were awarded IEF scholarships. Unless noted below, for more information contact Lisa Bailey at 203-337-6477 or IEFapplication@gmail.com. The deadline is by Feb. 23 to be postmarked no later than Feb. 22.

The Jack Fritz Memorial Award is a national scholarship named in honor of the legendary horseman and scholar Jack Fritz who co-founded the IHSA while a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University with then-student, Robert Cacchione. Fritz played a key role in nearly every aspect of the equestrian world from founding organizations to governing and officiating. The Chronicle of the Horse listed him as one of the top 50 most influential people in this century.

Fritz was an integral part of the United States Equestrian Team for nearly three decades, serving as a member of the USET board of directors since the early 1960's and an officer since 1974. Fritz helped create the three-discipline North American Young Riders Championships (now the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships).

Fritz was a technical delegate for dressage and eventing for 25 years and dressage judge for over 20. He was a founder of numerous equestrian organizations including the United States Combined Training Association (now the United States Eventing Association), whose foundation he chaired in 1959, the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) whose foundation he chaired in 1973.

A sustaining member of the United States Pony Club (USPC) since 1955, he was elected president of USPC in 1981 and served as its chairman from 1988-1990. Fritz was honored with the US Equestrian Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, Horseman of the Year in 1968 by the New Jersey Professional Horseman's Association and again in 1969 by the New Jersey Horse Council. In 1978, he won the prestigious Wofford Trophy, awarded annually by the USCTA (now USEA) to a non-riding member who has done the most to further the sport of eventing. He was inducted into the USEA's Hall of Fame in 1999. Fritz was a published author of books on horse sports.

The Emily Jane Hilscher Memorial Award was created in memory of Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman studying veterinary science, who was among the victims of the rampage at Virginia Tech in 2007. From Woodville, Virginia she was a horsewoman, animal lover, enthusiastic cook and imaginative artisan. Hilscher was described as wise beyond her years and insisted on fairness in everything. She had a passion for horses, and in the fall of 2006, she began what, for her, was to be an eight-year journey at Virginia Tech that would have culminated in her becoming an equine veterinarian and then working in an equine practice. She was a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and successfully competed in her first show at Virginia Intermont College on Feb. 12, 2007. She was scheduled to compete in her second show on April 21. The sponsorship is open to students in Zone 4, Region 5.

The Bob Anthony Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of Bob Anthony, a legendary horseman and NRHA Hall of Fame inductee. Anthony was a competitor, trainer, and judge who won six NRHA World Championships. Coaches should nominate a rider from their team. The student must be a full-time undergraduate IHSA member in good standing, compete in Open Reining throughout the year and demonstrate financial need.

Submit nominations to Megan D. Taylor, megandtaylor310@gmail.com. Nominations and required materials must be submitted by email to Megan Taylor by Feb. 22.

Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship The IEF invites coaches to nominate a rider from their team in honor of the late Jon Conyers. The nominee must be a freshman or sophomore in his or her first year competing in Walk-Trot, Beginning Horsemanship, Walk-Trot-Canter or Intermediate Horsemanship; be a full-time IHSA undergraduate member in good standing; display a passion for horses, strive for excellence and demonstrate financial need. The winner is selected by the Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship Committee. The recipient's name will be announced at the 2018 IHSA National Championship Show.

Conyers competed as an undergraduate IHSA rider, instructed and coached for numerous college programs; served as a member of the IHSA board of directors for many years in a variety of capacities, including as a regional president, zone chairperson, director of alumni, director-at-large and National Horse Show manager. Deadline:

Nominations by email to Megan Taylor by Feb. 21. megandtaylor310@gmail.com

Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge is sponsored by EQUUS. It is a free online test covering non-discipline-specific, general horsemanship topics and is open to all IHSA undergraduate members. The timed test consists of 50 questions from the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Study Guide.

The test will be available online for two weeks only, from Monday, Feb. 19, at 6 a.m. through Monday, March 5, at 6 p.m. It will be accessible on the IHSA website, by logging onto your personal IHSA membership account. Click on the Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge link and follow the instructions. Scores will be emailed at the conclusion of the test. The test may only be taken once.

The participants with the top-two scores from each Zone are invited to compete in a practicum phase at the 2018 IHSA Nationals in Harrisburg, Pa. The top-10 scorers win scholarships. All participants that complete the test receive a digital subscription to EQUUS magazine.

Teresa L. McDonald taught at Virginia Tech and was an active IHSA board member for many years. McDonald was a founder of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association. She was known for her sense of diplomacy and nicknamed "Madeline Albright."

IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Awards recognize seniors who have earned a 3.5 GPA or higher. To be considered, the applicant must have been on an intercollegiate riding team for three full years, if they attended a four-year college or university, and two full years if they attended a two-year institution. Recipients of this award will be named in the 2018 IHSA National Horse Show program and receive a certificate of recognition for their achievement.

For questions regarding the Senior Awards, contact CJ Law at cjlaw@mtholyoke.edu. Materials and transcripts must be mailed and postmarked on or before March 30.

IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Essay Award has the same requirements as the Senior Athletic Achievement Award and in addition, the applicant must submit a 500-word essay about how the intercollegiate experience and academic achievement have prepared them for a future career. The applicant is required to agree in writing to allow their essay to be published.

For questions regarding the Senior Awards, contact CJ Law at cjlaw@mtholyoke.edu. Materials and transcripts must be mailed and postmarked on or before March 30.

The IHSA National All-Academic Award recognizes academic achievement for an IHSA undergraduate or alumni member based on their fall 2017 semester grades. The student must have competed in at least one IHSA horse show during the academic year. A certificate of recognition is awarded for a GPA of 3.8 or higher (First Team) or 3.5 or higher (Second Team), and each recipient's name and institution are published in the National Horse Show program. Coaches are responsible for filling out and submitting the All-Academic scholarship form. Contact Cricket Morris with any questions at csmorris@averett.edu. The All-Academic reporting form is found on IHSAinc.com and must be postmarked no later than March 16.

For more information about scholarships go to IHSAinc.com or contact media@IHSAinc.com

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Source: Collegiate Riders Can Apply For Scholarships & Awards

SEEKING SCHOLARSHIPS? SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION HAS AWARDS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, GRAD STUDENTS AND ADULT RE-ENTRY STUDENTS

 

East County News Service

December 19, 2017 (San Diego) -- If you're seeking a college education, here's some good news for you.

The San Diego Foundation wants students to know that hundreds of scholarships are available for San Diego students to pursue their dreams of higher education.

Using one online application, students can access more than 100 types of scholarships for the 2018- 2019 academic year, with awards generally ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 dollars.

Awards are granted to four-year universities, two-year colleges, graduate, or trade/vocational schools.

The Common Scholarship Application is available online now, until February 1, 2018 at 2:00pm (PST).

The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program is the largest in the region outside of the university system.  It provides a variety of scholarships to high school students, current college students, graduate students and adult re-entry students.

Since 1997, the program has awarded more than 28.7 million dollars to thousands of students.

The Common Scholarship Application can be accessed at  SDfoundation.org/ScholarshipApplication.

For more information about the scholarship process, you can contact scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Source: SEEKING SCHOLARSHIPS? SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION HAS AWARDS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, GRAD STUDENTS AND ADULT RE-ENTRY STUDENTS

IVCC scholarship application deadline Feb. 8

Current Illinois Valley Community College students, high school seniors and any individuals planning to enroll at the college in the fall have until Thursday, Feb. 8, to apply for more than 160 IVCC Foundation scholarships.

The application is available at ivcc.edu/foundation, from the Foundation office in Room C202 or from IVCC's Ottawa Center at 321 W. Main St. Applicants must also file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid online by Feb. 8.

Scholarships are available in specific disciplines ranging from agriculture to health care to science, technology, engineering and math fields. In addition, there are nearly 40 "open scholarships" available to students in any program.

Foundation administrative assistant Donna Swiskoski said, "We encourage students to get started on their application and essay early. Our team of readers scores on content and formatting and sometimes there's a close margin between a winning and nonwinning essay. Following the guidelines, proofreading and seeking help from the IVCC Writing Center increases the chance of a higher score."

Awards range in value from $500 to $2,000 and more. For information, call Swiskoski at 815-224-0551.

Source: IVCC scholarship application deadline Feb. 8

Scholarships can help adults finish college

The University of Maine System's Adult Degree Completion Scholarship is among many of the services and offerings available through Maine's public universities to help the approximately 200,000 stranded adult Maine learners who have invested time and money into a college education without earning their degrees. The program provides up to $4,000 annually to help adults with demonstrated financial need resume their course work and earn a career-advancing college degree at any of Maine's public universities.

Funds are still available for the spring of 2018. Scholarship aid combined with expanded credit transfer among Maine's universities and community colleges as well as prior learning credit for work experience and military service could make the path to a college degree surprisingly fast and affordable.

Interested adults are encouraged to visit maine.edu/future-students/adult-students/ for application materials and additional eligibility information. Prospective adult learners can also call 1-800-868-7000 to get started by connecting with college navigators who are specially trained in helping adult learners find a path to a degree, including online course options, that accommodates the professional and family obligations of busy working adults.

Any Maine resident who has earned at least 30 college credits toward a first baccalaureate degree and been away from class for at least three years could be eligible for financial support to resume course work through any of Maine's public universities.

The Adult Degree Completion Scholarship, which does not need to be paid back, is awarded based on financial need and course load. Up to $4,000 in aid is available annually.

"I know it's scary, but take it in small steps," advises Amy Smith, a UMaine college navigator who returned to college herself at the age of 36. "Make the call, send the email, or stop in — one action has the potential to change your life, as it did mine."

Industries and communities in Maine, the nation's oldest state, face critical workforce challenges that must be overcome as the next wave of Maine workers approaches retirement. Maine's public universities are a leading partner in the effort to prepare the 158,000 credentialed workers needed to sustain the workforce and the state's economy through the end of the next decade. Learn more by visiting MaineSpark.

Since its launch in the fall of 2014, Maine Adult Degree Completion Scholarships has awarded over $1.5 million in scholarship aid, helping 418 adult learners get back on track toward a degree. The scholarship has helped fund 1,136 semesters of college completion work with an average award of $1,321 per semester.

Aid has been awarded to recipients from 179 Maine communities with online programs and community-based University Centers eliminating proximity-to-a-college-campus as a barrier to earning a degree. To date 66 Maine adults have achieved their goal of earning a college degree with the help of Maine's Adult Degree Completion Scholarship.

"Far too many Mainers have invested time and money into an education but had to stop short of their goal of graduating with a college degree. Fortunately, it is never too late to finish that degree," said James H. Page, chancellor of the University of Maine System.

"Adult learners account for one-third of our students at Maine's public universities, where we make it a priority to provide lifelong, affordable access to public higher education as part of our work to build a stronger Maine workforce."

Source: Scholarships can help adults finish college

Police academy graduate gets scholarship

A $4,000 scholarship was presented to Chase Taylor, middle, of Donora, who graduated with the first full-time IUP Police Acadamy class held at California University of Pennsylvania. The scholarship, created at the suggestion of former County Commissioner J. Bracken Burns, seeks to promote diversity in community policing. The money used for the scholarship is that obtained by forfeiture funds. The scholarship was presented by, from left, Burns; Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone; California University President Geraldine M. Jones; and Dr. Michael Hummel, director of the police academy program at California University.

Source: Police academy graduate gets scholarship

IU: No decisions yet on Smiley atrium, scholarships following allegations

Indiana University has not decided whether it will remove the name of a prominent alumnus and talk show host accused of sexual misconduct from an atrium in one of its campus buildings or a scholarship fund for the recruitment of black students.

PBS indefinitely suspended distribution of the "Tavis Smiley" show Wednesday night after learning of "troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley." The Public Broadcasting Service contracted with a law firm that uncovered multiple, credible allegations, according to PBS. Smiley has denied the allegations.

Smiley is a graduate of IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He helped establish the $50,000 Tavis Smiley Scholarship Fund, which has a preference for those who are the first in their family to attend college, according to an IU news release from 2016. The atrium in the SPEA building along 10th Street is named after him. It's unclear whether the university will change the name of the scholarship fund or the atrium.

"We're aware of the allegations, but no decisions about anything like that have been made," said Chuck Carney, IU spokesman, on Thursday.

Source: IU: No decisions yet on Smiley atrium, scholarships following allegations