ECC to award four $3,000 scholarships to help low-income students realize education goals

Achieving the Dream Inc. and OneMain Financial today announced the selection of Elgin Community College as one of five community colleges selected for the OneMain Financial Completion Scholarship Program, a national effort to help low-income community college students get to the finish line and earn a certificate or degree.

"We are thrilled to be chosen as one of the colleges to receive scholarship money that will directly benefit our students in need," says ECC President David Sam, Ph.D., JD, LLM. "Many of our students face financial hardship and must work to pay for their education. The OneMain Financial Completion Scholarship Program will help alleviate that burden and will get them one step closer to reaching their goals."

By providing scholarships to students who are near completion, ECC will give these students an extra boost by reducing financial barriers that stand in the way of completion.

"Nearly 70 percent of community college students in our nation have to work while attending college and 33 percent work full-time while attending college. These students have to work because one in three community college students nationally have family incomes of less than $20,000 per year, putting them near or below the poverty line. So this scholarship program serves as a brilliant example of how corporate-community college partnerships can help students overcome financial obstacles to successful college completion," said Dr. William E. Trueheart, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. "Supplemental support of students is critical to successfully earning college credentials."

Community colleges are increasingly seeking strategies to improve completion rates, particularly for low-income students and students of color. Through this scholarship program, Elgin Community College, Achieving the Dream and OneMain Financial are working together to help ECC's students overcome financial barriers.

"At OneMain Financial, we recognize the need for more students to complete their education and secure jobs that will allow them to support a family," said Mary McDowell, OneMain Financial president and CEO. "We are excited about the OneMain Financial Completion Scholarships, which will be offered to students who are nearing graduation but are facing potential delays due to financial burdens."

In fall 2015, ECC will administer and disburse the first round of scholarship funds.

The following are the five community colleges selected for the OneMain Financial Completion Scholarship. Each of these institutions will receive four $3,000 scholarships: Atlanta Technical College Foundation - Atlanta, Georgia; Central Piedmont Community College - Charlotte, N.C.; Community College of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Penn.; El Centro College - Dallas, Texas; and Elgin Community College.