MCC reinstates 78 students to the Promise scholarship program

After reviewing hundreds of applications to McHenry County College's Promise scholarship program that were initially denied, the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation - with assistance from the college's financial aid office - has reinstated 78 students into the program for this fall.

Officials said a number of students complained that they were dropped from the program because they had missed financial aid deadlines. The discrepancy affected about 180 students.

But miscommunication between the college and financial aid agencies caused almost half of those students to be mistakenly dropped, officials said.

Although state and federal agencies may have received the documents on time, officials said MCC was not alerted until after deadlines had passed.

"Much of the financial aid process is out of the MCC Financial Aid Office's control, " said Christina Haggerty, a spokeswoman for MCC. "Because of this, there can be confusion in the process."

With the 78 additional students, there are now 253 students who remain in the Promise program this fall.

Launched in the fall of 2009, the Promise program provided tuition for 900 new students. To keep the scholarship in the next semester, students must meet criteria including maintaining a specific grade-point average, completing 16 volunteer hours each semester, maintaining full-time status and completing all necessary financial aid paperwork. The program is funded by private donations from businesses and individuals in the McHenry County area. There is $1.1 million remaining. The foundation has thus far spent $1.3 million on the scholarships.