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Salt Lake Community College student Aye immigrated to Utah with his family from a refugee camp in Thailand in 2016. He didn't want to pursue education after high school and worked a full-time job to pass the time.
Eventually, Aye changed his mind and decided to attend SLCC in fall 2021 with the help of a generous scholarship. Today, he is getting ready to graduate with an associate's degree and has plans to transfer to the University of Utah to study entrepreneurship. "With the scholarship, I was able to start college, and I've been able to focus on my education and community service," he said.
Aye's experience is representative of many SLCC students. Even with the college's low tuition and fees, many students still face difficulties meeting the financial demands of higher education. In response, SLCC has developed several easy-to-access scholarship programs that support all its students.
Sometimes thought to be available only to students who excel academically, scholarships are a widely attainable way to save on the cost of higher education. As the most diverse college in the state and the primary workforce and technical education provider in Salt Lake County, SLCC recognizes that its students come from nearly every background and situation imaginable and as such provides scholarship offerings that are as diverse as its students.
We have scholarships available to nearly every type of student who attends SLCC. We work with donors to create scholarships that meet the needs of our students and keep college financially accessible.
–Nancy Michalko, SLCC executive director of development
Students looking for scholarships at SLCC can take advantage of a streamlined process where only one form is needed to apply for all the college's available private scholarships. SLCC also offers private scholarships to hardworking local, out-of-state, international and undocumented students.
"We have scholarships available to nearly every type of student who attends SLCC," said Nancy Michalko, executive director of development at SLCC. "We work with donors to create scholarships that meet the needs of our students and keep college financially accessible."
SLCC's scholarships are funded primarily through individual donors and through annual events such as Giving Day, which is taking place today. The goal is to raise $500,000 for scholarships and student support programs like childcare. A donor can also choose to direct their gift toward the college's Bruin Student Emergency Fund for SLCC students facing financial crises.
Another component of Giving Day is that individual donations might be matched by local businesses and organizations. At select times, partner organizations have offered Giving Day "challenge gifts," where they will match each donation up to a pre-set amount. This deepens the impact of individual gifts and increases the overall funding raised for students.
In addition to offering private scholarships, SLCC offers a Promise Scholarship program. SLCC Promise is designed to cover tuition and fees when federal grants fall short and is available to all qualifying students taking nine credit hours or more.
If you've been thinking about college, reach out to SLCC today. The school advisors can help you find a program that aligns with your goals and its financial aid office can direct you toward grants and scholarships to cover the cost. SLCC also has flexible scheduling, 10 locations throughout Salt Lake County and thousands of online classes, making it easy to fit college into your current life.
