Central Community College, Nebraska Wesleyan offering new scholarship

COLUMBUS - On Wednesday, representatives of Central Community College and Nebraska Wesleyan signed an updated version of the Pathways Scholarship Program.

It already provides either a $15,000 scholarship or a reduced tuition rate, depending on what program students enroll in at Wesleyan.

But with the new agreement, now it also offers a $17,000 scholarship to students who are Phi Theta Kappa academic honorary members at CCC.

“By having these types of pathways for students, they can start with us and then very successfully complete a four-year degree and then come back to our communities to work,” CCC President Dr. Matt Gotschall said.

Gotschall said additional financial support helps students complete their degrees without getting further into student debt.

Nebraska Wesleyan President Dr. Darrin Good said it helps encourage CCC students to go to its institution to finish their education.

“We see more and more students who, for various reasons, who feel the best option for them is to begin at a community college," Good said.  "We want to make sure that they feel they’re welcome to come to Wesleyan to finish a four-year degree.”

Good said around 300 CCC students have transferred to Wesleyan over the past four years and that he'd like to see that number go up.

"This last year, we had 68 transfer students," Good said.  "We would love to see that number up to 100 or more.”

CCC said this is also a good way to keep the talent in the area.

“Having students in central Nebraska that start in central Nebraska are more apt to come here after they’ve graduated to continue on with their professions or to continue on working and making their life here in central Nebraska,” Gotschall said.