Great Plains College has continued to invest in young minds by recently providing $114,000 in Entrance Scholarships to 99 students. 

The fall scholarship receptions, which took place in October, included the distribution of $105,000 to 89 students located at the Swift Current campus while $9,000 was awarded to 10 students at the Kindersley and Warman campuses. 

Included in the distributions was the first presentation of the Great Plains College new International Students Awards, where five students were awarded $2,000 each, at the Swift Current and Warman campuses. 

Donor Services Coordinator at Great Plains College, Bryce Martin, acknowledged in a press release last week, that not all students can afford to pay for post-secondary education. 

“Making the choice to continue your education is a big decision and we understand many students weigh the cost of the program heavily before deciding to take that step,” he stated. “Receiving financial support through the form of a scholarship creates new possibilities, removes barriers and ultimately offers a pathway to education that may not have otherwise been possible.” 

Another new addition this year was the establishment of the Ukrainian Student Emergency Relief Bursary. This will act to provide emergency funding aid to Ukrainian students that are facing risks with their education due to unexpected financial challenges during the war in Ukraine. The Bursary will allow for a total of $21,000 to be distributed to 42 students throughout the month of November. 

Additional scholarships and awards will be handed out throughout the academic year as well, such as the Adult Basic Education Persistence Awards, the Living Sky Casino Indigenous Adult Basic Education Persistence Awards and the SREDA Indigenous Economic Development Scholarship. 

Great Plains College is host to one of the most competitive scholarship programs among regional colleges in Saskatchewan, distributing more than $2 million dollars to full-time students since 2009.