The AC Foundation, with endowed assets of approximately $40 million, administers close to 700 general and program-specific scholarships, for which all qualified AC students may apply.
Students with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher who expect to enroll in at least six credit hours per semester – those are the baseline requirements – are eligible to apply for general scholarships at AC for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Some program-specific scholarships have more rigorous criteria, but the application process and the timeline are the same for all AC scholarships.
The AC Foundation exists solely to administer gifts and grants that support the people, programs and students of Amarillo College, says Tracy Dougherty, co-executive director of the AC Foundation.
“Everyone who attends AC and meets the application criteria is not only welcome to apply for scholarships, but we encourage them to do so,” Dougherty said.
“While we accept applications until Oct. 15, preference is given to those who apply early. We established a priority deadline of March 1 to motivate students to apply early because it increases their chances of getting an award.”
The AC Foundation, with the help of academic departments and scholarship committees, reviews about 2,000 scholarship applications each calendar year. Approximately one-third of applicants receive awards, Dougherty said, most in the neighborhood of $750 or $800 per year, though many are greater than that.
Awards, which are largely based on financial need, often are weighted by academic achievement, as well, Dougherty said.
The AC Foundation provides assistance to students who need help filling out the online application or even completing the required 200-word essay – an element that helps committee members distinguish between applicants – and anyone is free to stop by the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The AC Foundation office is on the second floor of the College Union Building on the Washington Street Campus and can be contacted at (806) 371-5107.