The West Georgia Technical College Foundation awarded 66 students with nearly $37,000 in scholarships for the 2019 fall semester, according to a news release from the college.

The foundation also guaranteed $90,000 in tuition for the summer semester and $75,000 in tuition for the fall semester through its gap funding program.

The gap funding program was established by the foundation in spring 2018 to help the college retain more students. The program allows students to fund their education at WGTC. Students are expected to repay the amount awarded to them. The college says this act establishes a culture of responsibility and creating sustainability for future students in need of funding, according to the news release.

Since its inception in 2018, the gap funding program has retained 587 students at WGTC.

“The WGTC Foundation is so humbled to be an investor in the educational journey of many students here at WGTC,” Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Kelsey Jones said in a news release. “We are doubly fortunate to have very engaged partners in education who contribute each year to our scholarship and gap funding programs, making these life-changing stories possible.”

Victoria Christie, a scholarship recipient, thanked the foundation in a written note, according to the news release.

“By awarding me this scholarship, you have helped to significantly lighten my financial burden, allowing me to lessen the workload I have had to take on in an effort to pay for books and other education-related expenses,” Christie’s note said, according to the news release. “Your generosity has inspired me to continue looking toward the positive and to give back to the community and others who may be struggling.”

Scholarships are offered each semester to students in a variety of programs and locations at WGTC.

For more information about scholarship opportunities available, visit www.westgatech.edu/foundation-scholarship.

To learn more about establishing or contributing to a scholarship fund or how to get involved with gap funding, contact Kelsey Jones at kelsey.jones@westgatech.edu.

West Georgia Technical College has campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties.