TELLURIDE, Colo. – (August 22, 2017) – The process of applying to colleges, completing financial aid paperwork, and paying for tuition is daunting for any student, however, for students who are first generation in their family to go to college, these tasks can be even more challenging. A new program at Telluride Foundation will help first generation to college students who have a dream of going to college, overcome these challenges and obstacles.
Telluride Foundation is working with philanthropists Arnie Chavkin and Laura Chang to develop the Chang-Chavkin First Generation Scholars Program. This new program will provide resources and financial support to low-income first generation high school students, helping them pursue and complete a college education. “While there are many programs focusing on low-income first generation students in urban areas, very few programs focus on rural students,” said Chavkin. “Given the opportunity, we are confident that many of our local first generation students, who have the desire to further their education after high school, can access quality college educations, and we plan to help them do that.”
The Scholars Program will provide resources to students, parents in five regional school districts (Norwood, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, and the West End) in three ways: 1) working with high school guidance counselors to provide targeted support to students and their families; 2) awarding college scholarships; and 3) providing “wrap-around” support while the students are in college to help ensure their graduation. The Foundation expects to award 4 to 5 scholarships in 2018, which will help cover each student’s college expenses over four years.
In order to implement the goals of the Scholars Program, the Telluride Foundation is hiring a “Student Advocate,” who will be a full-time employee at the Foundation. The Student Advocate will augment college counseling resources in each of the five school districts to ensure first-generation families have access to the help they need to work through the college and financial aid application processes. The Student Advocate will also provide support to students while they are in college to help ensure they have the support and resources they need to be able to stay in school and graduate in four years.
A full description of the Chang-Chavkin Scholars Program and the Student Advocate job description is located on the Telluride Foundation website or at https://goo.gl/7f8vXJ for the Program description and at https://goo.gl/Y17jhD for the job description.
The Telluride Foundation is committed to create a stronger Telluride community through the promotion and support of philanthropy. It is a nonprofit, apolitical community foundation that provides year-round support for local organizations involved in arts, education, athletics, charitable causes, land conservation and other community-based efforts through technical assistance, education and grant making. As a grant maker, The Foundation awards grants to qualified applicants that serve the people living and working in the Telluride area for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life within the region. For more information on the Telluride Foundation, visit www.telluridefoundation.org.
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