Names of Note: Largest-ever donation to community colleges includes MJC and Columbia
Modesto Junior College and Columbia College are among the 34 schools sharing the largest ever donation to a community college system.
The Jay Pritzker Foudation pledged $100 million over 20 years for scholarships and emergency student aid at these campuses. They are among 114 community colleges in California.
The money will go to the new Finish Line Scholars Program, for students needing extra help to complete their studies or transfer to four-year schools. Each college will get up to $150,000 per year.
The Houston-based foundation is named for the late co-founder of the Hyatt hotel chain.
“This will be a much-needed boost to many of our students,” said Chancellor Henry Yong of the Yosemite Community College District in a news release. “For some, this could the difference between being a successful completer or a dropout.”
The district takes in MJC’s two campuses and Columbia in Tuolumne County.
System-wide Chancellor Eloy Oakley announced the gift at a Tuesday, Oct. 20, news conference that included the Foundation for California Community Colleges.
“As the value of a college degree is expected to rise even further in the post-COVID world, this grant is going to help our students in the years to come,” Columbia President Santanu Bandyopadhyay said.
Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to jholland@modbee.com.
