More students will be able to afford post-secondary education thanks to an anonymous donor.
Red Deer College has launched a student bursary fundraising campaign.
The generous donor has committed a $500,000 donation to match gifts that are made to the new RDC Student Bursary Fund. Any community donations that are made will be matched by these donor funds, doubling the impact of each gift.
“The impact of COVID-19 on our community has been tremendous… we have experienced decreases in both new student enrolment and in registrations for continuing students,” says RDC president, Peter Nunoda.
Some students are pausing, or delaying, their post-secondary education. But it’s a priority for the donor and for the college that students are not deterred from pursuing their educational path by financial constraints.
“By creating the matching program, we hope that other community members who wish to support post-secondary students will be inspired by the potential to double their impact on new and continuing RDC students,” says Nunoda.
The bursary created by the matching campaign will be available to new and returning students in credit programs, beginning this fall. Application for these awards is open now at rdc.ab.ca/studentbursary.
When the matching campaign has fully funded the RDC Student Bursary Fund, it will provide financial support for more than 1,300 students. Full- and part-time students, can receive up to $1,500 and $750, per year on a first come basis.
“We’re grateful for the support of all of our donors, internal and external, small and large, and especially to this anonymous donor (who) will provide immediate and broad support for our students,” says Nunoda.
“It has been a challenging year for many in our community, but we continue to come together in large and small ways to support one another.”
More information about the initiative, including the link to an online donation page, can be found at rdc.ab.ca/giving. Students enrolling in courses for 2021/2022 can also apply for a variety of other scholarships and awards now through May 31.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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