ECMC Awards $144,000 in College Scholarships to 24 Students in Virginia

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Jul 06, 2022, 08:00 ET

Students from Six High Schools Complete ECMC Scholars Program

RICHMOND, Va., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) is proud to recognize 24 high school graduates from the class of 2022 as ECMC Scholars. The students each earned a $6,000 scholarship and represent the following high schools: Buckingham County High School, Eastside High School, Freedom High School, King and Queen Central High School, Ridgeview High School and Westmoreland High School (formerly Washington & Lee High School).

For the past two years, these students participated in a comprehensive mentoring program designed to help build academic and life skills. Unlike a traditional academic scholarship, students were selected to participate based on their potential—not solely on their academic merit. Working in collaboration with school staff and the ECMC Scholars Program team, students spent their junior and senior years of high school actively preparing for postsecondary education.

"The ECMC Scholars class of 2022 has shown great resilience in returning to in-person instruction. They serve as role models for other students who may have felt a bit hopeless about college planning but now they see that education beyond high school is still a viable option," said Jan Smith, ECMC Scholars Program manager.

The scholarship funds can be used for enrollment in a degree or certificate program at an accredited college, university or career and technical education institution. In addition, each class of 2022 scholarship recipient has been given the opportunity to receive personalized near-peer college coaching services provided by Beyond 12. This service provides academic, social and emotional support students need to persist in postsecondary education.

"The ECMC Scholars Program is designed to help students with financial need reach their educational goals. Many students will be the first in their family to attend a postsecondary institution," said Paula Craw, vice president of student success and outreach for ECMC. "Now more than ever, it is important to provide students with a holistic approach to helping them get to and through postsecondary education."

Since 2005, ECMC has awarded $9.1 million to 1,524 ECMC Scholars students in Virginia alone. Over the past 16 years, ECMC has awarded $20.2 million in scholarships to 3,355 students in Virginia, Oregon and Connecticut.

About ECMC

ECMC is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to help students succeed. ECMC works to lower student loan default rates; sponsors college access and success initiatives, and financial literacy programs; and provides resources to support student loan borrowers to successfully repay their loans. To learn more about ECMC's initiatives, visit www.ecmc.org/students.

SOURCE ECMC