ECMC Awards $504,000 in College Scholarships to 84 Students in Oregon

Students from Eight High Schools Complete ECMC Scholars Program

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Aug 27, 2019, 09:25 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) is proud to recognize the 84 high school graduates from the class of 2019 who completed the ECMC Scholars Program. The students come from eight high schools in Oregon and earned $6,000 each in scholarships.

For the past two years, these students have participated in a rigorous, two-year mentoring program designed to help them build academic and life skills. Unlike a traditional academic scholarship, these students were selected to participate in the program based on their potential—not solely on their academic merit or test scores. Working in partnership with their school and the ECMC Scholars team, they spent their junior and senior years actively preparing for college.

"The road to postsecondary education can be a real struggle for families, both financially and as they navigate through the college-going process," said Paula Craw, ECMC vice president of student success and outreach. "ECMC created the ECMC Scholars Program with this in mind. With the right knowledge, tools and support, ECMC can help make the dream of postsecondary education a reality for students who may not otherwise attend due to these barriers."

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. Students who earned the scholarships are planning to attend a variety of colleges in the fall, including Blue Mountain Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Oregon State University and Portland State University.

"This is truly an amazing group of students," said Sabrina Berg, ECMC Scholars Program manager. "They have worked so hard over the past two years to prepare themselves for higher education. I am proud of all they have accomplished, and I am excited to see them succeed in postsecondary education and in life."

Since 2008, ECMC has awarded $5.5 million to 921 ECMC Scholars students in Oregon alone. Over the past 13 years, ECMC has awarded $17.7 million in scholarships to 2,953 students in Virginia, Oregon and Connecticut. ECMC has committed to supporting an additional 387 students through the class of 2021 with the potential to award up to $2.3 million.

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