(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Pikes Peak State College announced an anonymous donor has given a significant gift to establish a fund to help students pay for higher education in the vocational field.
According to PPSC, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous donated $843,750 to establish the Spark Fund. The Spark Fund will help students pursuing education in any vocational field in the Pikes Peak Region.
The fund provides scholarships to students seeking skills in:
- Boat building
- Construction skills
- AutoCAD or other drafting tools
- Automotive repair
- Heavy equipment operating skills
- Computer skills,
- Nursing skills.
The fund can also be used for the college to purchase equipment needed to use for vocational instruction.
For a student to qualify they must live in El Paso County, be a high school graduate or equivalent, maintain a 2.0 G.P.A, enroll in a minimum of six credit hours per semester, be committed to completion of a degree or certificate, and complete an essay explaining what the scholarship would mean to them.
Scholarships will be awarded up to the amount of $2,500 per year and are renewable for up to an additional year if students continue to meet the criteria.
“We at Pikes Peak State College Foundation are very honored to have been selected for such a generous gift,” said PPSC Chief Development Officer Donna Nelson. “Though the donor wishes to remain anonymous, this gift will make a huge difference in the lives of our students today, tomorrow, and in perpetuity.”
A portion of the funds will be used to create an endowment that will allow for the money to be used in perpetuity.
“A gift of this magnitude is very exciting for the college because it allows us to provide financial support and needed equipment to students pursuing degrees that allow them to work with their hands.” Said PPSC Foundation Board Chair Jordan Ayers.
