HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Hopkinsville Community College President Alissa Young, along with Vice President of Student Affairs, Angel Prescott shared updates on their rotary scholarship program at the Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting on Nov. 12.
The Rotary Scholars Program allows students who graduate from Christian County high schools to attend HCC tuition free for two years to obtain their associates degree.
Prescott shared that one of the changes this fall is that students will no longer be required to take an orientation college course during their senior year of high school. Instead, students in the program will take an orientation class during their first semester at HCC. “That change was made so when those students come to us, we can offer the class more tailored to our resources and allow them to become more familiar with HCC,” said Prescott.
For the current 2024 class, about 127 students are receiving aid from Rotary. Prescott also shares that Rotary’s impact extends far beyond the financial aspect. “Students feel strong support, they have more interest in finding other resources like mentoring programs, and workshops,” she said.
HCC is seeing a high number of students pursuing an associate of science degree including STEM programs and pre nursing. “Last year we saw 28% in technical programs and this year that is at 38%, again this is on trend with where our college is at,” said Prescott.
Lastly, Prescott shared that around 60% of students return to campus after their first year. “We are very excited about the success of these students,” she said. She says that some students don’t return for many reasons including four-year transfers, lost eligibility due to failed courses, and simply not returning to school.
Hopkinsville Community College and Rotarians share they are excited to continue to improve their programs and continue to focus on the future of their students.
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