Centralia College Foundation Awards Record Number of Scholarships

The Centralia College Foundation had another record-setting year, raising more than $651,000 during its 2016-17 fundraising campaign that ended June 30.

More than $523,000 in scholarships will be formally awarded to 319 Centralia College students in September, according to a press release.

The scholarship night will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 in Corbet Theatre on the college campus.

The scholarship amount increased from last year, which was also a record-setting year, according to the college.

Several new scholarships will be awarded this year. Those include specialized scholarships for students planning to enter bachelor’s degree programs, scholarships for veterans, and the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Matching Scholarship, which supports Chamber members and their employees who take business-related classes. 

Aside from student scholarships, donations to the foundation also support educational program expenses, special pursuits such as Capstone projects, and faculty and staff awards, which include exceptional faculty, Hanke faculty achievement and Hanke staff mini-grants. 

“We are thrilled at the level of participation we receive from the community for students at Centralia College,” Foundation President Christine Fossett said in the release. “The amount of support we receive reflects the importance of education right here in Lewis County.” 

Fossett is also the publisher of The Chronicle.

The Centralia College Foundation hopes to keep its momentum going well into the future, according to the release. With a recognized growing need for scholarships, the board has set a goal of increasing foundation assets to $25 million by 2025, which will align with the college’s 100th birthday.

Fossett said the Foundation donors are able to direct 100 percent of their donation to the area of their choice.

For more information on how to donate, contact the Foundation office at 360-623-8942 or email foundation@centralia.edu.