NW-SCC President Colagross speaks at Congressional Briefing

MUSCLE SHOALS & PHIL CAMPBELL– Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC) President, Dr. Glenda Colagross, was chosen to speak at a United States Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C., last Tuesday, April 10, on the impact of instituting summer Pell Grants.

The briefing was hosted by United States Senators, Thad Cochran of Mississippi (former Chairperson of United States Senate Committee on Appropriations) and Richard Shelby of Alabama (current Chairperson of United States Senate Committee on Appropriations). Colagross was one of three college and university representatives (one from Mississippi and one from North Carolina) due to her involvement with the Community College Fellows Program which is sponsored by the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University and The University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center.

Colagross spoke regarding the importance of funding year-round Pell Grants in colleges nationwide and NW-SCC specifically. Approximately 53% of all NW-SCC students are able to attend college due to receiving the Pell Grant.

“I was honored to be selected to represent and be the voice of colleges and universities in the State of Alabama,” said Colagross. “We feel like this will have major impact on students across the country. I believe it will help our students at Northwest-Shoals finish their programs of study and enter the workforce at a faster rate.”

The University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center performed a study of Pell Grants across the 16 states in the Southern Regional Education Board. The results of the study were presented prior to Colagross addressing the group.

The implementation of year-round Pell grants for the 2017-2018 award year was issued June 19, 2017. It allows an eligible student to receive up to 150 percent of the student’s Federal Pell Grant Scheduled Award for an award year beginning with the 2017-2018 award year.

All NW-SCC students are encouraged to contact the NW-SCC Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility status for the 2017-2018 Summer Pell Grant. You can email financialaid@nwscc.edu or stop by the Financial Aid Office on either campus for assistance. NW-SCC summer registration began yesterday (4/16).