TCC announces scholarships for displaced ITT Tech students

Students whose education was disrupted by the closure of ITT Technical Institute on Sept. 6 and who enroll at Tidewater Community College may be eligible for a new scholarship program.

The TCC Educational Foundation announced today that it has established the College Continuation Scholarship Fund targeted to new TCC students whose colleges shut down, lost accreditation, or are no longer able to offer federal financial aid because their accrediting agency lost U.S. Department of Education recognition.

Scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded. Applications are being accepted through Nov. 11. Visit www.tcc.edu/scholarships for information.

“We’re assisting students in crisis,” said TCC President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani. “Many already have college loans, and some have exhausted their sources of financial aid.”

TCC acted quickly when ITT Tech announced its sudden closure last month. It established a hotline, created a triage team and published a web page, www.tcc.edu/itt2tcc, to guide ITT Tech students in their next steps.

So far, about 50 former students have either enrolled at TCC or are working toward enrollment in the spring semester.

Earnest Simpson and his son Matthew are former ITT Tech students who have now enrolled at TCC.

“TCC gave us a helping hand,” Earnest Simpson said. “We had somewhere to go. They were the only ones reaching out to us.”

Open registration for the Spring 2017 semester starts Nov. 7. Classes begin Jan. 9. Former ITT Tech students can email itt2tcc@tcc.edu or call 757-822-1669 for how to get started at TCC.

“The for-profit education industry is experiencing turmoil right now,” President Kolovani said. “If this situation arises again, we want students to know they can turn to us.”

Mike King, chair of the TCC Educational Foundation Board, said, “With a quick realization of the need for support, the staff of TCC, with the generous support from donors in the community, was able to establish this fund quickly.”

He added, “Although, the closing of ITT Tech initiated the creation of the fund, these scholarships will be available to any other students who find themselves in this situation.”

King also stressed that the assistance for ITT Tech students will not diminish the availability of aid for other TCC students.

Donations to the College Continuation Scholarship Fund, or any TCC scholarship, can be made at advancement.tcc.edu.