Columbus Technical College received a Goodwill Gap Grant award of $140,000 to offset students’ educational costs not covered by other scholarships and grants.

Goodwill Southern Rivers (Goodwill) announced in January that it will be awarding $1 million to be divided equally amongst Columbus Technical College and six other regional technical and community colleges within its territory including four other colleges that are part of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

Goodwill President and CEO, Jack Warden stated, “This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between existing scholarships and grants and the actual cost of tuition. There are several grants and scholarships out there, but in some instances, they fall short of the actual cost of the program. Oftentimes this is just a few hundred dollars, but that can be a huge barrier to someone trying to get an education to start their career. This money will be distributed by the individual colleges to cover that difference.”

The gap grant will be managed through the Columbus Technical College Foundation, which will also develop and manage the selection criteria.

Columbus Tech President Martha Ann Todd commented, “At Columbus Tech, our primary objective is developing the workforce needed in the Chattahoochee Valley area through the success of our students. To have these additional funds available can make all the difference to students who need extra help to reach their educational goals. We are incredibly grateful to receive these funds and appreciative of the Goodwill leadership who see the alignment of our missions and the value that CTC offers to students and the Chattahoochee Valley workforce.”

The technical college gap grants are one of the first initiatives to be implemented as a result of the $10 million donation Goodwill received from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. These grants are part of an overall effort to address growing and changing needs in the workforce as the need for skilled labor increases.