Indian Hills Insight: Foundation Spotlight
Most people would agree that a college education is more important than ever before, an invaluable asset as it relates to future earning potential. However, that college degree or other postsecondary credential or certificate comes with an ever-increasing cost.
A 2017 study by the Lumina Foundation found that, over the previous 10 years, college prices rose by 45 percent. During the same period, the report says incomes decreased by seven percent. The cost factor highlights a major hurdle students have to overcome to get a degree.
Indian Hills Community College, more than four decades ago, realized how crucial it was to help students pay for their education. The Indian Hills Foundation was incorporated in 1974 to provide an entity to receive monetary gifts and award academic scholarships to Indian Hills students.
The Foundation has enjoyed tremendous growth, from serving around 30 students in its early years to awarding more than 525 scholarships this academic year, for a total of $1.2 million.
Those scholarships are one way the IHCC Foundation keeps the cost of attending college affordable, according to Blaire Siems, the Executive Director of the Foundation. “We want our students to focus on their academics, not how they are going to afford going to school,” Siems says. “Our students, many of whom are non-traditional students, have multiple facets in their lives that require their attention. Figuring out how to pay for college shouldn’t keep them up at night. The Foundation’s scholarships help alleviate the financial burden often associated with college.”
At Indian Hills, Siems explains, the process of applying for a scholarship has been made easier. “We are working to incorporate the scholarship application into the IHCC application. This way, every student that applies to attend Indian Hills will fill out the scholarship application while they are filling out their application to attend the college. There won’t be a separate, stand-alone application any longer, ensuring that every student is given the opportunity to apply for Foundation scholarships.”
Siems points out the Foundation has over 200 active scholarships. A number of the individual scholarships are funded by an employee-giving program that has been in place at IHCC for many years.
Added for the 2018-19 academic year, Indian Hills is offering a Connect 2 College scholarship for concurrent enrollment students who choose to continue their education at IHCC. The $600 award is applicable toward tuition, books, and fees and can be used along with other scholarships.
There are four major annual events that benefit the Foundation and its efforts: an auction, a golf tournament, Celebrity Night, and the Women Supporting Women Scholarship Dinner.
Siems says the Foundation’s mission has changed recently to include the phrase “to enhance the College and broaden the base of support through raising funds, building partnerships, and advocating for students and the college.” That means, in addition to scholarships, the Foundation can also focus on raising funds for buildings and infrastructure, equipment or anything else that may help students be successful.
Any questions about the IHCC Foundation can be directed to Siems at [email protected].