By Angela Askey, Executive Director Public Relations and Marketing
Pinal County, AZ – Governor Katie Hobbs in partnership with Arizona’s 10 public community college districts has created the Arizona Community College Workforce Scholarship program to help Arizonans earn a credential, degree or build advanced skills that lead to jobs in high-wage, high-growth occupations.
The scholarship is designed to provide Arizona students with the incentive to pursue a higher education certificate, degree, credential or license resulting in a skilled workforce equipped to meet the demands of the state’s economy.
Governor Hobbs has allocated $4.5M in EANS federal funding to get the program started with public or private funding helping to ensure the future of the program.
The Community College Workforce Scholarship program will provide financial support to students for the upcoming summer and fall semesters. It is projected that 9,000-10,000 Arizona students, including working adults, will be able to upskill or reskill. Through these scholarships, the state will move closer to reaching its Achieve60AZ education attainment goal.
Scholarships are targeted to the following high-wage, high-growth sectors with each community college focusing on regional industries in the communities they serve.
- Advanced manufacturing, including semiconductors
- Health Care
- IT/cyber security/broadband/data analytics
- Education and early education
- Construction/trades/HVAC
- Aerospace/defense
- Veterinary technology
- Dental hygienists and dental assistants
- Tractor trailer driving
- Insurance appraisers
- Paralegal and legal assistants
Students participating in the Workforce Scholarship program are required to meet the following criteria:
- Have a 2.0 GPA or better.
- Meet with their academic advisor to review their academic plan and progress.
- Be eligible for in-state status for tuition purposes as defined by Arizona Law and the College.
- Be enrolled in or enroll in, a degree, certificate or credential program in one or more of the above high growth/high wage program areas.
Arizona’s ten community college districts serve 250,000 students each year. The colleges participating in the program include Arizona Western College, Central Arizona College, Cochise College, Coconino Community College, Eastern Arizona College, Maricopa Community Colleges, Mohave Community College, Northland Pioneer College, Pima Community College, and Yavapai College.
For more information about the Arizona Community College Workforce Scholarship Program, visit https://arizonacommunitycolleges.org/ or email david@azcommunitycolleges.org.
About CAC
For more than 50 years, Central Arizona College has been serving and educating the diverse communities of Pinal County. With five campuses located strategically throughout the county, CAC provides accessible, educational, economic, cultural, and personal growth opportunities for those of all ages.
CAC is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity and anti‐discrimination. CAC strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of the following protected classes and/or characteristics, in all of its operations, programs and activities, including but not limited to employment, promotion, admissions and access to all career and technical programs: race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including sex assigned at birth, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. For more information contact: Laura Shepherd, Title IX Coordinator at 480‐677‐7853 or titleix@centralaz.edu; Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 520‐494‐5409 or studentaccessibility@centralaz.edu or Talent Development at Talent.Development@centralaz.edu
About AZ Community Colleges
Connected through shared goals of access and service, Arizona’s community colleges assure open admissions and affordable tuition as a common mission. They provide the primary gateway to higher learning and a variety of educational opportunities serving today’s diverse student body. Fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Arizona’s community colleges prepare students to be job-ready more quickly and train or retrain workers to fit employer needs. Arizona’s community colleges are the most traditional entry point for underserved students and bring economic vitality to communities that embrace their mission and services.
