RCGC Announces Funding Increase For Carr Scholarship

Deptford Twp. – High school students in Gloucester County will have even more opportunities to kick-start their college careers, thanks to an increase in funding for the Paul David Carr Memorial College Readiness Scholarship.

Carr, a former employee of then Gloucester County College (now Rowan College at Gloucester County), earned degrees at the College 13 years apart – in 1974 and 1987. After his untimely death in 2003, family and friends pooled together funds to initiate the scholarship, which has since increased its funding from nearly $11,000 to $16,000.

A $1000 scholarship will be awarded to each of the 15 Gloucester County High Schools. Students must qualify for financial need, per the last will and testament of Paul David Carr’s father, L. Paul Carr. Students must also be residents of the county and attend classes at RCGC. The scholarship can only be used towards tuition and additional fees.

“In Higher Education, Federal and State financial aid is currently not available to high school students,” said Judith Atkinson, vice president of Student Services at RCGC. “This scholarship opportunity will give many of our county high school students a way to access higher education earlier. If more high school students are introduced to the idea of going to college earlier, it will open their minds to the importance of education and the concept that all things are possible.”

“The Carr College Readiness Scholarship offers ambitious high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to get a head start on their college studies and save on the cost of their education,” said Rowan College President Frederick Keating. “We appreciate the generosity of the Carr family and applaud their commitment to helping students better themselves through higher education.”

Students receiving the scholarship will be carefully selected by the schools’ guidance counselor departments, which will submit a list of qualified and eligible applicants to RCGC. Recipients of the scholarship during the first semester of a school year will also be eligible to receive funds for the second semester. Current high school juniors, however, must re-apply for the scholarship their senior year.

For more information, visit RCGC.edu/scholarships.

Rowan College at Gloucester County is located at 1400 Tanyard Road in Deptford, just off Exit 56 of Route 55.