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Alix Crawford, “I have a very high chance of being offered a position.” When Muscatine Community College (MCC) student Alix Crawford was contemplating career choices shortly after high school, working with animals was her number one priority. So, she headed off to college and studied wildlife ecology with the hopes of working in a zoo. After graduation, she was able to secure part-time work as a zookeeper, but full-time jobs were few and far between.
STUDENTS
“I loved what I was doing, but just the availability of jobs was difficult,” she said. “A lot of things are part-time and they want you to volunteer or do an internship for free before they even offer you a full-time position. With all the other things I had to pay for to live I couldn’t afford to do all of that.”
How Iowa’s new Last Dollar Program is helping students make a better life.
T
his fall the state of Iowa did something big. So big, in fact, it has affected more than 360 Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ (EICC) students and led to the distribution of more than half a million dollars in funding!
Unable to secure a full-time job in her field, Crawford began looking into other career paths. That’s when she decided to pursue her Associate’s Degree in MCC’s Veterinary Technology program, an in-demand field where she could continue to work with animals. She said receiving the Last Dollar funding has been a tremendous weight off her shoulders. “It helps me focus on my studies and not worry like I did the last time I was in school. My goal has been to get through the program without loans, and this is helping me do that.” She’s even already started her career with a part-time job at a local veterinary office and an upcoming vet tech internship with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “Now, with this internship and the fact I’m already working at a clinic, I have a very high chance of being offered a position,” she said.
That’s a lot of moolah going straight toward students’ tuition. The large sum is all thanks to Iowa’s new Last Dollar Program, which covers the cost of tuition for students earning a Certificate, Diploma or Associate’s Degree in one of Iowa’s high-demand fields. EICC offers more than 25 of the qualifying programs and for hundreds of students, receiving this scholarship has made all the difference.
CAREERS
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Tamara Cooper, “Every dollar I receive through others is an unexpected blessing.” Tamara Cooper, a business management student at Scott Community College, enrolled in classes after her job search was leading her nowhere. “I was a hairdresser by trade, but when my husband was injured I took on full-time caregiving for him and I was caregiving for my parents,” she said. “I was putting out applications, but because I am older I was having a hard time getting jobs. I am willing to learn anything, and I got tired of being turned down.” Determined to build her resume, Cooper put her energy and focus into her classwork. She was excited to start something new, but the cost of college weighed heavily on her mind. A key to her success and ability to pursue her education has been scholarships. That’s why when she received $250 through the Last Dollar Program this fall she was incredibly grateful. “That took care of everything, the last bit. I was extremely happy I received it and others have received it. It’s easier to believe in something when you see it,” Cooper said.
