College of the North Atlantic (CNA) campuses across the province recently announced the student winners of 294 awards and scholarships totaling $283,205.
Each year, CNA’s Awards Program provides a major contribution to the education of students through the encouragement and recognition of high scholastic performance, leadership and community involvement, by providing a measure of assistance to those who may experience financial difficulty in completing their programs.
“The scholarship and bursary programs continue to provide significant financial support and recognition to hundreds of students reaching all 17 campuses of CNA,” said Anna Peddle, Manager of Alumni & Advancement. “This is made possible by generous community donors who understand the value of supporting students in pursuit of a higher education. For that, the college is very thankful.”
The majority of the funds in the provincial awards program come from outside donors such as financial institutions, large corporations and local businesses. There are also awards sponsored by families, individuals, and the Faculty and Staff Appeal, which is driven by donations from college employees.
CNA has been presenting scholarships and awards for more than 40 years and Peddle says the funds are crucial to some students completing their chosen program of study.
“It’s important for several reasons; as funds for school expenses such as tuition and books, they help with living expenses such as rent, and reduce debt by paying on student loans,” said Peddle. “Awards and scholarships are also important because they increase confidence and self-esteem. Students gain recognition of their accomplishments and it can enhance a resume for potential employment.”
According to Sandra Lewis, chairperson of the Provincial Awards Committee for CNA, the number of students seeking scholarships has risen sharply since last year.
“This year we received approximately 1,800 applications for provincial awards,” said Lewis. “This number is up by 400 applications from last year. This is fantastic and may be the result of changing the timing of the awards selection to a later date. Students had more time to focus on applying.”
The committee changed the application deadline this year for several reasons.
“Campus selections teams wanted more time to complete their selection processes,” said Lewis. “Faculty wanted to know their students better before giving a reference as many of the provincial awards require a reference to support the student in their application. Many instructors felt they could provide a more accurate reference if it was timed in the winter semester. Also, the change allowed the use of student transcripts from college instead of high school.”
For the full list of awards and scholarship winners at each campus, visit www.cna.nl.ca/awards/2015winners.
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Media Contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca