2020 Annual Report

Emergency Financial Aid Grants

Gadsden State Community College students were given the opportunity to receive special funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance was available through funds from the Cornoavirus Aid, Relief and Econonimc Security (CARES) Act. Funds could be used for expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare. 

In April, Gadsden State announced that qualified students would provide economic relief for students in the amount of $733 each. The student had to be enrolled in at least one traditional course during the 2020 Spring Semester. Students also had to have a valid 2019-2020 FAFSA on file and a satisfactory academic progress status. A total of 2,496 students received the CARES funds. 

Gadsden State also used CARES Act funds to reimburse students who paid housing fees for Fowler Residence Hall. Total spent on the refunds for Fowler Hall totaled $21,287.70. Those students also were reimbursed for food service money not used following campus closure on March 17. Almost $28,000 was spent on the food reimbursements. 

In August, Gadsden State Community College awarded students meeting eligibility requirements additional monies from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund of the CARES Act. The funds were awarded to students experiencing financial difficulty or disruption of educational plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Many of our students have experienced economic and educational strife due to the pandemic,” said Dr. Martha Lavender, president. “Some of our students have lost their employment. Others have had hardships with the transition from traditional classroom instruction to online instruction. There’s a wide range of struggles being experienced by our students. We want to help those who have immediate monetary needs so they can better focus on continuing their education. We want to help as many students as we possibly can through this financial assistance fund.” 

The financial assistance grant was awarded per semester through an application process until funds were exhausted. Funds were used for eligible expenses, such as food, housing, course materials, academic assistance, technology, health care and child care. Funds were awarded in amounts from $100 to $1,000. 

Students receiving GSCC Emergency Financial Aid Grants were unconditionally admitted to the College and in good academic standing. Eligible student status included continuing, first-time freshmen, readmitted or reinstated, transfer or transient. Continuing students must have a collegiate GPA of 2.0 or higher and must have satisfactory status according to the federal Standards of Academic Progress. 

As required by the U.S. Department of Education, students also had to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) and must not be enrolled under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an international student or incarcerated. 

Students were required to have a completed 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. 

Additional emergency financial assistance was available to students enrolled in specific majors at the Valley Street Campus. The funding was a part of the additional CARES allotment given to HBCU-designated campuses, such as the Valley Street Campus. Eligible majors for students attending Valley Street Campus include Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Construction Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Massage Therapy.

Cardinal Promise Scholarship

Gadsden State Community College announced a new community scholarship program to increase the affordability of for-credit academic and technical courses at all five campuses. 

The Cardinal Promise Scholarship, which was introduced in October, allowed eligible students to purchase up to nine paid hours while receiving an equivalent number of credit hours tuition-free. This program was for courses taken during the spring semester (January to May). 

“The Cardinal Promise model allowed Gadsden State students to pay full tuition for one class and receive a scholarship to cover the tuition of another class of equal credit hours,” said Kelley Pearce, associate dean of Enrollment and Retention. 

Gadsden State granted 676 awards collegewide through the program. Over $432,000 was spent on the scholarship program. 

To qualify, students had to be registered for Spring 2021 classes and must have completed their 2020-21 FAFSA. Eligible students were full time, part time, dual enrolled, returning or new. Transient students and those who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents were not eligible. 

“The scholarship did not have a minimum-hour requirement,” Pearce said. “The waiver was for tuition only. Students had to pay their fees but the fees are minimal compared to other colleges and universities.”