Kay Duda’s plans for the future involve finding a voice to her past. “I want to pursue a career where I can show kids that things can work out,” says the Central Oregon Community College (COCC) liberal arts student, who readily remembers struggling in her teens to connect with her own potential.



While cheered on by a loving family, Duda didn’t have much in the way of educational direction. No member of her family has been to college; some didn’t complete high school. But the first-generation college student, focused on eventually pursuing a master’s degree in social work, is receiving tuition support from a COCC Foundation scholarship and starting to see her plans fall into place.



“I am the first person in my family to go to college,” she says. “They are so proud of me that I am taking steps to make something important out of my life. It means the world that my educational goals are valued and appreciated by the community.”



Beginning Feb. 1, the COCC Foundation is awarding $2 million in scholarships for the coming 2024-25 academic year, which includes a newly formed designated fund for first-generation students with demonstrated needs. Last year, some 46% of applicants identified as first-generation. (At COCC, first-generation is defined as “students whose parents did not earn an associate degree or higher.”)


The COCC Foundation changes life trajectories by lessening financial uncertainty and helping learners dream big. Scholarships of $5,000 cover a year’s tuition and fees at COCC — and can potentially cover other financial needs, too. The COCC Foundation is offering 400 scholarships for this year’s cycle. Visit cocc.edu/scholarship to learn more.


Students must be admitted to COCC and plan to enroll in a degree or certificate program; they must have a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher from high school, college or their GED; and they must demonstrate financial need by completing the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the Oregon Student Aid Application, at cocc.edu/financial-aid.



The COCC scholarship’s simple online application process requires a few basic responses from the student, an academic and financial-needs overview, along with goals and personal accomplishments.


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“Receiving a scholarship is one of the best opportunities a student can have — they take more courses, complete their studies quicker, have higher GPAs and less debt.”

“The scholarship criteria has been simplified and students no longer need to be an in-district resident, nor do they need to be a documented citizen to apply,” explains Brittany Nichols, director of COCC Foundation programs. “Receiving a scholarship is one of the best opportunities a student can have — they take more courses, complete their studies quicker, have higher GPAs and less debt.”



At COCC, scholarship students — in programs as diverse as engineering, humanities and nursing — earn an average 3.34 GPA and take two credits more per term than their peers, according to recent data. More than 8% of credit-seeking students at COCC received a Foundation scholarship this past year.



While being the first is never easy, psychology student Amy Dye is intent on paving the way for more family to follow. “I am proud to say that I am the first one of both sides of my family to go to college,” she says. “I had an unstable home life as a child, and I wanted more than anything to break the cycle of drug addiction and untreated mental illness within my family.”

With a goal of earning an associate degree focused on psychology, Dye plans to attend Portland State University for a master’s degree and has aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist. “This scholarship has helped give me the confidence I may have lacked before due to financial stress,” she says. “Having the opportunity to further my education is greatly important to me. I hope to one day make my own findings and hopefully help others.”


Learn more about the COCC Foundation scholarship and apply at cocc.edu/scholarship or visit cocc.edu/foundation to impact lives as a donor.