On Tuesday, April 2 NPC Friends and Family will raise money for Northland Pioneer College (NPC) student scholarships during the AZ Gives Day 24-hour statewide online giving event for non-profit organizations.

NPC Friends Family is committed to advancing the mission of NPC through the provision of scholarships that empower students across northeast Arizona to transform their lives through education. NPC serves students in Navajo and Apache counties including the lands of the Navajo, Hopi, and White Mountain Apache people. The event highlights the need for NPC students who, despite challenges, are determined to persist in their college dreams. This year’s event commemorates the 50th Anniversary of NPC. The goal is to raise $50,000 in scholarships for NPC students.

“Poverty is endemic across the college's service area, yet our students are determined to empower themselves through education,” explains Betsy Wilson, the executive director for NPC Friends and Family. “Through increased job opportunities and earning power, NPC graduates are literally breaking the cycle of poverty, improving income, reducing dependence on welfare programs, and serving as an example to friends and family members that a college degree is attainable.”

NPC medical assistant major Melanie Francis is one such student. Francis lives in Chinle AZ, and travels over 700 miles each week to attend classes at NPC’s Winslow location. She was inspired to start taking classes at NPC by her older brother who works as a medical assistant on the San Carlos reservation. Knowing her family was not financially stable, she worried about the expenses and added financial burden. She said, "It was hard because going to school felt so good, but it was also so negative knowing the financial toll it took on my family. Not knowing if we would have money to make it another week and not go hungry.” Francis has now earned several scholarships through NPC Friends and Family and will graduate with an associate degree this May.

Over the past nine years, NPC has had loyal support from many in the community. Those who have participated in this event in the past may know that some very exciting bonus prizes are awarded each year. Last year NPC finished in second place in the category of Most Dollars Raised by a Mid-Sized Non-Profit and earned a bonus prize of $3,000. A particular highlight of last year’s event was a generous donation of $6,000 by Chris Corbin, on behalf of The House restaurant in Show Low. Every year, Corbin graciously provides three full-year NPC tuition scholarship awards (up to 15 credits per semester) to grads from Show Low, Snowflake, and Blue Ridge High Schools. The House restaurant of Show Low will be awarding scholarships to three high school graduates again this year. The application for “NPC On The House” scholarships is currently open and students should submit their applications now at www.npc.edu/ffscholarships. The deadline for applications is April 18.

Because NPC's per-credit tuition is the lowest of any college in Arizona's system, there is nowhere your gift will go further or help more students achieve their goal of a college education. “No gift is too large or too small to help an NPC student achieve their dream of a college education,” states Wilson.

To make a donation in support of local student scholarships during the 24-hour AZ Gives event on April 2, visit www.npc.edu/az-gives.