NPC Friends and Family, the non-profit foundation that supports Northland Pioneer College (NPC), has an unprecedented number of scholarships, totaling over $51,000, available to assist NPC students enrolling for Fall 2022. Individual awards range from $500 to $3,000. Details and full application instructions, including the required cover letter and tips for writing a strong essay can be found at www.npc.edu/scholarships, using NPC Friends and Family in the keyword line.
Applications will be accepted now through Thursday, April 14 at noon, MST. All applications must be submitted online per application instructions; no paper applications will be accepted. Students are strongly encouraged to get their applications in early! All students interested in applying for scholarships must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov before submitting applications. For more information about the FAFSA, students may contact the NPC Financial Aid office at 928-524-7418.
Among the Fall 2022 scholarship lineup are two brand-new scholarships, generously provided by the White Mountain Women’s Club. Each provides $3,400 for the 22-23 academic year, $1,700 per semester, to students attending NPC’s White Mountain Campus in Show Low. Applicants must have completed at least 12 credits at NPC before applying and must enroll full-time (12 credits or more per semester) during the 2022-23 academic year. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is also required, and the student must maintain eligibility criteria to receive the Spring 2023 award.
The White Mountain Women's Club will also once again provide their $1,200 Doris Powers Scholarship for the fall semester. Chartered in 1964, the club has served the White Mountain communities for over 50 years. Their mission is to unite women for mutual benefit to promote their common interest in education, community service, and the arts. The scholarships are offered to all NPC students, regardless of gender.
Additional opportunities for NPC students include the Fill-the-Gaps Scholarship and the Leg-Up Scholarship. Each scholarship provides $750 to one awardee at every NPC campus and center. The nine locations include the White Mountain Campus in Show Low, Silver Creek Campus in Snowflake, Painted Desert Campus in Holbrook, Little Colorado Campus in Winslow, the Hopi Center in Polacca, and the Kayenta Center, Springerville-Eager Center, St.Johns Center, and Whiteriver Center. A total of eighteen scholarships will be awarded.
Additionally, the AndyVon Academic Scholarship for Native American Students, established in Summer 2021 by anonymous donors, will provide up to six $1,000 awards to students with a GPA of 2.5 or better, who are enrolled in six or more credits in Fall 2022.
The Jon Graff, Ph.D., Fund continues to provide scholarships every semester for three kinds of NPC students: those who are enrolled in a degree program for university transfer; those enrolled in NPC’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, and those enrolled in College and Career Prep (CCP) classes who are in pursuit of their high school equivalency diploma and have an opportunity to take college-level courses. Dr. Graff, a longtime friend and supporter of NPC Friends and Family, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2021, following a long battle with cancer. His legacy includes these scholarships of $500 to awardees.
Once again, this semester NPC Friends and Family is pleased to offer the Jeanne Swarthout, Ph.D. Presidential Excellence Scholarship. Funds for this scholarship were raised by the friends of Dr. Swarthout to commemorate her 2018 retirement from NPC and to honor her career in education, particularly her years of dedication to the college. It provides $1,000 to the awardee.
Another “retirement gift,” the Claude Millet Endfield Early Childhood Development Scholarship, was established in honor of NPC’s former Chair of Early Childhood Development (ECD) at the time of her retirement. Since then, Endfield’s friends and admirers from around the US have continued to grow the scholarship fund in her name. It will provide six scholarships worth $1,000 each - $500 per semester - to students in NPC’s ECD program. Applicants must be enrolled in at least three credit hours during the semester of the award and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.
The NPC Friends and Family U.S. Military Veterans Scholarship awards $500 each semester to one U.S. Veteran, or to a spouse or dependent of a Veteran, who is enrolled in at least six college credits during the semester of award. Before applying for this scholarship, interested students should contact NPC’s Veterans’ Administration Certifying Official, Celia Iguado at 928-524-7469.
The Doris Reed Nursing scholarship, first awarded in the Spring 2021 semester, was established by the family of Doris Reed in honor of her 50+ years as a professional nurse. $1,000 will be awarded to a student in NPC’s Nursing or Allied Health program.
Three other Friends and Family scholarships are built exclusively for 2022 high school graduates. The Corky Elikann Scholarship for Alchesay High School provides $2,000 - $1,000 per semester, to one female and one male 2022 grad. And once again, Chris Corbin and Matt McGowan of The House in Show Low will provide three $2,000 scholarships, one each, to a 2022 graduate of Blue Ridge, Show Low, and Snowflake High School. Lastly, The Arvin Palmer, Ph.D., Memorial Scholarship, honors the legacy of Dr. Arvin Palmer, a former vice-president of NPC, and provides a $1,000 award to a 2022 graduate of Snowflake High School.
The remainder of the scholarships available for Fall 2022 are born out of memorial funds. The Jennifer Lee Witt Memorial Scholarship will provide three $1,000 scholarships per semester, honoring Professor Witt’s devotion to the students of NPC, where she served as faculty in English and Creative Writing.
Charles E. Lisitzky was a longtime resident of Holbrook, Arizona, and an advocate of lifelong education. The scholarship in his name is worth $500 and was established by his family to assist Native American students in their pursuit of a college degree. One Lisitzky scholarship is awarded college-wide each semester to an eligible Native American NPC student.
Pres Winslow advocated for at-risk students and was an active proponent of post-secondary education. After retiring, Pres moved to Winslow, where he volunteered countless hours assisting students at Winslow Junior High and Winslow High school in preparing for college. He also served on the NPC District Governing Board. Following his untimely death in June 2016, many of Pres’ lifelong friends joined his family in endowing a scholarship in his name. The Pres Winslow Memorial Scholarship is open district-wide to NPC students. Two $1,000 awards will be made for the Fall 2022 semester.
NPC Friends and Family Executive Director Betsyann Wilson has made it a personal campaign of hers to teach students how to access and apply for scholarships, not just NPC Friends and Family scholarships, but the hundreds of scholarships that are available for college students. Each link for the aforementioned Friend and Family scholarships includes a link to a YouTube video tutorial on how to prepare a basic scholarship essay, as well as a link to a written tutorial.
Since Fall 2014, NPC Friends and Family has awarded over 400 scholarships to NPC students, making a tremendous difference in their pursuit of post-secondary education. Over 97% of awardees have either completed an NPC degree or certificate program or are still enrolled at the college. To learn more about NPC Friends and Family, and how you can help to transform a student’s life, contact Betsyann Wilson at 928-536-6245 or betsy.wilson@npc.edu. You can also make a tax-deductible donation at www.npcfriendsfamily.org.
