Scholarships for Young Men Help Students Attend Northwest Vista College

NVC one of the few colleges addressing declining enrollment
trend of male students

Northwest Vista College Male Scholarship Recipients
David Crawford, student success professional, NVC scholarship recipient Eddie Munoz, NVC president Jackie Claunch, NVC scholarship recipient and student, NVC scholarship recipient Carlos Avila, Greater Texas Foundation director Dr. Wynn Rosser and Daniel Johnson, NVC’s assistant coordinator of Student Leadership/Activities

San Antonio, TX (Oct. 1, 2008) —The declining enrollment of male students is something most colleges and universities are seeing lately. But Northwest Vista College is one of the few colleges tackling this challenge head on by creating new initiatives that addresses male retention. The newest project gives scholarships to male students along with an array of support services to help students succeed, such as mentoring classes.
 
This fall semester, 50 Northwest Vista College (NVC) male students will be awarded $1,000 from the 21st Century Scholarship for Young Men, a newly created scholarship program made possible by a $100,000 award from the Greater Texas Foundation 2008 Community College Scholarship program.
 
NVC president Jacqueline Claunch, U.S. Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez along with Dr. Wynn Rosser, executive director of the Greater Texas Foundation, took part in a check presentation ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 30 at NVC. Others at the event included ACCD board chairman Denver McClendon, former ACCD board chairman and current board trustee Roberto Zarate as well as Dr. Roland C. DuBay, executive director of ACCD’s Institutional Advancement.  
 
“It’s about student success and creating opportunities for access to education especially for first-generation college students,” Rosser said. “If you can make a difference in one student’s life, then you make a difference in the whole family.”
 
NVC developed the 21st Century Scholarship initiative in response to low retention rates of male students.  According to NVC enrollment data, which also mirrors a national trend, first-year students are typically 51 percent female and 49 percent male. Retention data is more alarming with 62 percent female and 38 percent male students returning the following semester.  
 
The 21st Century Scholarship program provides male students with intensive support services that promote successful completion of core courses, as well as mentoring opportunities to encourage degree completion and/or transfer to four-year institutions.
 
Scholarship recipients are required to be either current or new students between the ages of 18 to 20, and enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours to be eligible for the award. A portion of the grant award, $50,000, will be used to establish an endowment fund for future scholarships.
Scholarship recipient Carlos Avila said he is the first one to attend college in his family. With this program, he’s now more confident in his success.
 
“College and books are very expensive. The cost of living is going up and even with my G.I. bill, there are not enough resources nowadays to cover the costs. This scholarship has been a big help for me,” Avila said.  

Northwest Vista College, which opened in 1995, is part of The Alamo Colleges. Located at 3535 N. Ellison Drive, next to SeaWorld of Texas, NVC’s expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community.