Finishing a technical program can leave one more bill between a graduate and a job: the examination required to enter the field. A new Augusta Technical College endowment is intended to help graduates pay it.
The college announced Nov. 6 that Sherrie Rowe established the Built To Finish Endowed Fund with $10,000. An unnamed local employer matched the gift, bringing the fund to $20,000.
Rowe graduated from Augusta Tech in 1980 and now heads its Design and Media Production Technology department. The fund will assist new graduates who need licensing or certification examinations to begin their careers. The college expects to select its first recipients in December.
Augusta Tech says 72 of its 199 academic programs lead to fields that require or strongly prefer professional credentials. Some examinations cost as much as $600 per attempt, according to the college. That can leave a credentialing expense between completion of a program and entry into the profession.
The announcement does not specify award amounts, the number of recipients, application instructions or whether repeat attempts will qualify.
The Augusta Technical College Foundation manages charitable contributions separately from public funds and says gifts are used according to donor intent. Its stated priorities include student scholarships, educational equipment and strategic grants.
The endowment’s size should not be confused with an announced $20,000 round of immediate awards. The college has not published a distribution schedule. Those details will determine how many graduates the fund can help and how quickly assistance reaches them.