Through funding provided by the John P. Ellbogen Foundation, Northwest College is offering the Ellbogen Opportunity Scholarship to adult learners, which provides financial aid to Wyoming residents 24 years of age and older who wish to attend a Wyoming community college in pursuit of a degree or certificate. Eligible students will automatically be considered for this scholarship and no separate application is required.

The scholarship initiative was created to assist adults in accessing the training and education needed to find a job or advance their careers, and to ensure that Wyoming’s workforce has the skills necessary for its industries. It is designed to fill gaps in funding after other sources of financial aid are used and will allow a student to cover any expenses related to the total cost of attendance. Those may include tuition and mandatory student fees, course fees, transportation, housing, sustenance, books and childcare.

As part of its mission, the Ellbogen Foundation also aims to reduce gaps in the workforce between supply and demand of skilled employee in high-priority occupations. Northwest College has selected six academic programs related to local employment needs where students may qualify for the Ellbogen Scholarship. Those programs are Nursing/Allied Health, Business, Agriculture, Welding Technology, Education and Aeronautics.

To be eligible for consideration, students must be degree- or certificate-seeking in one of the four designated programs and enrolled in fall 2022 courses, while not having previously earned a bachelor’s degree. Other requirements include:

Be a first-time NWC student or a returning NWC student who was not enrolled at any time during the last three years

Be a resident of the state of Wyoming for at least three years

Be 24 years of age or older

Have a completed 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with valid Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on file with Northwest College

Have an unmet financial need after all other gift aid is accounted for

Award amounts are prorated according to the student’s enrollment status at the time of scholarship disbursement and will cover the amount of unmet need up to $3,000 per year. Award recipients must maintain continuous enrollment and meet other satisfactory academic progress requirements for second semester disbursement and second academic year scholarship renewal.

Ellbogen scholarships are awarded on a first come, first served basis to qualified students and are prioritized by the student’s earliest fall 2022 course registration date until available funds are exhausted.

For more information, contact the NWC Financial Aid Office at 307-754-6158, or scholarships@nwc.edu.