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Dare County’s Guarantee Scholarship is drawing applicants who want to attend College of The Albemarle.

As of July 28, 2020, 70 curriculum students have applied for a scholarship for the fall 2020 semester. Two students have applied for a continuing education course.

Some 38 people have been awarded scholarships and 36 have accepted.

Dare County Board of Commissioners created the Guarantee Scholarship and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the community college in September 2019. Annually, $250,000 will be deposited with the College of The Albemarle Foundation to be used for scholarships, a small administration fee, and a liaison between Dare County Schools and the college.

The program started in January 2020 for the spring semester.

At the commissioners meeting July 20, Amy Alcocer, executive director of the foundation, reported that for the spring semester, $4,946.37 was distributed for tuition and fees and $1,942.41 was distributed for books and computer equipment.

As anticipated, scholarship applicants have substantially increased from the 28 students in the spring and 5 in the summer.

The Dare Guarantee Scholarship is a secondary one. Dare County residents can apply for help with curriculum or workforce development courses.

To qualify for a Dare Guarantee Scholarship, a person must be a Dare County resident, have graduated from a Dare County public high school, private school or home school. The applicant must be a United States citizen or a documented lawful permanent resident.

In discussion at the board meeting, commissioners generally agreed with Alcocer to extend that time period to 24 months. Alcocer will be submitting an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding changing the time period to 24 months.

Guarantee applicants are required to submit applications for college foundation scholarships and federal financial aid, which usually comes in a package with grants and loans. Scholarships and federal grants will be applied first to the college bill. After those funds are applied, the Dare Guarantee kicks in to cover unmet tuition and fees. Applicants are not required to accept federal loans to access the Dare Guarantee.

Dare high school students who have earned college credits through College of The Albemarle will be eligible for the Dare Guarantee program.

Funding priorities are year-round students carrying 12 credit hours in curriculum or workforce development at the Dare campus of the community college; second priority is curriculum or workforce development at other campuses of the college.

The college’s foundation administers the scholarship program.

The liaison for the Dare Guarantee Scholarship is John Hunting. His phone number at the Dare Campus is 252-473-2264, ext. 7022. He will also have offices at Dare County’s three high schools. His email address is John_Hunting07@albemarle.edu.

More information is available at darenc.com/COA.

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