Southwestern Community College Foundation Inc

-School based selection committees meet annually to select rising 7th graders with high potential from the applicant pool. -NCS provides guaranteed, last-dollar tuition assistance to pursue a degree at SCC. -Students, parents, public schools and SCC sign agreements committing to specfic standards/support. -Community businesses, individuals and groups generously provide funding to induct new cohorts of New Century Scholars. . The programs funding is generated by annual donations from residents of Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties. https://www.southwesterncc.edu/new-century-scholars

General Scholarship Support: Southwestern Community College Foundation was established in 1973. It exists solely to support the mission of SCC and is governed by a Board of Directors. The foundation receives unrestricted gifts through the Southwestern Community College Annual Fund, a yearly campaign to support students and the mission of the College. In addition, the foundation solicits contributions from individuals, foundations and companies to establish endowed Named Scholarships, as well as provide Annual Scholarships. For the year 2023-24, 224 Scholarships were awarded at a value of $259,000. . Financial gifts to the Foundation allow SCC to maintain a level of excellence beyond that provided by state and local financial support. These gifts help fund many of the essentials of education, and allow SCC to keep pace with the ever expanding needs of our community. It also enables us to support our faculty and staff in a number of ways resulting in teaching and student support excellence. Gala: The Boots, Blue Jeans & Bling annual SCC Gala has raised, since 2014, in excess of $750,000.00 for student scholarships. The Gala has become the preeminent fundraising event in our service region. In 2023, we changed the seating layout from 8 top tables to 10 top tables giving us the ability to accommodate more guests. Due to this change, 568 guests attended the Sold-Out event held in the Events Center, presented by generous benefactor, Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resorts. In 2023, over $159,000 was raised for student scholarships. We plan to return to the Events Center for our 2024 Gala which is already scheduled for September 28. https://www.southwesterncc.edu/news/once-again-annual-gala-breaks-records