In the Dragon’s Fire Campus Restaurant Lab with culinary arts students working diligently in the background, Howard County County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball announced Oct. 25 that Howard Community College will receive $3.5 million in student scholarships.

Ball said, “Two weeks ago during my State of the County address, I announced that we were dedicating $3.5 million to support Howard Community College students, and today I’m proud to announce we’re establishing the Complete4Success Scholarship Program to help students here at HCC afford their education.” Ball described the extraordinary circumstances students often face, saying, “Our students are pulled in many different directions—many are part-time working, raising families, and doing what they can just to make ends meet.”

The $3.5 million in student scholarships will be used for both the direct costs associated with paying for tuition and courses, as well as the indirect costs of attending college. Ball said, “While the scholarship covers the tuition and fees for those credits, nearly $1.2 million of funding is focused on essential and emergency needs. No student should have to worry about getting that grade and getting that food to put on the table.”

HCC President Dr. Daria Willis spoke after Ball, noting, “Currently, data shows that right here in Columbia 31% of families live below the cost of living for Howard County, and the number of households impacted has risen over the last 10 years and certainly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education, though, is the best way for families to advance economically—our own data proves it.”

Willis also talked about her own experience as a struggling college student, sharing, “As I well know, students often face barriers to their completion that make the educational journey challenging. In my case, I had a child while enrolled in my undergraduate institution, and I struggled to make ends meet and to stay in college.”

Willis underlined the importance of the Complete4Success Scholarship for the community at large by stating, “This Howard County investment is an investment in a brighter future for our students and a better future for Howard County.”

Culinary Arts student Kimberly Boyd spoke about her experience with scholarships, stating, “I am 43-year-old single mother of two. I’ve been a student at HCC since 2020, and I am studying culinary management and will graduate this spring in 2023. Since the beginning of my journey I have received educational scholarships, so I know firsthand how important it is to students.”