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TCC Announces New Endowed Scholarship Supported by Former Tulsa Mayor

Tulsa Community College announced on Tuesday a new endowed scholarship funded through its $20 million campaign to help students finish their degrees.

Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and her family are supporting the Lola Catherine McGarvey Taylor Endowed Scholarship, named for her late mother and coinciding with what would have been her 100th birthday. Kathy Taylor said a college degree can make a huge difference in students’ and communities’ economic prospects.

"And so many kids do not have the ability to afford the expenses of books and tuition. And Tulsa Community College provides a great education and a great opportunity," Taylor said.

The scholarship will be awarded annually. TCC is funding nearly 200 new scholarships through its Campaign for Completion fundraiser. President Leigh Goodson said financial barriers are the No. 1 reason their students don’t finish college.

"At TCC, nearly one-third of our students are first-generation students, meaning that they’re the first student in their family to attend college, with then nearly half of our students coming from underserved and underrepresented populations," Goodson said in a video released by TCC.

A national study from Arizona State University found 13% of students have delayed graduation, but lower-income students were 55% more likely to have done so than their higher-income peers.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
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