By Laura Fitzgerald
Six years ago, Kate Bosma was at a crossroads in her life. A single parent at the time, she wanted a career with higher pay and less demanding hours so that she could provide a better life for herself and her daughter. But she had already left college years earlier because the cost was too high.
Then, she was accepted into the Complete Your Degree (CYD) scholarship and mentoring program, which was then a partnership between the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and St. Clair County Community College (SC4).
Thanks to the program, Bosma received her degree in nursing from SC4. Now, she loves her job with McLaren Port Huron, which allows her to give back to the community and provide a good life for her now-husband and three children.
“Without the CYD program, I don’t know if I would have been able to go back to school. Since the program paid for my whole tuition and books, it allowed me to use my savings to pay my living expenses, so I didn’t have to work full-time while going through school,” Bosma said. “Nursing is so versatile; there are so many options and opportunities in the field. I enjoy being able to make an impact on patients and having work/life balance has been amazing for my family.”
The Foundation’s Complete Your Degree and High Priority scholarship funds support students throughout their journey through higher education, ensuring students facing socioeconomic barriers are set up for success through graduation.
“We can’t just get students to college, we want to help them complete college, trade school or another certification,” said Jessica Flann, the Community Foundation’s Program Officer for Postsecondary Success.
More about the Complete Your Degree and High Priority Programs
Foundation staff look at a variety of factors, along with national data and statistics to identify scholarship recipients as “High Priority” (HP).
“We evaluate all of our traditional scholarship applicants to see if there are students that might face extra barriers to degree and certification completion. In addition, we rely on our community relationships to help connect us to students who might benefit from our program” said Flann.
Rather than traditional scholarships, which are usually given as a one-time payment at high school graduation, HP students receive support throughout their college experience for tuition, books, supplies, and various life needs. These could be expenses like rent, food, utilities, car payments, gas, etc., or unexpected items, such as car repairs, medical bills, or other financial emergencies. Support is highly individualized.
“There are so many little things that come up that aren’t always in black and white that are true expenses to go to school. It’s not just tuition,” Flann said. “It’s, how much is gas going to cost you so you can get to class? How much is it going to cost you to get that laptop, or a functional printer, or your tools for your program or your nursing scrubs, or shoes or stethoscope? Those are the things that are sometimes a struggle for students to pay for, and so those are the things we help with.”
HP students also receive mentorship from Foundation staff, who provide connections to on- and off-campus resources, academic guidance, and regular check-ins to ensure students are receiving academic, emotional and social support.
Bosma’s Foundation mentors – Audrey Sochor and the late Kevin Totty – were invaluable as a second support system, in addition to her family.
“When I had my first meeting with my mentors (Sochor and Totty), I walked into the room feeling nervous. I left feeling like I had new best friends,” Bosma said. “I feel like they genuinely cared about my situation and really wanted me to succeed. They connected me with so many resources at SC4 I didn’t know about. They checked in with me with my grades. There were so many people rooting for me that I wanted to be more successful in my program.”
How CYD and HP Graduates are Making an Impact
The program started with a cohort of SC4 students in 2017 who had faced barriers in completing their degree. Since then, the program has expanded to be eligible to any St. Clair County resident who is attending any college or trade school, with a focus on HP students.
To date, 144 students have entered the CYD and HP programs and 56 students from both programs have completed a degree or trade certification, Flann said. Those graduates are now in a wide variety of fields, including nursing, engineering, fish and wildlife biology, physical therapy and law enforcement.
“The scholarship programs help our community because it gives residents the education, the skills and the training they need to contribute back to society,” Flann said.
How to Apply for a Foundation Scholarship or Support Scholarship Funds
Graduating high school seniors and current college students can learn more or apply to a life needs scholarship, HP scholarship, or any other Foundation scholarship at stclairfoundation.org/scholarships. For questions, contact Jessica Flann at [email protected] or (810) 984-4761. The scholarship application closes on March 17, 2025.
Nearly 40 endowed funds support various student scholarships, which include HP students. Donations to any of the Foundation’s scholarship funds can also be made at stclairfoundation.org.