Aims Receives Grants for Student Success, Student Emergency Funds, EMS Program

COSI scholarships created for first-generation and students with disabilities

The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) Matching Student Scholarship grant, which is funded by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, awarded Aims $47,807 to distribute in scholarships. The Aims Community College Foundation raises an equal amount to double the funding impact, enabling the college to serve more students, explained Kelly Jackson, executive director of the Aims Foundation. Funds are distributed as scholarships for students whose families are unable to cover the cost of education fully. Students with disabilities and first-generation students also qualify for these scholarships. COSI-funded scholarships can go toward tuition or other supports such as laptops and housing, Jackson added.

Student emergency fund gets $10,000 boost from El Pomar Foundation

The Aims Foundation also received $10,000 from the privately managed El Pomar Foundation of Colorado Springs. Those grant dollars go into the Student Emergency Fund, which has become an increasingly important fund for students as COVID-19 impacts the workforce. Emergency funds can help cover the cost of a variety of emergent expenses that impact a student’s ability to remain enrolled and complete their program at Aims, Jackson said.

Higher education department promotes English, math success with grant

The Colorado Department of Higher Education also granted the college $10,000 to support early success for students who need additional support in math and English courses. These funds will go toward skill development for academic advisors in the Pathway Advising program. Funds will also support data collection for these student groups, enabling Aims to better track student progress and success in those programs, explained Audra Trnovec, Pathway Advising director at Aims.

Daniels Fund specifies scholarships for paramedic students working in EMS industry

The Boundless Opportunity Scholarship will benefit students currently enrolled in the paramedic program who also have experience working in the emergency medical services (EMS) industry, including a fire department, ambulance agency or emergency room setting. Because EMTs typically earn a low wage, they are often full-time EMS workers and full-time students at the same time in an effort to level up their skills and earning potential. The Daniels Fund grant is $12,500 each year for two years. Aims plans to award the application-driven, needs-based scholarships in allotments of $2,000 each. 

Perkins funding delivers cutting-edge equipment for student learning

Approximately $518,000 from the federally administered Carl D. Perkins Grant will be used to purchase equipment for student learning in career and technical education. In prior years, Aims has used the funding to buy flight and air traffic control simulators for the aviation program, virtual reality trainers for the welding and automotive collision programs, as well as electric and diesel engine vehicles for students in the automotive program to work on.

“When people visit campus, they are impressed with the equipment students get to experience,” said grant manager Landon Loyd. “The equipment  they work on at Aims is what they’ll use in the workplace, giving them an incredible learning experience.”