The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation and Maricopa Community Colleges have announced a campaign to raise $20 million to help students overcome financial barriers to higher education.

The EmpowerED for Student Success effort will last for three years, and the money raised will focus on four areas at the college district’s 10 campuses – scholarships, basic needs resources, workforce development and programming to sustain College Promise Programs, according to a release announcing the fundraiser.

“As an open-access institution, we are committed to ensuring higher education is affordable and accessible to any student that chooses our colleges as their learning community,” Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Steven R. Gonzales said.

“The ability to pay for expenses outside of tuition is often the most challenging for many of our students. This campaign will not only meet students' educational and financial needs but also address the critical workforce shortage by preparing them to be job-ready.”

As of July, nearly 170,000 jobs remain unfilled across Arizona, the release stated, with the biggest hurdle being that job candidates lack the necessary skills needed for the positions.

“The EmpowerED campaign is different from our established fundraising initiatives because it’s unique in its timing,” Brian Spicker, MCCF president and CEO, said.

“Today, students face challenges very different from what we witnessed a decade ago. This campaign helps our students cross the finish line, and that goal is vital because many of our students stay within our local communities." 

For more: https://www.mcccdf.org/empowered/.