By KATY SAVAGE
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CLAREMONT — Chelsea Newton wants a better life for her children.
Newton, 33, is a single person with daughters ages 6 and 4. Newton lives in Enfield, New Hampshire and works 16 hours a week as a medical assistant while she studies to be a nurse at River Valley Community College.
Newton hopes being a nurse will give her a salary boost from her current job, which pays an average of $14.67 per hour, according to Indeed.
Newton has taken out student loans to make up for the income she’s lost while being in school. She uses scholarship money to pay tuition.
“A lot of strategic planning went into this,” she said.
Newton is one of nearly 30 RVCC students who were awarded New Hampshire Charitable Foundation scholarships last year, which totaled $63,000.
NHCF plans to award a half-million dollars in grants and scholarships each year for the next four years starting in 2018.
NHCF is an organization that manages 1,900 different funds created by individuals, families and businesses in the state.
Newton received about $5,000 from NHCF, she said.
“Honestly, I couldn’t do it without the scholarships and grants,” Newton said.
While studies find New Hampshire students graduate with the highest debt in the country, NHCF more than tripled its support for students attending community colleges last year — from $150,000 in 2016 to nearly $440,000.
The dramatic increase in scholarships occurs in the wake of predictions that there won’t be enough employees to match workforce needs if trends continue.
A 2015 Georgetown University study found 68 percent of jobs in New Hampshire will require education beyond high school in 2025. Currently, about half of New Hampshire’s graduates have education beyond high school. The state has a goal of increasing that to 65 percent by 2025.
“The failure to reach that goal will harm the state’s ability to retain, attract and grow business, and will have long-term effects on the state’s economy and quality of life,” according to the Community College System of New Hampshire website.
The need for funding is significant.
The average New Hampshire student carries $36,101 in debt, according to a 2015 study by The Institute for College Access and Success. That compares to Vermont students who graduate with an average of $28,662 in debt.
“We as a state need to increase our attainment. Simultaneously, we have to increase education for young people and their families,” said NHCF President of Community Impact Katie Merrow.
NHCF scholarships are available to all ages and all fields of study.
Some applications for funding on the foundation’s website have a deadline of April 13.
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