April 24, 2017

PA’s Community Colleges Honor 49 Exceptional Students

The PA Commission for Community Colleges Saturday honored the 23rd Annual All-Pennsylvania Academic Team to recognize an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities.
The 2017 All-PA Team consists of 49 outstanding community college scholars from across the Commonwealth. Students must have completed at least 36 credits at a community college and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher to be considered for these awards.
“The Commission congratulates these outstanding student scholars on their academic achievements.” said Elizabeth Bolden, President and CEO of PACCC. “By enrolling in a high-quality program at a community college, these students have taken an important step toward realizing their education and career goals.”  
Pennsylvania’s community colleges partner with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities to provide scholarships to All-PA Team members at PASSHE institutions, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE school.
Thirty-one of this year’s team members intend to transfer to PASSHE institutions, and many intend to pursue postgraduate education in a wide range of fields.
The student receiving the highest All-USA Community College Academic Team application score in each state is named a Coca-Cola New Century Scholar.
Scott Duffy of Delaware County Community College is this year’s recipient of the honor, which comes with a $2,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Educational Foundation. Duffy was also named to the All-USA Community College Academic Team, an honor bestowed on only 20 students across the country. All-USA Community College Academic Team members also receive a $5,000 scholarship.
The Pennsylvania awardees also include 2 Coca-Cola Silver Scholars, who will receive $1,250 scholarships, and 2 Coca-Cola Bronze Scholars, who will receive $1,000 scholarships.
The All-USA Community College Academic Team is sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group, a leading provider of college and university bookstore services, with additional support provided by PTK and the AACC.
The New Century Scholars program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, PTK and the AACC.
Students nominated to the national All-USA Community College Academic Team are automatically named to the All-State Community College Academic Teams. The programs share common eligibility criteria, which includes enrollment at a community college, a minimum 3.5 grade point average, completion of a minimum of 36 college-level credits, and being on track to receive an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Click Here for a complete list of awardees.  Questions should be directed to Danielle Gross, 717-418-9001 or send email to: dgross@pacommunitycolleges.org.
For more information on community colleges, visit the PA Commission for Community Colleges website.