WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — The window of opportunity for potential students in a new tuition-free college program is small.
Northcentral Technical College Vice President of Student Services Jeannie Worden was one of several officials that announced the new NTC Promise program Friday. Worden says it’s a new initiative for NTC they started knowing employers need specific skills, and the new workforce needs training for but can’t always afford college tuition. “We know that 84% of our students in our district are financially aidable, and many times, the financial barrier does not allow them to come to college, so we want to have this opportunity for anybody to get a college education.”
The NTC Promise program is now looking for qualifying high school seniors about to graduate this spring.
Worden says employers are looking for a skilled workforce, and they know there are students who want to get the necessary education to fill the available jobs, but can’t afford it. She says that’s why they decided to do something different. “We went to our foundation and our business community and asked if they would be willing to partner with us to start this program, and our hope is that it’s successful and we’re able to continue into perpetuity.”
Worden says the manufacturing, information technology, and health care sectors were all enthusiastic about the program, as many area businesses in these fields are having a hard time filling available jobs.
The NTC Promise has an application deadline, and Worden says there’s a small window of opportunity to get in. “There’s some very important deadlines, and the deadline is April 1st to apply for the NTC Promise. We will be having sessions where students can come with their parents at NTC in Wausau, and actually each of our regional campuses.”
The school and the funding partners will need to have sign-ups done quickly so they can prepare enough program facilities and instructors for the demand. Worden says that’s the reason behind the short application window. “We are not limiting the number of students that we’re taking. They need to apply by April 1st, meet the qualification requirements, and we are not capping the number.”
The NTC Foundation and it’s partner businesses will pick up the cost of tuition not paid by other grant programs.
Justin Willis is the dedicated advisor for the NTC Promise program, and can be reached at 715-675-3331, or toll free at 888-682-7144. More information and online application is available at www.ntc.edu/promise.
There are also some other technical colleges doing this type of program, so if you live in other parts of Wisconsin, see what similar opportunities are available in your area.
(Listen to our interview with Jeannie Worden at our website, here.)