Friday, May 04, 2012STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Trustees of Eastern Gateway Community College have approved the Gateway Grant, which could save qualified full-time students from Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties $3,150 annually. The board also authorized the college president to secure an as-yet unfinalized permanent location for the college's Valley Center in Youngstown.
The location will be secured through an agreement with Higher Education Partners-EGCC Ohio. Plans call for the new center to be open for fall 2012 classes.
Eastern Gateway’s tuition stands at $105 per credit hour, and tuition to attend both fall and spring semesters full-time would run about $3,150, said Dr. Laura Meeks, Eastern Gateway president. This compares to the full-time tuition of $9,672 to attend The Ohio State University for the same period, she added.
For eligible 2012 high school graduates, Eastern Gateway will award the Gateway Grant, which covers the cost of tuition. To be eligible, students from Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties must have a 2.5 grade point average or better and attend Eastern Gateway full time starting in the fall after high school graduation. The grant will cover tuition for four successive semesters of full-time attendance at any of the college’s class-delivery locations or online. The Gateway Grant does not cover books, supplies, lab/materials or technology fees, which average around $750 per semester depending on the program of study, Meeks noted.
This grant mirrors the Horizon Grant available for high school graduates in Jefferson County attending the Jefferson County Campus here.
Members of the 2012 graduating classes throughout Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties may call 330 744 8967 to ask an admissions representative about the Gateway Grant.
The new Valley Center location will replace the current location in the Choffin Career and Technical Center in Youngstown. Classes and labs there have filled up quickly, as enrollment from the three counties has grown from 174 in fall 2009 to 813 in spring 2012.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.