New PBSC initiatives to help students overcome financial barriers to education
Palm Beach State College has launched two initiatives to help students eliminate financial barriers so that they can continue to pursue their educational dreams.
The “Restart Your Dream” initiative offers up to 2,000 students who attended from fall 2017 to summer 2021 but stopped a chance to come back for free in-state tuition on any number of credits for the fall 2022 term. The initiative is on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate, students must fill out an admissions application, the 2022-23 FAFSA and register by Aug. 15.
The “Fresh Start” initiative is for students who attended PBSC between fall 2021 and summer 2022 and have a registration hold due to an unpaid balance. Those registration holds have now been removed to allow for fall 2022 registration and their past balance – regardless of the amount – will be paid by the College. These students will only be responsible for the current term charges and no longer have the burden of the prior outstanding balance.
“We understand that the pandemic has impacted students, many of whom live and work in Palm Beach County, in unprecedented ways,” said PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D. “Palm Beach State College, through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and generosity of the Foundation for Palm Beach State College, is offering students an opportunity of a lifetime to continue their education because we care about their futures. Their success is Palm Beach County’s success.”
The College is utilizing $2.8 million in CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief funding for unpaid balances of students who faced economic hardships as a result of the pandemic. An additional $1 million was donated by the Foundation at Palm Beach College to provide relief to students who stopped out due to financial challenges prior to the pandemic.
The College has identified more than 30,000 students who qualify for the “Restart Your Dream” initiative and 4,400 for the “Fresh Start” initiative. Both groups have been notified about the opportunities.
Students from these groups and new and prospective students are encouraged to attend an Open House on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Lake Worth campus.
“Because the last couple of years have been so challenging with COVID-19 and now with inflation and the high cost of living, many students have been forced to put their dreams on hold,” said Stephen Joyner, Ph.D., associate vice president of enrollment and retention. “We’re here to partner with them and do everything we can to help them not just restart their dreams but reach their end goals.”
For more information and to register for the Aug. 4 Open House, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/getstarted. For more information on admission to PBSC, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/admissions.
