The mission of the Blue and Gold Alumni Scholarship is to empower capable, economically-disadvantaged students, who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college, to pursue their career and personal goals through technical and vocational education.  Since most of the scholarships available at Elkin High School are for four-year bachelors programs, and few scholarships target vocational and technical students who aspire to a two-year Associates degree, the initial focus of the scholarship is to fill that void in scholarship offerings.  Hence, the emphasis will be on students desiring certification in a field such as CNC Machining/Mechatronics, Construction, Plumbing, Welding, Electrical Work, Electronics, HVAC, CDL Truck Driving, Nursing/CNA, Medical Technology, Computer Science and IT/Networking.  We will also consider supporting vocational fields such as Agricultural Science, Art & Design, Beauty & Wellness, Business & Finance, Childhood Education, Law & Public Safety.  After funding a student for two years in a vocational program, the scholarship will offer funding for that student to pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree in his/her field at a public institution.  

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The three track Plan

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The scholarship shall aim to assist students in three tracks, namely, those pursuing 1) a non-degree certification in a skilled vocation such as truck driving, plumbing, HVAC, welding, electrical, etc. 2) an Associate’s degree in a career field such as nursing or electronics, and 3) a bachelor’s degree in their career field such as accounting, nursing or computer science. 

 

After receiving an Associate’s degree, if the recipient wishes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in his/her career field at one of the 16 colleges/universities in the UNC system, the procedure would be the same for awarding funds. First the student must apply for a Pell Grant and see a financial aid counselor to determine the amount of additional money available.  Then the Blue and Gold scholarship will pay the balance of what is owed for tuition, fees, books and supplies and up to half of the cost of room and board if the recipient is living on campus.  For example, if a nursing student who has received an Associate’s degree and been certified as an RN wishes to continue his/her education at a senior college to obtain a BSN, the scholarship would help fund that in accordance with the stipulations stated above.

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SAFEGUARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

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1. Monthly bank statements and a report explaining income and expenses are sent to an audit committee which currently includes alumni with a financial or business background   (Frank Miller, Pratt Isenhour Davis, Kenneth Harris, and Ben Mastin)

2. In addition to the President, Pratt Davis has access to the checking account, and, each month, she goes into the account to ensure that the information in the monthly report agrees with what is in the checking account online.

3. At the end of our fiscal year (which corresponds to the calendar year), a report of income and expenses is sent to all alumni we have contact information for and is posted on our website and Facebook site.

4. Our CPA (Sam Dobbins) also files an annual 990 PF report to the IRS, and we are subject to an audit by the IRS.

5. The yearly report sent to the Board and alumni details how much money was collected from various sources and how the money was spent including the amount that went to scholarships and costs of running the scholarship.  No one in this organization receives any monetary compensation for labor or expenses.  The only expenses we have involves hosting a website (which Doug Reinhardt maintains), membership in the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce, marketing materials (most of which Doug Reinhardt has paid for) and paying a CPA to audit our account and fill out the 990 PF yearly.  Perhaps we can find a CPA among our alumni who will provide this service gratis – if that would not be a conflict of interest.