WIRED” GRANTS COLUMBIA STATE MORE THAN $26,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR
2009-2010 ACADEMIC YEAR

Grant Helps Students Majoring In Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math

(Columbia, Tenn. – August 4, 2009) – - – Columbia State Community
College has been allotted $26,400 in scholarship funds by the Tennessee
Valley region’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development
(WIRED) for the 2009-2010 academic year.

“Columbia State is very grateful to receive the funding,” said Pauletta
Burns, director of financial aid at Columbia State. “It is a great
opportunity for Columbia State students majoring in the science,
technology, engineering and math fields to receive assistance with their
tuition.”

The scholarship funds will support an associate degree in fields
including, but not limited to biotechnology and information technology.

Eligibility to receive a scholarship is dependent upon whether
applicants meet certain criteria. First, applicants must be a U.S.
citizen or have permanent status and reside in one of the 23 counties
designated in the Tennessee Valley WIRED region. The counties in
Tennessee include: Giles, Lawrence, Wayne, Marshall, Maury, Lewis,
Lincoln, Franklin and Marion. Second, applicant must complete the
Participant Form as required by the U.S. Department of Labor, and intake
form indicating county of residence. Students applying for the
scholarship must designate one of the science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) disciplines as the major program of study and enroll and
maintain full-time status throughout the award semester.

Also, students receiving college credit must have a minimum grade point
average of 3.00 from high school or grade point average of 2.75 for
existing college coursework. The scholarships must be used for the fall
2009 semester and spring 2010 semester. Scholarships may be full or
partial and may be used for tuition, fees, and books.

The WIRED grant was originally awarded in January 2007 from the U.S.
Department of Labor to Calhoun Community College and is making available
a total of $500,000 in scholarships to 13 two- and four-year
institutions in Alabama and Tennessee. The WIRED Initiative supports a
23-county region in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee and promotes
education, workforce and economic development.

For more information about the scholarship, contact Pauletta Burns at
(931) 540-2582 or by email at pburns4@columbiastate.edu.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in
southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin,
Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee’s first community
college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing
diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the
Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in
the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu
.