Casper College grad establishes Educational Support Fund

Casper College alumna Laura Burback has established the “Educational Support Fund” Scholarship.

Burback established the fund to assist Casper College students taking six or more credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 who are enrolled in the college’s Successful Transition and Academic Retention, or S.T.A.R., program. A specific major or area of study is not required to qualify for the scholarship, but applicants must be Wyoming residents.

“The primary reason for this fund is to help those students that do not qualify for Hathaway or Pell Grant federal funding, which is a monetary barrier for those wanting to pursue higher education,” said Shelly Ann, student success advocate and S.T.A.R. coordinator at Casper College.

The S.TA.R. program provides direct services such as academic coaching, financial aid assistance, year-round on-campus housing, and professional and personal development. The program also assists S.T.A.R. students in completing degrees at Casper College through various supportive services.

“When I was hired for this job last year, Laura Burback, my financial adviser until she recently retired, asked what I did as the S.T.A.R. coordinator at Casper College and where I saw a need in the students I was meeting with. I told her that many of these students need financial help with tuition, textbooks, and sometimes emergency funding,” said Ann. According to Ann, Burback decided to set up a fund for students in the S.T.A.R. program. “I know there are students that fall through the cracks and are just short of reaching their goals; that is what this fund is for,” Burback said.

“Laura Burback is encouraging others to donate to the fund to help it grow and to provide support to students in the S.T.A.R. program,” added Ann Dalton, associate director of development and alumni engagement.

To apply for this and other Casper College scholarships, go to caspercollege.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/foundation-institution.

To donate toward the fund, contact Dalton at 307-268-2325.

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