Burke Collegiate Scholars Program
Western Piedmont Foundation, Inc. sponsors an innovative program designed to encourage academically capable rising sixth graders identified as potential first-generation college students, to complete high school and enroll at WPCC with eligibility for full funding for tuition and fees for five consecutive semesters should students not be eligible for sufficient Pell Grant funding. Each year, the Foundation selects one Burke Collegiate Scholar and two runners up in each of Burke County’s fourteen elementary schools to participate in the program. The awards are made on the basis of academic potential, leadership skills, first generation college status, and financial need. During these students’ middle school and high school years, the Foundation and WPCC’s TRIO Educational Talent Search Program provide support in the form of regular academic and enrichment programs.