Nov. 18—DIXON — Sauk Valley Community College’s Impact Program has received the Lieutenant Governor Award for Excellence in Revitalization.
The award was accepted on behalf of the college by Bill Wescott, chairman of the Sauk Valley College Foundation, and Kim Ewoldsen, executive director of Donor Relations and Economic Development, on Nov. 14 at the 2024 Illinois Main Street Conference in Batavia.
In partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the award honors those leading revitalization efforts, including design, organization, economic vitality and promotions. The Impact Program received the award for its “outstanding efforts to revitalize the community and provide transformative opportunities through education.”
The Impact Program helps local students pay their tuition by fulfilling volunteer hours within their community. SVCC’s Vice President of Advancement Lori Cortez said 1,500 area students are enrolled in the program.
“The older students right now are seniors in high school,” Cortez said. “We expect to enroll approximately 40 students from Prophetstown and Fulton, Sauk, in the Impact Program next fall.”
How to qualify
*Students must register by September 1 of their current high school year.
*Students must stay informed of the graduation date of their graduating class.
* Must complete 100 community service hours before graduation date (25 hours per year).
* Must graduate from a high school or homeschool program within the SVCC district.
*Must apply for at least one other local, state, or national grant.
* Must complete the FAFSA; if you don’t qualify, use the FAFSA predictor.
Covered costs
“An Impact student has the opportunity to earn three years of tuition and fees at Sauk Valley Community College, which equates to a $30,000 scholarship,” Cortez said.
Registration begins April 1 of a student’s eighth grade year and continues through September 1 of a student’s freshman year of high school. The program covers tuition and all fees, with reduced coverage at tiered rates for students who enroll after their freshman year.
*Students who enroll by September 1 of their junior year in high school are eligible for 100% earned tuition and fees.
*Students who apply before September 1 of their sophomore year of high school are eligible for 75% of earned tuition and fees.
*Students who apply before September 1 of their junior year of high school are eligible for 50% of earned tuition and fees.
*Students dismissed from the Impact Program are not eligible to re-enroll in a subsequent year.
Other requirements
Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average each semester and complete 25 hours of community service each year. They must also be enrolled in a certificate, diploma or transfer program.
Since the start of the Impact program in 2021, Dixon High School students have completed 7,693 hours of community service. The program was nominated for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award by Discover Dixon.
“Find out that Dixon is a great volunteer partner for the Impact Program,” Cortez said. “They provide students with opportunities on an almost weekly basis. Students can volunteer with Discover Dixon and earn their tuition and fees.”
For more information, call 815-835-6650 or email impact@svcc.edu.
