Great Plains College announces new endowment fund

Great Plains College is thrilled to see its Entrance Scholarship program grow by $40,000 thanks to a generous donation from Loretta and Alfred Romankewicz. The money was used to create the Loretta and Alfred Romankewicz Endowment Fund, which will help students ease the financial stress of post-secondary education for many years to come.

The newly established fund will provide two annual entrance scholarships for students from southwest Saskatchewan who will be attending Swift Current Campus. The first scholarship will be awarded to a student entering a healthcare or university program, and the second scholarship will be awarded to a student entering a trades program.

“Loretta and Alfred Romankewicz have been active community members and generous supporters of many initiatives throughout their 50 years of living and working in southwest Saskatchewan,” said Dianne Sletten, donor services coordinator. “We are grateful for their genuine desire to help make post-secondary education more affordable for many future students through the creation of this new, extremely generous endowment fund.”

Alfred, who worked in the construction industry and Loretta who worked as a teacher at O.M. Irwin School for 20 years, both believe in the importance of having post-secondary education options available right in Swift Current and wanted to create a legacy that would help students access those opportunities with less financial burden.

The first scholarships from this endowment will be awarded in the 2020-21 academic year; the amount provided will vary from $500 to $5,000 per scholarship, based on the recipient’s grades.

Great Plains College boasts one of the most competitive scholarship programs among regional colleges in the province. Since 2009, more than $2 million has been distributed to students enrolled in full-time student loan-eligible programs.

For more information about entrance scholarships or becoming a donor, visit greatplainscollege.ca.