Twenty-six teams competed from across the state
Plymouth, NH – The second annual New Hampshire Governor’s Cup robotics competition took place on September 28, 2019 at the ALLWell North facility at Plymouth State University. Twenty-six teams competed from across the state, and members of the winning alliance of teams are eligible for a one-semester tuition waiver at the NH community colleges.
In keeping with his mission to build New Hampshire’s workforce for “not just tomorrow but for five, ten, twenty years,” Governor Chris Sununu worked with the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) and the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) to waive tuition for one semester of full-time study at any of the institutions within USNH or CCSNH for the high school seniors on the wining alliance.
“For the second consecutive year, we are pleased to offer a waiver of tuition for seniors on the winning alliance of teams, whose effort and mastery of the skills associated with the competition served them so well today,” said CCSNH Executive Director of Government Affairs and Communications, Shannon Reid. “We congratulate them and all of the competitors. We also encourage all of these students to explore the outstanding educational opportunities available at New Hampshire’s community colleges which offer a wealth of options to meet a student’s educational and career interests.”
Students are encouraged to contact any of New Hampshire’s community colleges to learn more about the waiver and the admissions process.
About the waiver of tuition: Seniors on the winning alliance are eligible for waiver of the tuition costs for one semester of full-time study at any of the institutions listed below. To be eligible for the waiver, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. The tuition waiver will be applied after any grants and scholarships the student receives. The waiver is “last-dollar” and will be applied to tuition only, it will not be applied to other costs such as books, room and board, fees or other costs of attendance.*
- Granite State College
- Great Bay Community College
- Keene State College
- Keene State College
- Lakes Region Community College
- Manchester Community College
- Nashua Community College
- NHTI-Concord’s Community College
- Plymouth State University
- River Valley Community College
- University of New Hampshire at Manchester
- University of New Hampshire Main Campus (Durham)
- White Mountains Community College
Students must go through the regular admission process and be accepted by the institution.
The tuition waiver must be used within one year from the date of the competition.
To be eligible the student must have participated for the full 2018-2019 Competition season and be participating in the 2019-2020 FIRST Robotics Competition season.
*For students enrolling at a NH community college: The recipient will receive a waiver for tuition and tuition-related fees that exceed the amount of grants and scholarships awarded to the student. This means that the student will first apply grants and scholarships to the tuition cost, and any tuition balance remaining will be waived by the college. Tuition-related fees are fees that are directly tied to a course, for example lab fees and comprehensive fees. Examples of fees NOT related to tuition would be housing, parking fine, late fee, conduct fine. Please direct questions to College Bursar’s Office.
An elementary school educator for 15 years, Ross decided to go back to school to expand her expertise in science. River Valley Community College provided several opportunities for Ross, who is both a graduate of the college and a currently enrolled student. She has identified ways she can turn her interests and education to help others during her time at RVCC. She graduates next summer 2019 with associate degrees in biological sciences, early childhood education, and liberal arts with a concentration in math and science.
While pursuing a degree in biological sciences, Ross found an opportunity to start a program for girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) at her local 4-H. The program, called B.e.G.I.F.T.S, Boys and Girls Initiating Future Thinking in Science, became a huge success and led to the creation of other similar programs. “What’s important is promoting leadership and advocating for youth,” said Ross, “so we have knowledgeable, productive, empathetic young adults who will take purposeful and intentional actions that will result in powerful interactions in the near future.”
Ross continues to advocate for young students by working at the elementary school where she took the first steps into public service and education. “We have more children living in nontraditional homes, so how do we teach this group effectively in ways that lead to positive growth?” said Ross. She hopes her education and service experiences will position her to answer questions like this in the future.
When Ross enrolled in River Valley Community College she said, “I was scared to start school because I was a nontraditional student, and I made many excuses to not go back. One day I finally applied for financial aid. On days I am struggling with being an educator, a scientist and a student I remind myself I am an action-taker, and I am not afraid to try new things.”
Even with River Valley’s lowest-in-the-state tuition, returning to college has been a financial challenge. Ross says the scholarship awards will ease the financial burden of earning her multiple degrees. “Both awards are such a huge surprise and a great honor. I go to school to help my community and it’s incredible to be honored for that,” she said. “What inspired and encouraged me to pursue scholarships are the faculty and staff here at RVCC. Making the choices to go back to school has put me on a path to creating programs for children in STEM. I am so grateful.”
