At Trident Technical College, the biggest obstacles students face aren’t always found in the classroom. More often, they’re the unexpected costs that appear just when they are closest to reaching their goals.
Last year, the TTC Foundation awarded more than $512,000 in scholarships to 545 students. But at Trident Tech, scholarships do more than make tuition possible. They remove real-world barriers that can determine whether a student reaches graduation or steps away.
For students in high-demand programs like nursing, veterinary technology, dental hygiene and physical therapist assistant, required licensure exams, immunizations, background checks and exam preparation materials can add hundreds of dollars to the total cost of a program. These expenses arrive at the worst moments — when students are deep in clinicals, juggling final coursework and, in many cases, unable to maintain steady work hours.
These non-tuition, program-mandated costs are some of the most persistent barriers to completion. And they affect students who have already persevered through years of demanding academic and clinical requirements.
Several years ago, TTC veterinary technology students received news that put their clinical plans in jeopardy. A new mandate from the American Veterinary Medical Association required all students entering clinical rotations to receive the rabies vaccine. The cost: $1,180 per student.
Few could afford it. The class began brainstorming fundraisers, unsure how they would continue in the program or complete their required hours.
Then something remarkable happened. A generous family who understood the challenge created a scholarship specifically for non-tuition expenses. Every student who needed assistance received full funding for the vaccine, allowing the entire cohort to move forward.
By covering these essential costs, TTC Foundation scholarships remove financial obstacles that might delay graduation or limit a student’s opportunity to enter the workforce.
“Scholarships give our students breathing room,” said Lisa Piccolo, vice president for development and executive director of the TTC Foundation. “When students know these expenses are covered, they can focus on their studies instead of worrying about how they’ll pay for the next requirement on the list.”
This year, the flexibility of TTCF scholarships made an immediate impact on the Physical Therapist Assistant program. Twenty students received assistance to cover the cost of their licensure exam preparation, clearing the way for them to test right after graduation and step into careers where they are needed.
Wendy Albano, program coordinator, sees the relief firsthand.
“Because of clinical hours and other program demands, students aren’t really able to work during the semester,” she said. “An added expense at this point can completely derail all of the work they did to get here.”
Albano makes sure students understand the generosity behind the scholarship and encourages
them to write handwritten thank-you notes to the donor who made it possible.
TTC Foundation scholarships provide more than financial support. They offer reassurance. They give students the space to focus on learning, not on mounting fees. And they help ensure that the community has a steady pipeline of graduates ready to step into essential careers.
By expanding what a scholarship can cover, the TTC Foundation meets students where they are and supports them in the ways that matter most — with practical, career-ready assistance that clears the path to graduation and opportunity.