Columbia Basin Community College Scholarship

Currently, we provide a $1,000 scholarship to the CBC Foundation. The CBC Foundation administers the scholarship on behalf of the Tri-Cities Branch of AAUW and is awarded to a woman student majoring in any field.

A little history about our local scholarships…

When both the Richland and the Pasco-Kennewick Branches were formed in the late 1940s, raising money for local scholarships was strictly frowned on by the Association as the national organization was called. All funds raised were to be sent to the Educational Foundation at the Association for fellowships for American and International women working on Doctorates and post Doctorates. It wasn’t until the 1990s or later that it became permissible for Branches to provide money for local scholarships. Both of the local Branches were obedient about this rule.

According to the minutes of the merged group known at the Tri-Cities Branch of AAUW, in 2006 the Branch agreed to establish a fund for a “local project” to provide assistance to a woman student through the Women’s Resource Center at CBC. In 2008 Pasco High School was celebrating its 100th graduation. It was a goal of the Pasco Education Foundation to raise as many $1,000 scholarships as they could. The Tri-Cities Branch or AAUW set a goal to raise one $1,000 Scholarship for a female student who planned to major in a STEM subject. Money in the Branch treasury was earmarked, and members were asked to donate as much as they could. To our complete surprise we raised enough money to provide one $1,000 scholarship, and then we cooperated with the Horse Heaven Hills Kiwanis Club to provide another $1,000 scholarship for another female student who planned to major in a STEM subject. Each donating entity contributed $500 to this effort.

After providing these scholarships to Pasco graduating seniors, it was planned to rotate scholarships among the high schools in the Tri-Cities. Upon inquiry the Branch learned that the Kennewick Education Foundation had no mechanism for handling donations of this kind. In 2009 the Tri-Cities Branch voted to donate $500 to the CBC Foundation. This scholarship would be awarded to a female student in her second year. On the advice of the CBC Foundation, the scholarship could be awarded to a woman student majoring in any field Later in 2009 the Branch agreed to provide a $1,000 scholarship to the CBC Foundation. The CBC Foundation administers the scholarship on behalf of the Tri-Cities Branch of AAUW.