SC Technical College Students Join Forces at the Fourth Annual Lottery Tuition Assistance Rally
COLUMBIA (Jan. 25, 2011) – Hundreds of SC Technical College System students gathered at the State House on January 25th to show their support and appreciation for the Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA) program. Speakers included Dr. Darrel Staat, System president; Sen. John Courson, chairman, Senate Education Committee; Rep. Phil Owens, chair, Education and Public Works Committee; and Leon Rogers, an LTA recipient and student at Florence-Darlington Technical College.
"This is something we fought for five or six years ago to get in the budget in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, and we are going to keep that money in the appropriations bill," said Courson.
"South Carolina's technical colleges are producing the workforce for today's jobs and preparing the workforce for tomorrow," said Owens.
Leon Rogers, a student at Florence-Darlington Technical College, described the recent journey that led him back to the classroom. Rogers recently battled colon cancer without health insurance leaving him with medical expenses. He says that without Lottery Tuition Assistance, he would not be able to pursue his education.
"Simply put, if it wasn’t for the SC Lottery Tuition Assistance program, I would not be in school today," said Rogers. "At Florence-Darlington Technical College, our motto is 'Growing the economy, one graduate at a time.' I urge our state legislature to continue to support this program, so that students like me will have a chance."
"LTA is vital to the future success of South Carolina. All of you out there represent the face of that success. You are the face of South Carolina's future," said Staat.
The Lottery Tuition Assistance program was created by the General Assembly in 2002 for public two-year institutions. Unlike merit-based lottery-funded aid, award amounts are not guaranteed from semester to semester, and fluctuate based on lottery collections and the demand.
This marks the fouth year that technical college students from around the state have gathered for the LTA Rally.
For photos from the event, please visit our LTA Facebook site or visit our Flickr site. For more information on Lottery Tuition Assistance, visit our LTA section.
