PJC Regents authorize $1 million in scholarships

Published or Revised March 25, 2014

Though students will pay a little more in fees in the 2014-15 school year, there will be no increase in tuition, as authorized by the PJC Board of Regents Monday night. But there will be substantially more scholarship money available to help PJC students pay for the cost of college in the coming year. Thanks to the PJC Memorial Foundation 2014-2015 scholarship allotment, PJC will have $1 million in scholarships available to students for the new academic year, beginning this August. Most recently, the annual award amount was about $600,000. “Currently, we have awarded 447 scholarships for this year and will award more this summer. These scholarships range in amounts from $250 to $2,000 per semester,” said PJC President Dr. Pamela Anglin. “The additional funds means that we will award around 700 to 800 scholarships next year.” The PJC general fee was increased by $5 per semester credit hour by the regents. It will be implemented in all tuition categories, and will raise about $500,000 in additional revenue. There has not been an increase in the general fee since 2002. PJC’s tuition is below state average, and the fees are still below state average as well, even with the increase. The board also recognized the men’s basketball team for winning the regular season conference, Region XIV tournament and going to the NJCAA national basketball tournament. “We appreciate all of your support throughout the year,” said PJC basketball coach Chuck Taylor to the regents. “It’s been a great year and I want to tell these guys how proud I am of them and we want to say thank you.” Nine of the players will be returning next year. In other business the Board of Regents:

• Heard a financial update from Vice President of Business Services Teri Zamora who reported that the college is stable, and has collected a little more than 80 percent of tuition and fees and is in good shape for revenue.
• Voted to continue to contribute locally through the United Way and opt out of the State Employee Charitable Contribution Campaign, thus allowing donations to remain local.
• Approved a one-year extension to the Aramark food service contract, which included a 4.5 percent increase. Changes have been made to what is offered in the cafeteria and increasing ticket sales beyond students living on campus has been seen.
• Approved the addition of differential tuition to the Cosmetology program of $40 per semester credit hour. It is a high cost program and the State of Texas allows this type of tuition to be added. Differential tuition is already charged for PJC’s vocational and associate degree nursing, radiology, surgical technology, EMT and jewelry programs.
• Approved an Internet lab fee of $30 for ENGL 1302 (Composition, Rhetoric and Reading) and IRWS 0301 and 0302 (Integrated Reading and Writing I and II).
• Cancelled the election for Board of Regents Place 3, as there was no opposition to Dr. Clifton E. Wilkerson.
• Discussed the need to lease space to offer career and technical programs in Greenville and Sulphur Springs. Leasing proposals will be brought to the April regents meeting.
• The Regents approved reemployment of current full-time faculty for 2014-2015, and the reassignment of Christi Timberlake as Advising and Counseling Academic Advisor, effective April 1.