A Hanford contractor is donating $175,000 over five years to pay for student scholarships at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.
Mission Support Alliance, or MSA, which provides support services for the Hanford nuclear reservation, announced the donation Wednesday.
"Education is critical. It is the gateway to opportunity in this country," said Frank Figueroa, MSA president and general manager. "By (making the donation) we feel like we're doing our part."
The bulk of the money -- $100,000 -- will be used to pay for scholarships for children and other dependents of MSA employees. Twenty scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded each year. US Bank chipped in for the those scholarships.
Another portion of the MSA donation will pay for a co-op program in which CBC students will be hired to work for the contractor during the summer and school year. The students will gain valuable job experience, while at the same time the local work force will be built up, Figueroa said.
To qualify, students must be U.S. citizens, age 18 or older and maintain a GPA of at least 3.0, according to information from MSA. Students will work full time in the summer and part time during the school year. The program will start next academic year.
MSA also is contributing $37,500 to CBC's general scholarship fund.
Rich Cummins, president of the college, said the money will make a difference for many CBC students and the community.
The college "shares MSA's vision of building a better workforce through education," he said.
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