Gateway Community College, Surprise partner to create scholarships for water-related careers

PHOENIX — Earlier this month, the city of Surprise partnered with Gateway Community College so the two-year institution can offer scholarships for students interested in a water-related career.

Beginning in August, up to 10 applicants who fit one of several criteria will be eligible for funding. Possible scholarship recipients include Surprise residents, city employees or Luke Air Force Base employees.

Applicants can be full-time or part-time students at GCC and the proposed scholarships will be utilized to fund tuition and institutional fees per semester, according to a press release.

Scholarship pursuers must send their application directly through GCC since the city will not have any influence on winners or transmit the funding.

The new cooperative terms have freed up space for classes at Surprise-Gateway Training Facility, which sits close to Surprise’s wastewater treatment location. Such close proximity affords GCC students the unique opportunity to work directly with the city and develop their career with real-world oversight.

Students at GCC can achieve an Associate in Applied Science in Environmental Science and Water Resources Technologies, a Certificate of Completion in Water and Wastewater Treatment or Environmental Science Technology.

Gateway is the only college in the Grand Canyon state that offers such specialized degrees and certifications in water-related fields. Credits earned through the scholarship are eligible for transfer to a state-sponsored university.

More information is available online.

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