COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. A Fountain couple’s estate will eventually provide scholarships for many Pikes Peak area students to attend the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs or Pikes Peak Community College, college officials announced today.
Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Joseph Garcia, president, Pikes Peak Community College, announced the formation of the Kane Family Scholarship Program following several months planning with trustees responsible for the foundation formed by Alexander “Andy” Kane and his wife, Wanden Matthews Kane.
“I am told that Mr. and Mrs. Kane believed in independence through education,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “We agree and intend to implement this vision by providing high-ability and high-ambition young people the opportunity to realize their potential at the university.”
PPCC President Joseph Garcia said: “We are particularly pleased that the Kane Family Scholarship Foundation recognizes the effective partnership between UCCS and PPCC in creating higher education opportunities for area residents. I think these scholarships will lead to an increase in the already significant number of students who begin college at PPCC and then successfully transfer to UCCS to complete their undergraduate and graduate studies.”
The Kane Family Scholarship Program creates two different programs that provide merit-based aid for Colorado residents who attend UCCS or PPCC.
One program will select high-ability high school students for long-term support and will designate those students as Kane Family Scholars. Those students will have all tuition, required books and mandatory course fees covered at either PPCC or UCCS for up to three years for an associate’s degree at PPCC or up to five years to complete a bachelor’s degree at UCCS. Additionally, some Kane Family Scholars may also start at PPCC, complete an associate’s degree and continue as a Kane Family Scholar through the UCCS University Connection program.
A second scholarship program will provide general funding for each institution to award merit based Kane Family Scholarships each semester.
An initial group of Kane Family Scholars will be chosen this spring to begin classes for the Fall 2006 semester. PPCC and UCCS will each chose 10 Kane Family Scholars. Additionally, 12 Kane Family Scholars will be selected to participate in the University Connection program. Selection will be based on high school academic record, a formal application, and an interview.
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Once selected, Kane Family Scholars will be required to maintain a 3.0 (B) grade point average. A formal introduction of the scholarship and those students selected as the first Kane Scholars is planned for late May.
Each institution received $75,000 for the Kane Family Scholarship program for the Spring 2006 semester and will receive $75,000 for the Fall 2006 semester. These scholarships will be awarded based on student merit.
The Kane Family Scholars program provides students who wish to earn an associate’s degree the cost of required books, tuition, and course fees at PPCC for up to three years. For students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree, the scholarship will cover required books, tuition and course fees at UCCS for up to five years. The scholarship will also provide for students who begin at PPCC and wish to continue their education at UCCS through the University Connection program. The current value of the award for a Kane Family Scholar earning a bachelor’s degree through study at PPCC and UCCS could be as much as $33,500.
PPCC and UCCS officials are preparing information about the new scholarships, including details about the application process, for distribution to area high school counselors. In later years, university officials and trust administrators expect to expand the program, making it one of the largest scholarship programs of its kind in the state.
Alexander “Andy” Kane died June 3, 2003. Wanden Matthews Kane died Feb. 3, 1991.
Mr. Kane was born in 1918 on the family homestead east of Fountain. Later, he became a business partner to Wanden Matthews La Farge in the purchase of the South Gore Ranch. They later married and built the Kane Family Ranch headquarters near Williams Creek. Mr. Kane ranched and produced fine quarter horses for more than 30 years and was a member of the Cowboys Turtle Association, the predecessor to the Professional Cowboy Association. He participated in many rodeos and also provided roping stock.
Mrs. Kane was born in New York City and moved to the Pikes Peak region in 1940. She was a rancher, investor and educator who spoke seven languages, wrote Arabic and Sanskrit, and traveled the world. She was named Soroptimist Citizen of the Year in 1977. She was twice elected mayor of Fountain, was a member of the Baha’i faith, and founded the women’s association for rodeo.
During their lifetimes, the Kanes helped many young people with the financing of their education and also contributed to research related to drug and alcohol addiction. Before his death, Mr. Kane established the Kane Family Foundation and directed the Foundation provide funds for tuition and books for eligible students.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 25 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and two doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,800 students annually.
Pikes Peak Community College is a two-year public college offering Associate Degrees and Certificates in more than 125 programs of study, at three full-service campuses serving the north, south and central areas of the city. PPCC provides career training and liberal arts and sciences transfer programs. PPCC serves more than 14,000 students each year.