SVCC: Polo’s Impact Program students' tuition is fully covered, forever

DIXON – The Sauk Valley College Foundation recently reached a milestone that will forever cover the cost of tuition at Sauk Valley Community College for Polo High School students who earn their tuition through the Impact Program.

The Impact Program helps local high school students pay for their tuition when they complete volunteer service hours. SVCC Vice President of Advancement Lori Cortez said that in April 2023, the Sauk Valley College Foundation kicked off the Marcos Endowment Challenge to fund Polo-area students through the Impact Program in perpetuity.

“This was after the Milledgeville-Chadwick school district became fully funded thanks to an estate gift from Hal Weaver,” Cortez said. “I had a few community members ask why we can’t get Polo fully funded. So, we kicked off an endowment challenge of $600,000 to fully fund the Polo Community school district. As of last week, we were able to finalize that campaign thanks to a $100,000 donation from Ann and Dr. Mark Styczynski and the many other donors who invested.”

The Marcos Endowment Challenge is part of the SVCF’s $10 million campaign goal to fully fund the Impact Program. Cortez said the Sauk Valley College Foundation already has raised $7.3 million toward that goal and is looking to fund Morrison-area students in perpetuity next.

“Donors can choose to give a one-time gift, even something as little as $10,” Cortez said. “We had a donor in Fulton who came forward and gave us $1 million to fund all Fulton, Prophetstown, Lyndon and Tampico school district kids.”

Cortez said the SVCF also is accepting monthly pledge donations. All donations are tax-deductible, she said.

Cortez said the Impact Program currently has 1,400 students enrolled, with the program having collectively completed more than 60,000 volunteer hours since its inception. Last year, it was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Revitalization.

How to qualify

To be part of the Impact Program, a student must register by Sept. 1 of their current high school year and must follow a list of benchmarks. They include:

• staying on pace with the graduation date of their graduating class.
• completing 100 community service hours before the graduation date (25 hours per year).
• graduating from a high school or homeschool program within the SVCC district.
• applying for at least one other local, state or national scholarship.
• completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA; if you are not eligible, use the FAFSA forecaster.

Covered costs

Impact Program students have the opportunity to earn three years of tuition and fees at SVCC.

Enrollment begins April 1 of a student’s eighth-grade year and continues until Sept. 1 of their freshman year of high school. The program covers tuition and all fees, with reduced coverage at tiered rates for students who sign up after their freshman year.

• Students who sign up by Sept. 1 of their freshman year of high school are eligible for 100% earned tuition and fees.
• Students who sign up by Sept. 1 of their sophomore year of high school are eligible for 75% earned tuition and fees.
• Students who sign up by Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school are eligible for 50% earned tuition and fees.
• Students who are dismissed from the Impact Program are ineligible to sign up again in a future year.

Other requirements

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA each semester and complete 25 hours of community service each year. They also must be enrolled in a certificate, degree or transfer program.

For information, call 815-835-6650 or email impact@svcc.edu.