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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Scholarships Available to Encourage Business Development in Monroe County


People looking to start or grow a new business in Monroe County may be eligible for MCC’s Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program. The scholarship program, now in its second year, covers tuition, fees and books for 38 aspiring entrepreneurs – providing the tools they need to start and manage their own small businesses. Entrepreneurs who will start or have existing businesses in the creative arts, construction, food, health-related and tourism services are especially encouraged to apply.

Registration for the Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program is separate from MCC’s standard enrollment procedure. Program information, including a downloadable application, is available online at <<
https://www.monroecc.edu/go/newbiz>>. Candidates must submit an application and an essay by Aug. 3. Thirty-eight participants will be chosen to participate in the fall semester, which begins on Sept. 8 and runs through Dec. 23. Only those awarded scholarships will be notified following the selection.

Participants in the program will learn about the nature of small business in today’s economy. This includes identifying the opportunities available for small businesses, understanding the legal forms of ownership, franchising, as well as developing marketing strategies that will best reach potential customers on a shoestring budget. Participants will also have the opportunity to work with business partners in the area – such as the Small Business Development Center – to help them further develop their current or prospective businesses.

While there are no formal education requirements for the program, participants must be interested in opening a business within the next 12 months, committed to completing the 15-week course and able to do college-level work. Those who are accepted will take one course this fall and will be eligible for a follow-up course in the spring. Students will earn three college credits for their participation in the program.

MCC’s Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program is funded by Finger Lakes WIRED, one of several regions funded by the United States Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative. Launched in November 2005, WIRED stresses the critical role that talent development plays in creating effective regional economic development strategies.

For more information or to apply for the Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program, contact Assistant Professor Sherry Tshibangu at <<
mailto:newbiz@monroecc.edu>> or visit <<http://www.monroecc.edu/go/newbiz>>.

Sherry Tshibangu
Business Administration/Economics
07/28/2009