The Aspen Community Foundation was awarded $1.4 thousand from the state of Colorado’s Department of Higher Education.
The funds will go toward nearly 30 college scholarships overseen by Aspen Community Foundation. In Garfield County, two-year scholarships worth between $500 and $3,000 per year will go to 25 students. Scholarships are also available for students at Aspen and Basalt high schools.
The state’s announcement came days after Aspen Community Foundation handed out its own round of grants to local youth centered nonprofits. Aspen Community Foundation's Executive Director Tamara Tormohlen told recipients at a luncheon this month that the valley’s reputation for wealth does not paint the whole picture.
“A quiet crisis still exists in our community, namely the disparity of opportunity and hope and achievement for our low income families,” said Tormohlen.
The 35 grantees provide everything from basic needs of food and shelter to leadership training for children in the valley.
An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the amount granted to the Aspen Community Foundation from the state.
