Pictured are Dr. Millicent Valek, Gary Hicks, Chris Witte, Tommy Plummer and Cleve Fontenot.

BASF establishes scholarship program to assist technology students

Local chemical company BASF has established a scholarship to aid qualified Brazosport College students working toward entering the community’s chemical manufacturing workforce.

The BASF Technology Scholarship will provide $50,000 of funding annually for five academic years, beginning in Fall 2011. The scholarship, which is available for full- and part-time students, as well as dual credit students, is designed to cover the cost of tuition, books and miscellaneous expenses.

Full-time students would receive $5,000 per year ($2,500 per semester), while part-time students taking at least six hours per semester would be awarded $2,500 per year ($1,250 per semester).

BASF also will sponsor as many as 15 dual credit students per year, paying tuition costs for one course per semester. Eligible schools include those in Brazosport ISD, Angleton ISD, Columbia-Brazoria ISD and Danbury ISD. Students must be accepted to attend or be enrolled in Brazosport College.

The scholarship was created mainly to encourage students to pursue a process technology degree. The scholarship also has the opportunity to attract students pursuing degrees in safety health and environmental management, chemical technology-lab technician, industrial and commercial electricity, instrumentation technology, office administration and a bachelor of applied technology.

“BASF is looking to build our future,” said BASF Freeport site Senior Vice President and Site Manager Chris Witte. “We know that 40 percent of our current employees are eligible to retire in the next five years. With more than half of our BASF direct workforce, and an even greater percentage of our contractors, employed in the technical arena, we see a need for ensuring we have a trained, skilled labor pool in our community. By providing students an opportunity to learn a trade or other needed skills that will better equip them to gain employment in the manufacturing sector – which offers competitive pay, benefits, opportunity for career growth and more – by doing this we are helping prepare for BASF’s future, while hopefully helping some of our neighbors create their own.”

For full details, considerations and eligibility requirements, contact Brazosport College’s financial aid department at (979) 230-3377.