CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — West Texas A&M University announced that several of WT’s students earned scholarships from the Education Credit Union Foundation at a “surprise presentation” on Tuesday.

According to officials, $250 scholarships were presented to 44 students – 10 awarded by WT and 34 awarded by the ECU Foundation – during a ceremony that honored 110 graduates of WT’s Money Management Bootcamp. Officials noted that the boot camp was a six-week, noncredit course hosted by the ECU Buff $mart program and helped students further understand finances and “empowers them to make informed choices to improve their financial well-being.”

During the boot camp that covered topics on paying for college, building credit responsibility, budgeting and saving, and more, students could receive points for attendance, participation, completing assignments, and attending coaching sessions, making them eligible for a scholarship drawing, officials added.

At the end of the Tuesday ceremony that took place in the Fairly Group Club at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, officials said, Marcus Smith, ECU CEO and chairman of the board for its foundation, announced that the foundation would fund the scholarships for the 44 scholarship-eligible students.

“Financial literacy is so important for college students, and we are proud to support this bootcamp for area students,” said Matt Morgan, executive director of the ECU Foundation. “It is a great feeling to provide scholarships for these students who went above and beyond the basic requirements of the course. They are all deserving of the little bit of extra help in their college journeys.” 

Officials detailed that nearly $11,000 in scholarship funds were presented to the students by both ECU and WT.

“The continued support from both Education Credit Union and the ECU Foundation has been a key component in the growth of the Buff $mart Program,” said program coordinator Meghan Williams. “They want to see students succeed just as much as the faculty and staff do at WT.”