Georgia Northwestern Technical College has announced the first recipients of the Disabled Veterans Support Scholarship, with 12 students receiving awards for the summer 2026 semester.
Funded through voluntary donations made on Georgia state income tax returns, the Disabled Veterans Support Scholarship was created to help U.S. military veterans with service-connected disabilities pursue technical education in Georgia. The program is administered by the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation and is designed to cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, required supplies and other educational expenses.
Josh Hickman, Military-Connected Services coordinator at GNTC, said he is encouraged by the success of the scholarship’s first semester.
“I am thrilled with the results of the first semester of the Disabled Veterans Support Scholarship,” Hickman said. “The 12 recipients for the summer semester are incredibly deserving of this scholarship. I have high hopes that we will see even more students apply for this scholarship in the coming semesters.”
The summer 2026 scholarship recipients are:
- Tennyson Bowers of Dalton, Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Whitfield Murray Campus
- Christian Cooke of Rome, Healthcare Management, Floyd County Campus
- Greg Huff of Dalton, Cybersecurity, Whitfield Murray Campus
- Jaeger Jimenez of Euharlee, Aviation Maintenance Technology, Floyd County Campus
- Michael Laakkonen of Adairsville, Culinary Arts, Floyd County Campus
- Paxton Long of Rocky Face, Cybersecurity, Whitfield Murray Campus
- Carisa McGuffin of Dallas, Healthcare Management, Walker County Campus
- Jessica Rambo of Adairsville, Welding and Joining Technology, Floyd County Campus
- Brenda Sontay of Rome, Vascular, Floyd County Campus
- Jason Voight of Canton, EMS Professions, Gordon County Campus
- John White of Rome, Automation Engineering Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus
- Kevin Wilkes of Cedartown, Instrumentation and Controls Technician, Floyd County Campus
The scholarship aims to remove financial barriers that veterans may face while pursuing career training, allowing them to focus on completing their education and preparing for employment in Georgia’s high-demand industries.
Eligible applicants must be U.S. military veterans with a service-connected disability, enrolled in an accredited degree, diploma or technical certificate program on either a full-time or part-time basis, and provide documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs verifying their disability rating.
Veterans with disability ratings between 0% and 50% may receive up to $500 per academic term, with a maximum of $1,500 annually. Those with disability ratings between 60% and 100% may receive up to $1,000 per term, capped at $3,000 per year.
College officials say they hope the scholarship will continue to grow, helping even more veterans earn the education and training needed to transition into rewarding careers across Georgia.