MILWAUKEE – On Wednesday, January 4 at 2:30 p.m. Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson will encourage current and new MATC students to apply for the Ellen & Joe Checota MATC Scholarship before the deadline of Friday, January 6. The full-ride scholarship is designed for students seeking to earn a short-term career certificate or diploma from MATC to jumpstart their careers by taking advantage of the college’s first-ever full-ride scholarship program.

Ellen and Joe Checota, two long-time Milwaukee residents, have committed to an up to $5 million charitable gift to the MATC Foundation to initially fund the scholarship. The Checotas are matching gifts $2:$1 so that when fully funded, it will represent a $7.5 million fund, the largest scholarship investment in the college’s history.

The Checota MATC Scholarship is a full-ride program for students seeking to earn a short-term career certificate or diploma from MATC. The scholarship covers tuition, course fees, books and required supplies/equipment, child care, food, transportation and housing at MATC’s Westown Green apartments in Milwaukee. The scholarship was originally open only to current students in August 2022, and 123 students took advantage and 25 recipients graduated in Winter. Beginning this Spring 2023 semester — which begins in two weeks —the scholarship is open to new, current and returning students.

The deadline to apply is this Friday, January 6.

WHO: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson

MATC President Dr. Vicki J. Martin

Joe and Ellen Checota

MATC student scholarship recipients

WHAT:  Announcement for new, current and returning students to apply for the full-ride

Checota MATC scholarship before the Friday, January 6 deadline.

WHEN:  Wednesday, January 4, 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: MATC Downtown Milwaukee Campus, 1015 N. 6th Street, Room T135    

Parking options: 6th & State (Main entrance) or the intersection at 7th & Highland (adjacent to T building) or surrounding garages

VISUALS:       Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Lab and Machine Tool Operations equipment