Metallica foundation gives $50,000 for student scholarships at Spokane Community College

A $50,000 donation from the heavy metal band Metallica will help dozens of students pursue their education at Spokane Community College.

SCC is one of 10 colleges in the United States selected for grants from Metallica’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands.

According to a news release from SCC, the school will use the money to continue its Metallica Scholars program, which began last year when the band’s foundation gifted $100,000.

The foundation describes Metallica Scholars as “a major workforce education initiative that provides direct support to community colleges to enhance their career and technical education programs.”

Combined with $50,000 from SCC, the $50,000 from Metallica will be doled out as scholarships to help students pay for books, tuition, fees, transportation and child care.

The scholarships are primarily for students in SCC’s Adult Basic Education programs who want to begin earning college-level credits. Those include students who have earned GEDs, those transitioning to new careers and those learning English as a second language.

This year, SCC is expanding the program to help high school students pursuing college credits through a new Running Start program focused on career and technical education.

“Our goal with the Metallica Scholars initiative was to fulfill the purpose of the grant through focusing on our returning adult population,” SCC President Kevin Brockbank said in a statement. “In addition to the more than 50 students who were directly helped by the Metallica Scholars funds (last year), we believe well over 100 additional students are now enrolled at SCC as a result of this project.”

Metallica’s foundation also supports food banks across the country. In December 2018, the band played a sold-out show in Spokane and donated $10,000 to local food bank Second Harvest.