Austin Community College (ACC) veteran students now have an opportunity to earn additional financial assistance for college with the new Bastrop County Veterans Educational Scholarship.

The scholarship is a collaboration of Elgin Campus Student Affairs and two veteran organizations in Elgin — VFW Post-6115 and American Legion Post 295.

"This was truly veterans helping veterans," says Henry Leal, Elgin Campus Testing Center supervisor and Elgin Campus Veterans Committee member. "In essence, this came about through the culmination of a very strong ACC campus community and local community relationship since the opening of this campus."

Each semester, the Elgin Campus Veterans Committee will award a $750 scholarship to a veteran student.

The committee recently awarded its first scholarship to Guadalupe Lozano. The U.S. Army veteran is studying biology and hopes to use his education and military background to become a Texas Park Ranger. The scholarship recognized Lozano's service as a veteran and contributions as an active student and community member of the ACC Elgin Campus.

To learn more, contact BethAnn Warwick, coordinator for Veteran Outreach Programs, at 512-223-0065 or Yolanda Gibson, Elgin financial aid supervisor, at 512-223-9414.