Surrey, B.C. September 2022 – As a new school year kicks off, Coast Capital is celebrating 44 youth across the province who have been named as recipients of the financial cooperative’s annual Standing Tall Education Awards.

The awards program, established in 2004, is one-of-a-kind in its focus on recognizing resilient youth who have risen up against the odds to pursue their post-secondary education. Unlike other grant or scholarship programs, Coast Capital’s annual education awards program looks at more than academic performance to celebrate the students’ achievements beyond their GPA.

“As a social purpose organization, Coast Capital is committed to building better futures through investing in three key areas that we strongly believe are essential to helping Canadians reach their goals and ultimately realize a better future for themselves and their families,” explains Maureen Young, Vice President, Social Purpose, Coast Capital. “One of those areas is focused on driving equitable access to education and training as that is a significant driver in helping individuals unlock financial opportunities. We recognize that access to post-secondary education is not always within financial reach due to systemic inequalities and believe that small steps can help to move the needle. We are committed to contributing to that shift through programs like our Standing Tall Education Awards.”

Each $3,500 Coast Capital Education Award makes the increasing cost of tuition and living expenses more manageable for young people who may not have access to funding through traditional means, such as parents or loan programs. For the first time in the program’s history, this year Coast Capital awarded 68 per cent of awards to IBPOC students, in an effort to help break down barriers for these historically marginalized communities.

Since its establishment 18 years ago, the program has supported over 1,000 students in funding their post-secondary studies with an investment of nearly $2.9 million.

 

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About Coast Capital

At Coast Capital, we’re not dreaming about a better future, we’re building one. We’re a member-owned financial cooperative with an 80-year legacy of unlocking financial opportunities that positively impact people and communities. We believe that every Canadian deserves a financial partner who actually cares how things turn out. Driven by our social purpose, we look at everything we do through the lens of how we can help our 600,000 members, our employees and communities. Ranked in the platinum category of the 2022 Corporate Knight’s Social Purpose Ranking and a proud Certified B Corporation®, we’re part of a global movement building a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economic system. Each year, we invest 10% of our bottom line into our communities, which over the past two decades totals almost $90M. We’re deeply committed to making our financial cooperative a great place to work as demonstrated by some of our accolades. Coast Capital is a platinum member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and a BC Top Employer. To learn more, visit us online at coastcapitalsavings.com.