Gordon State College is listed among community colleges and regional public universities that focus a larger share of their donation dollars on financial aid than other types of institutions.

According to data released Tuesday by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE), an organization that tracks college giving, Gordon State College spent 75.24 percent of $282,173 in donations on financial aid for students. On average, about 16 percent of donations to colleges were earmarked for financial aid during the same period, the data show.

Through contributions to the Gordon State College Foundation generous individuals, businesses and civic organizations endow scholarships that ensure access to higher education for students. The Foundation awards these Scholarships annually to students chosen based on criteria such as academic success, financial need, and extracurricular activities.

Overall, charitable contributions to colleges and universities in the United States increased only 1.7 percent in 2016, according to the Voluntary Support of Education Survey, conducted annually by the CAE. While there was an increase, the gain is nearly eliminated when adjusting for inflation.

"Student support has always been the focus of the Gordon State College Foundation," said Rhonda Toon, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the GSC Foundation. "Our Trustees have long known the struggle many of our students face when paying for their education and the numbers in this study reflect that."