Columbus senior receives highly selective Gates scholarship

Jackie Gillis
·2 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus City Schools senior will be attending college without the worry of racking up debt. Independence High School senior Michael Hoch is one of 300 students nationwide to receive the Gates scholarship.

To say he’s excited would be an understatement. With the scholarship, Hoch plans to fully embrace the college experience and get as many degrees as possible.

$180 million parking garage at John Glenn airport to be built on site of McDonald’s

“I found out, like, real late at night. I was hanging out with some friends, and I just got this email, I was let’s check it out. It was big. I can’t put it into words,” he said.

While he is ready to take this next step, one thing he has always worried about is being able to afford college.

“But this has changed that, so it kind of changed my approach to it,” said Hoch.

The Gates Scholarship Program was launched in 2017. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commits to helping outstanding minority students from low-income backgrounds.

According to their website, this program is based on evidence that by eliminating the financial barriers to college, a last-dollar scholarship can enable high-potential, low-income minority students to excel. It covers tuition and additional expenses such as books, housing and transportation.

“I have the time and capability to do it now. So I’m going to do the full four years,” he said.

Hoch is no stranger to a college campus. Through the College Credit Plus Program, he has been attending college full-time while also working towards his high school diploma.

“I got into Columbus State and so I went there for a year, did well there. Applied to OSU again, got in and I’ve been doing full-time at OSU for two years now. I think I’m at 75 credit hours,” Hoch said.

With the financial freedom this scholarship offers, Hoch plans to attend Ohio State University for four years, with a dual major in political science and a language to study abroad. He intends to get his master’s in education as well and obtain a license to teach.

“It was the good teachers that got me to really start doing stuff. So I will be a good teacher myself,” he said.

In addition to the funding, The Gates Scholarship will provide support to scholars by engaging with them and ensuring they have access to whatever resources they may need.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.