8-15-2026 7:47pm

Nearly 7,000 Warren County Students Benefit From Sinclair Scholarship Partnership

Beth Callahan Editor

LEBANON, OH— Sinclair Community College officials told Warren County commissioners Aug. 11 that enrollment, degrees and workforce programs serving county residents have grown significantly during the college's more than two-decade partnership with Warren County.

Sinclair President and CEO Steve Johnson thanked commissioners for the county's longtime support, including a scholarship program that has provided assistance to thousands of Warren County students.

Johnson said Sinclair has experienced about a threefold increase in enrollment and a tenfold increase in associate degrees and certificates earned since the partnership with Warren County began.

Senior Vice President Madeline Iseli said Warren County has become the second-largest source of enrollment within Sinclair's primary service area, surpassing Greene County. She said cumulative Sinclair enrollment from Warren County has increased roughly 300% since the partnership began more than 20 years ago.

The college operates its Warren County campus in Mason. Iseli said Sinclair's existing Buildings A and B limit the number of programs the college can offer there, and expansion would be needed to provide additional health sciences and heavy manufacturing programs.

Sinclair completed a land-use plan for the Mason campus last year and is continuing to develop ideas for expanding programming at the site, Iseli said.

Workforce training continues to be a major part of Sinclair's Warren County presence. Iseli highlighted cybersecurity training as well as the college's partnership with the regional manufacturing industry. Sinclair plans to begin additional technical training for manufacturing technicians in January and continues its apprenticeship partnership with VEGA Americas.

Chief Development Officer David Walbaum told commissioners that nearly 7,000 students have received more than $1 million in scholarship assistance during the county's partnership with Sinclair. The program has resulted in about 15,000 individual scholarship awards.

Iseli said the impact can also be seen in responses from scholarship recipients. Sinclair contacted about 800 students who received scholarships this year and invited them to describe what the assistance meant to them. Nearly 90 responded.

One highlighted student, Caleb Davis, is a parent and veteran who works as a substitute teacher in the Little Miami School District. Davis plans to continue his education with the goal of eventually becoming a lawyer.

Commissioner Dave Young said the program has grown from what seemed like a relatively small effort more than 20 years ago into a significant partnership benefiting thousands of Warren County residents.

Young also praised Sinclair for working with local employers to identify workforce needs rather than simply deciding what programs to offer.

Commissioner Tom Grossmann pointed to Sinclair's technical and manufacturing programs as an important option for residents seeking skills that can lead directly to employment.

"You actually teach people something that they use to go to get a job," Grossmann said, adding that the breadth of programs available through the college gives students numerous paths into careers.