Metallica Expand Their ‘Lifesaving’ Student Scholar Initiative

Metallica’s philanthropic efforts continue in 2022, with the band adding more colleges to their growing Metallica Scholars Initiative after three successful years of the program.

In the first year of the Scholars Initiative, thanks to the metal band’s All Within My Hands charity, there was a 90 percent job placement rate for those receiving aid in 2019. The next year, the Metallica Scholars Initiative expand from 10 to 15 schools receiving benefits.

Now, 10 more colleges have been added to the growing list of institutions receiving financial assistance from Metallica. It’s already paying dividends to affected students.

“You guys are seriously a lifesaver,” pupil Samantha Sparks, a welder from Columbia Gorge Community College, wrote to Metallica. “I applied for so many scholarships throughout my time in college and never received any of them.”

She continued, “I honestly didn’t think I was special enough. I had to take out a loan and put myself in debt to follow a dream. Thanks to you, I don’t have to take out any more money! I can just focus on school and not worry about money. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”

The initiative was designed to support community colleges and their career and technical education programs. The band teamed up with the American Association of Community Colleges to help determine recipients in 2019 and 10 colleges from communities that had supported Metallica during their touring were selected to compete in the application process with each receiving $100,000 toward programs helping to train students for placement in the American workforce.

“The impact of the Metallica Scholars Initiative has been extremely gratifying,” said Dr. Edward Frank, Executive Director of All Within My Hands. “We are indebted to all the schools, the AACC, and co-sponsors such as Wolverine, for their dedication to making this program successful and their help in changing the lives of so many people. This transformative effect is exactly what the band and the board had hoped for when we started this program.”

For more information on Metallica’s All Within My Hands charitable arm, head to the website here. See the newly added 2022 schools (and returning colleges) below.

New Metallica Scholar Initiative Schools

Clark State Community College – Springfield, Ohio
East Central College – Union, Missouri
Guilford Technical Community College – Jamestown, North Carolina
Hudson County Community College – Jersey City, New Jersey
Middlesex Community College -Lowell, Massachusetts
Milwaukee Area Technical College – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College – Perkinston, Mississippi
Rockland Community College – Suffern, New York
Salt Lake Community College – Salt Lake City, Utah
San Juan College – Farmington, New Mexico

Returning Metallica Scholar Initiative Schools

Central Community College – Grand Island, Nebraska
Central Piedmont Community College – Charlotte, North Carolina
Clackamas Community College – Oregon City, Oregon
Clinton Community College – Clinton, Iowa
College of Lake County – Grayslake, Illinois
Columbia Gorge Community College – The Dalles, Oregon
Community College of Baltimore County – Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College – Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Gateway Technical College – Kenosha, Wisconsin
Grand Rapids Community College – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Lone Star College – Houston, Texas
North Idaho College – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale, Virginia
Northwest-Shoals Community College – Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Pima County Community College – Tucson, Arizona
Polk State College – Winter Haven, Florida
Spokane Community College – Spokane, Washington
Valencia College – Orlando, Florida
Victor Valley College – Victorville, California
West Virginia University Parkersburg – Parkersburg, West Virginia
Westchester Community College – Westchester, New York
WSU-Tech – Wichita, Kansas