It’s almost even with the class of 2015.
Baltimore, Md (KM) A lot of students are starting off their freshmen years in college this fall with some additional cash. The Maryland State Department of Education reports that the high school graduating class of 2016 received $1.3-billion total in scholarship offers this year. That’s almost even with the class of 2015, which received $1.32-billion in scholarship offers.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that they took those scholarships,” says MSDE spokesman Bill Reinhard. “There could some kids with a terrific academic records who were offered a couple of them.”
MSDE says that 18,819 high school graduates received scholarship offers last year, and that’s about one-third of the graduating class of 2016 which is 56,954. Those scholarships included more than 150 National Merit Finalists, and over 350 from Ivy League schools.
Reinhard says any current high school senior whose interested in a college scholarship needs to take that first step. “Well, they can go right down the hall to their guidance counseling office. They usually have a lot of information. Then of course contact the college they’re interested in applying to. Both are great sources,” he says.
Students are also reminded to have their applications for scholarships and college admission ready to go out by the Thanksgiving holiday, says Reinhard.
MSDE says these scholarship applications show that students realized they need more than a high school education to succeed in this day and age. “Most of the careers that are open to young people require some form of post-secondary education. It might be two years, and that’s terrific,” says Reinhard. “And those are the careers that provide really good paying jobs, and jobs with a future.”
The Department says it’s been tracking scholarship offer amounts for more than a decade. In 2007, students received more than $500-million in scholarship offers. It passed the $1-billion mark for the first time in 2013, MSDE says.
By Kevin McManus