With tuition on the rise, it is becoming more and more difficult for students to receive a college education. According to the nonprofit Community Center for Education Results (CCER), about 67 percent of jobs in Washington state will require a postsecondary degree by 2018. That number may seem daunting when considering the fact that Washington ranks 46th in the nation for preparing students to move on to college by age 19, as stated on the CCER website.
The College Bound Scholarship has been instated in an effort to help young students move on to receiving a college degree. Rachelle Sharpe, director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HEBC), said, “The College Bound Scholarship is what they call an ‘early commitment’ scholarship program. It encourages young students to consider college.”
Incentive to continue on
The HECB is governed by 10 citizens appointed by the governor. Part of their responsibilities includes administering financial aid.
This program is sponsored by the Seattle-based CCER, whose purpose is to help accelerate student achievement. Its Roadmap Project is aimed at improving education in the South Seattle area.
Low-income seventh- and eighth-graders across the state are asked to sign a contract promising to graduate from high school and demonstrate good citizenship in exchange for having their college education paid for.
Deadline to sign up for the programis June 30. Eligible students attending Aki Kurose, Orca, Washington, Mercer, South Shore and McClure middle schools and the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center are encouraged to sign the contracts.
Sharpe explained, “Students that are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch are eligible to sign up; then there’s another income standard when they enroll in college.”
In 2007, state Sen.Phil Rockefeller (D-23rd District) created the College Bound Scholarship legislation.A governor’s committee was asked to evaluate all levels of education in Washington.They looked at other states to see what they do to help get students through school. The state of Indiana has had a similar program since the early ‘90s.
Thus, the program in Washington was born. “The idea is to encourage students to stay in school, do well in school and graduate,” Sharpe said.
The scholarship partners with another state-funded program called State Need Grants, which also helps cover tuition costs, alleviating many parents’ worries about college expenditures.
Reaching out to families
In the year of the program’s launch, 15,000 eligible students signed up. In the second year, the program was opened up to ninth-graders, which brought the numbers to around 27,000 students. The program is currently limited to seventh- and eighth-graders again.
It is estimated that 66 percent of eligible eighth-graders in Washington statehave signed up for this scholarship.
Michelle Alejano, outreach director of the College Bound Scholarship program, said, “It’s amazing how many educators work hard to get the word out about the program. For so many, we find it’s having that moment with a parent or student to talk about college and what it really is.”
Lisa Dawson, head counselor at McClure Middle School, explained why some of her students have not signed up for the program. “Some don’t believe it’s real; Some don’t think they will be going to college,” she said. “It takes multiple approaches to reach each student.”
Alejano said that having conversations involving the whole family helps the success of the program.
“Families that have signed up for the program are now going to events. A college-going culture is starting to surface. They are understanding what needs to happen in high school to get ready [for college],” Alejano said.
At McClure, the program is often publicized in the parent newsletter. Dawson also said, “We have mentioned it at various assemblies this year and last year. Announcements were included in the daily bulletin, [and] info is posted on the counselor’s bulletin board.”
They also recently held an ice cream social to promote the program.
Sharpestressed the importance of community support in helping to raise the number of applicants.“In some areas, there are quite a few community partners that support the area. That could be a reason why a school may have a higher sign-up rate,” she said.
Shedefined a community partner as “any organization that is helping prepare students and families.
It could be a YMCAprogram, a church or a formal college success program. It could even be a housing authority.”
Participating colleges
To use the scholarship, students must attend a Washington institution participating in the program. Sharpe noted that students can use their scholarship at a number of different institutions, including a community college, four-year or even a private institution. The student can pursue a bachelor’s or a two-year degree.
Contact a school advisor or visit www.collegesuccessfoundation.org/collegebound to find out more.
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