College scholarships offered to middle-school students

Published 10:58 pm Monday, May 25, 2009

College Bound, a scholarship program that offers to pay for college tuition, books and fees for qualifying low-income seventh- and eighth-grade students, is accepting applications.

The program is sponsored by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and motivates middle school students to maintain good grades, stay in school and create a plan for higher education following graduation, said Beth Ahlstrom, program associate.

“Every American will need to get more than a high school diploma,” Program Associate Beth Ahlstrom said of the program, paraphrasing a February speech given by President Obama, and added even one year of higher education can positively impact a student.

To qualify, students need to qualify by either being a foster youth, meet eligibility requirements for free or reduced lunch, or meet the state’s minimum income standards; for a family of four, $39,300; a family of five, $45,900 and for a family of six, $52,600.

Once they apply, students may qualify for the scholarship but that doesn’t automatically guarantee acceptance into the school, Ahlstrom said.

“The students still need to apply and be accepted. They can use it for a two-year, four-year or a technical school. That’s one of the beauties of it. It’s fabulous.”

This year, the program is open to present ninth-grade students, with a registration deadline of June 30. Students who are presently in seventh or eighth grade have until June 30, 2010, to register, Ahlstrom said.

Those who work with youth, like Lions 4 Kids House volunteers, are trying to get the word out.

“I discovered very few children in our service area of Sumner, White River, Carbonado, Orting and Dieringer school districts actually apply for (College Bound),” Bonney Lake Lions 4 Kids Founder and Director Carol Wells-Reed said.

Because the organization serves underserved school-age youth, Wells-Reed and fellow volunteer Brad Hand have created a data base of clients to help. Wells-Reed expected the search to yield approximately 60 names; she soon realized her numbers were off.

“Scanning our client cards, Brad and I found almost 250 students in sixth through ninth grades,” she said.

Locating the students isn’t easy.

“Carol and her colleagues will contact them if possible,” Hand said. “But it’s difficult because some have no phone number or they are in a transient situation. Others, we may have not had contact with for quite awhile.”

Once the students’ families are contacted, the volunteers will try to assure them the scholarship program isn’t too good to be true, Wells-Reed said. They’re also aware some parents themselves may not have yet earned their high school diploma or graduation equivalent and may also be intimidated with government bureaucracy. “Especially for families mired in generational poverty, it just never enters their minds to strive for more – and certainly there are a million other reasons,” Wells-Reed said.

Once located, the families will be directed to a school counselor, who will help with the application process, Hand said.

“We facilitate and make sure they have the information,” he said. “There’s not much we can do, but if we can have 250 or more students and if 20 or 30 respond, that would be a great return rate.”

For more information on College Bound Scholarship Program, call 1-888-535-0747, e-mail collegebound@hecb.wa.gov or visit the HECB Web site at http://www.hecb.wa.gov/paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp.

Reach Judy Halone at jhalone@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald or 360-802-8210.