The Class of 2007 has been awarded $19,648,113 in scholarships as reported by graduating seniors to high school guidance offices. According to Christine Caskey, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, this represents ONLY scholarships that were accepted by the graduates. “If we calculated everything that had been offered to students in terms of scholarships to colleges or universities they ultimately chose not to attend, or financial aid such as loans or grants that must be repaid, the figure would be as much as 50 percent higher,” said Caskey.

Students from all 11 high schools as well as from Open Campus and Virginia Beach Central Academy are represented in this scholarship amount.

The office of guidance services actively encourages students to apply for as many scholarships as possible as early as possible as a way to offset continually escalating higher education costs. As Caskey points out, “With the costs for higher education skyrocketing, more and more seniors are applying for financial assistance. High school guidance counselors are an extremely valuable resource for students. They not only advise students but work with them in locating and applying for scholarships. In addition, they sponsor an annual citywide College Night for students during which representatives from more than 100 institutions of higher learning are available at the Virginia Beach Convention Center to speak with students and their parents about various post-graduate educational opportunities.” This year’s College Night is slated for Thursday, November 1, 2007, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Virginia Beach school division offers its students an added advantage in identifying scholarship opportunities through Scholarship Central on the school division’s Web site, www.vbschools.com. This site is a repository for scholarship information to which students and their parents have access. The Scholarship Central link is located on the home page. Visitors to the site can click on the link and have access to scholarship information made available by guidance counselors, civic groups, schools, and the like.

Parents who are interested in financial aid and scholarships for their children should talk with guidance counselors early in their children’s school careers about the college admissions process. School guidance counselors routinely stress that students must focus on learning and striving for excellent grades as well as on participating in school and community activities. As Caskey says, “Most colleges, universities, and proprietary schools are looking for well-rounded students with excellent academic records. As a result, students should research what the institution they want to attend requires of incoming freshmen and then concentrate on applying for admission as well as for financial assistance.”

The scholarship awards to the Class of 2007 were granted by in-state as well as out-of-state institutions. For more information about the scholarship awards, please contact one of Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ high school guidance offices or the Office of Guidance Services at 253.2010.