With one high school orbiting beyond the 20 million-dollar mark and three county students earning prestigious Gates Millennium scholarships worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Class of 2013 was offered more than $127 million, far surpassing last year’s record of nearly $110 million. The feat continues a rising trend that has led to an increase of more than 350 percent since 2007.
Led by South River High School with offers totaling almost $21.6 million, five more county high schools netted more than $10 million each. In addition to South River, those schools are: Broadneck High School ($14.9 million), Severna Park High School ($13.5 million), North County High School ($11.1 million), Arundel High School ($10.5 million), and Old Mill High School ($10.1 million).
In an effort to ensure equitable opportunities are being presented to all students, school counselors across the county have placed an increased emphasis on working with African-American students to secure scholarships. The more than $17.7 million in scholarship offers to African-American students this year is a 61.2 percent increase over two years ago.
“This continued increase is a prime example of what can be accomplished when we provide more opportunities for our students to choose specific pathways that develop their talents,” Superintendent Kevin Maxwell said. “Through the creativity and professionalism of our teachers and school counselors, our students have become equal partners in shaping their own destinies – not to be bound by limitations. They are not only leaving our schools prepared for college and careers, but also to be successful in their own pursuits.”
Scholarship and other post-secondary plan information is provided by seniors and collected through Naviance, an innovative school system program which allows school counselors to monitor the college application process for students and provide ongoing advice with regard to scholarships and other matters.
The data also indicates that 87 percent of graduating seniors plan to attend a two- or four-year college, 19 percent plan to work full-time, 10 percent plan to enlist in the military, and 4 percent will attend a private career school.
More information about the scholarship offers and post-secondary plans for the Class of 2013 can be found by clicking the link below.