More graduating Sunshine Coast high school students will receive scholarships and bursaries this year after the school district secured a record $300,000 from private donors.
The school district has traditionally offered up to 125 scholarships and bursaries for a total of $200,000, but this year that number climbed to 170, for a total of $300,000.
“It’s really exciting to see how supportive our community is for our students. They’re trying to achieve their life goals and some of them without this opportunity simply wouldn’t be able to,” said Patrick Bocking, SD46 superintendent.
Every year in February, the schools and district scholarship committee sends letters to previous donors to confirm their participation in the scholarship program. “Some donors increase their amounts each year while other new donors come along, often from estates,” said Bocking, accounting for why 2018 is a banner year for awards funding. “We don’t actively solicit for donations,” he said.
The funding ranges from academic scholarships and memorials, such as the Len Van Egmont Memorial Scholarship, to awards from sports organizations, such as the Gibsons Paddle Club Bursary. Others carry a local flavour, such as the CBC Beachcomber Rotary Scholarship, given to graduating students enrolling in post-secondary media programs.
Applications for this year’s awards are closed and most students have been chosen or are in the process of being chosen, said Bocking. “It’s a very busy time for our graduating students who are applying for scholarships,” he said. “It is a need, as well. For all of our students, with the cost of tuition and moving away from the Coast for a time to go to university, it’s expensive and it’s a huge leg up if they can be supported one way or the other.”
