College Bound Scholarship gives a boost to students who might not go to college

Imagine 80,000 high-school seniors, eager not only for graduation but also to take the next step in their lives — which, for many, means higher education. Consider, at the same time, a sobering thought: 36,000 of these graduating students will never make it to college.

This is reality: In our state alone, some 58,000 young adults will enter the 21st-century work force with no college degree and very little postsecondary education. It is estimated that at least 11,000 of those students who didn't go to college or enter a postsecondary school — or finish their degrees — could have been successful in a baccalaureate program. What stops them? Financial resources.

This situation needs to change. And thanks to the Washington State Legislature through the College Bound Scholarship, a unique program that provides scholarships to economically disadvantaged students, it can change. This visionary program was established in 2007 when the Legislature signed the College Bound Scholarship into law, with the goal of motivating more low-income students to pursue higher education.

So now let's imagine a new reality, made possible by The College Bound Scholarship. This program offers hope and a way for 20,000 more students to enroll in, and graduate from, college or a postsecondary technical school.

This new reality is vital to our economy, our prosperity as a state, and our competitiveness as a country. Where higher education was once viewed as the ticket to a "good job" or career paying more than minimum wage, today it is an absolute necessity.

Jobs are evolving to reflect a more knowledge-based economy, requiring ever-higher levels of education. As other countries surpass the United States in educating their young people to record levels, our nation is challenged as never before to keep pace. Simply put, we need to educate all of our students, and we need to make the dream of higher education a reality for those who never dreamed it could be within their reach.

Business people are rightly asking themselves, "How do we attract and retain well-trained, skilled, competent people? Where will we find them?" Potentially, right in our back yard. However, unless we take action and invest in our students today, we will not reap the benefits of a competitive workplace tomorrow.

The College Bound Scholarship covers tuition and fees at a public institution rate, and provides a stipend of $500 for books each year for four years for students who qualify. Currently, 90,000 of our state's seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students qualify financially and academically for this program, yet today only one-third of students who qualify for the program have signed up for it.

In conjunction with the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the College Success Foundation is reaching out to encourage these students to sign up for this scholarship. Eighth- and ninth-graders must enroll by June 30 to qualify.

The College Bound Scholarship offers a vital lifeline to our students and their families. We must make education an attainable dream for all who aspire to it, and we must recognize that the future of our society depends on it.

These scholarships are a sound investment in our state's future as well as the future of our students — and it has a very real potential to change lives and turn dreams into reality. So our message today to parents, grandparents, guardians, caregivers and mentors is this: Encourage every seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grader you know to look into this vital program. Tell them to sign up today — to ensure a brighter tomorrow. Together, we can help our young people dream about — and do — great things.

Students can apply online at: www.hecb.wa.gov/collegebound.