WITH THE calendar full of graduations this weekend, high school seniors around the area are counting down the days and hours until they can toss their mortar boards in the air and celebrate their freedom.
For many of these students, the final year of school was spent filling out college, scholarship and financial aid applications. In today’s economy, families are finding it increasingly important to find sources to help pay for the next chapter of education. At the same time, the economy is hurting college and foundation endowments in the same way that it is hurting parents’ college savings accounts.
In today’s edition, Russ Morgan reports that, despite a 25 percent loss of income on investments at the ESU Foundation, Emporia State University will still offer many of the scholarships that students count on. The college was able to do so because of scholarship donors who made up much of the difference.
Add in the renewable $1,000 awards from the Jones Foundation for students in Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties who choose to attend ESU or Flint Hills Technical College and seniors continue to have options for postsecondary education.
We saw these dreams realized last week during the spring awards assembly at Northern Heights High School. In a class of 40 seniors, 35 were recognized for scholarships or grants to attend colleges and FHTC.
Some received athletic scholarships, others earned academic scholarships that included full rides. Of those 35 seniors, more than half were eligible for the Jones Foundation grants to ESU and FHTC.
Across Lyon County, indeed, across the country, the same scene will play out for the rest of the month.
We applaud the Jones Foundation and all donors for opening their wallets to the next generation. Some of these students may not have been able to continue their education without the financial support.
On their behalf, we say thank you for the opportunity to succeed.
Gwendolynne Larson
Managing Editor