Students from throughout Sacramento County received grant-funded scholarships through programs designed to help young people with financial needs prepare for and enter college.
The students received scholarships, ranging between $1,000 and $2,500, during a special ceremony at the Secretary of State Auditorium in Sacramento on May 7, 2009.
The California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP)—a project administered locally through the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), and statewide by the California Student Aid Commission—received a $217,000 grant from
The College Access Foundation of California to provide college scholarships.
This year, the Cal-SOAP program provided 25 college scholarships for students with financial needs who have been admitted to and plan to attend a four-year college or university, or community college.
In addition, 30 students received Cash for College scholarships, also funded by The College Access Foundation, for their participation in Cash for College financial aid workshops this winter.
"The scholarships being awarded will make things a little easier on these families, and they are helping our incoming college freshmen lay solid foundations for the future," said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools. "Clearly, what lies within these scholars is the drive to succeed and to accomplish great things."
The Sacramento Cal-SOAP directly serves students in 50 middle schools and high schools throughout Sacramento County. The project provides tutoring services to students and delivers a college and financial aid advising program to approximately 5,300 students in nine high schools.
The College Access Foundation of California, the largest grantmaking organization of its kind in the state, helps California students who have financial needs attend college. The Foundation provides millions of dollars in grants to community-based organizations that are helping students prepare for and enter institutions of higher learning.
For more information about the Cal-SOAP program, call (916) 228-2656.