May 17, 2007 – This is the time of year dreams of college and further education come into focus; yet with rising tuition costs, funding those aspirations remains more challenging than ever. As the administrator of the largest non-university based scholarship program in San Diego County, The San Diego Foundation plays a significant role for many San Diegan students and their families. The Foundation will hold its ninth annual Scholarships Awards Ceremony on May 19, 2007, at the University of San Diego’s Shiley Theatre for a crowd of over 600 students, parents and school personnel.
Over the past nine years, The San Diego Foundation has witnessed unprecedented growth in the area of scholarships. This year alone, over 500 students will receive more than two million dollars in financial assistance. These scholarships are made possible by 130 plus scholarship funds at The Foundation.
Chair of The San Diego Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee, Frank Ault is proud that “the scholarships are for graduating high school seniors, students already enrolled in college, vocational training or adults returning to school. They are for 17 year olds to 50 year olds. Our scholarships touch every person in our community.”
The Foundation received over 1,350 applications this year, representing a 30 percent increase, through a new online Common Scholarship Application, a unique application which allows students to apply for over 60 different scholarships by submitting only one application and one set of materials.
The Foundation’s website www.sdfoundation.org also provides students with access to hundreds of local, regional and national scholarship and financial aid websites. The site offers a Scholarship Seekers’ Tool Kit, providing information about how to prepare for an interview; the importance of test scores; the taxability of scholarships; and the best time to apply for financial aid.
“This is a way we really make a difference in the community,” states Bob Kelly, president and CEO of The Foundation. “These scholarships not only help the students, but help San Diego for future generations. We are influencing the region by helping scholars in fields such as science and technology, health and human services, and education. We are proud of these recipients and their hard work.”
Every year, the most difficult and the most rewarding job is for the volunteers of the Scholarship Selection Committee who donate their time to this important and fulfilling community service. The committee members are: Frank Ault (Chair), Sandra Arkin, Linda Bernstein, Darcy Bingham, Thomas Crane, Berit Durler, Jane Trevor Fetter, Vicki Gee Horiye, Todd Gutschow, Joan Jones, Robert Pascual, Jack Port, Marty Ries, Ardyth Shaw, Raymond Thomas, Wendy Urushima-Simmons, Joseph Watson and John Wylie.
Some of the scholarship recipients will receive a free computer as part of The San Diego Foundation’s ongoing partnership with two nonprofit organizations, the Nice Guys of San Diego and Adaptive Computer Empowerment Services (ACES). These organizations provide a free computer to every scholarship recipient that qualifies as low-income or disabled.
The scholarship ceremony itself is especially exciting for the students and their families since it is at that time that they find out the monetary value of the scholarships, as well as whether or not they have been awarded more than one scholarship. A standing-room-only crowd is expected to attend the event again this year.
About The San Diego Foundation
Founded in 1975, The San Diego Foundation is a broad-purpose community foundation helping individuals, families and organizations carry out their charitable plans, with the common goals of improving the quality of life in the greater San Diego region, now and for generations to come.
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Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.