The San Diego Foundation Awards Record $600,000 in Scholarships

Over $39,000 in Fire Victim Scholarships funds go to 17 students who lost homes in the wildfires

SAN DIEGO – May 8, 2004 – The San Diego Foundation today awarded over $600,000 in scholarships to local students in a special recognition ceremony held at the University of San Diego’s Shiley Theatre. This is the largest scholarship amount distributed by The Foundation since the creation of its Community Scholarship Program seven years ago.

Included in today’s award announcement is the first set of scholarships from the San Diego Fire Victims Scholarship Fund, established last fall at The Foundation to help students in the fire-affected areas rebuild their lives and continue to pursue their educational goals.

Colette Carson Royston, chair of The San Diego Foundation’s Board of Governors, said, “We believe education is one of the best ways people can improve the quality of their lives, even that of their families and communities. Through the generosity and leadership of scholarship donors and with the guidance of our volunteer Scholarship Selection Committee, The Foundation today awarded 200 local students more than 240 new and renewable scholarships totaling over $600,000.”

“The San Diego Foundation is pleased to provide the opportunity for so many outstanding individuals in our community to further their education.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the U.S. has dropped from having the highest level of college participation rates in the world to 13th among developed nations. Rising tuition rates and decreased government grant dollars make the dream of higher education harder to reach. The costs to pursue post- secondary education at community colleges, trade and vocational schools and four-year universities are becoming increasingly difficult for students to match.

The San Diego Foundation formalized its Community Scholarship Program in 1997 to provide financial support to local students of all ages to help them achieve their educational goals. Currently, there are more than 100 distinct scholarships funds at The Foundation established by caring individuals, corporations and organizations. Scholarships housed at The Foundation are as diverse as the students who apply and the donors who established them. Some reflect intended major or career choices, schools attending or attended, merit, financial need, service to the community and many other interests.

According to Raymond Thomas, Board member and chair of The Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee, “Over the last four years, The Foundation has become the largest provider of scholarships in San Diego County outside the college and university system. Last year, The Foundation awarded approximately $500,000 in scholarships to 175 individuals who range in age from 17 to 61 years. Since inception, the Community Scholarship Program has awarded $6 million in financial aid to students attending trade and vocational schools, two-year colleges, four-year universities and graduate schools.”

Thomas said The Foundation this year received over 800 scholarship applications, the majority through its unique application system that gives students the ability to apply for several local scholarships with just one application.

The San Diego Fire Victims Scholarships Fund was established at The Foundation in the immediate aftermath of the San Diego County wildfires specifically to provide financial assistance to almost 500 high school students whose educational plans were significantly impacted by the fires.

Valerie Attisha, director of The Foundation’s Community Scholarship Program said, “Many students living in San Diego’ fire-affected areas were in the process of completing their applications to colleges, trade schools and universities around the country. With homes and communities burned, families left with little disposable income and trying to rebuild their lives, many students shelved their continuing education plans.”

To date, the San Diego Fire Victims Scholarship Fund has attracted $190,000 in contributions. This financial assistance will be distributed over the next four years to students who lost their homes in the San Diego County wildfires.

The San Diego Fire Victims Scholarship Fund was created through a $50,000 lead grant from Comerica Bank, generous donations of $50,000 each from Nokia and Mission Federal Credit Union, and another $40,000 from the San Diego Fire Relief Fund (the San Diego Chargers and NFL fire benefit fund).

In a related development, Thomas announced that, for the second year in a row, The San
Diego Foundation is working with the Nice Guys and Adaptive Computer Empowerment Services (ACES) to provide a free computer to every scholarship recipient who qualifies as disabled or low-income. The Foundation will identity the students, ACES will build and distribute the computers and the Nice Guys will pay for the computers. Last year, this partnership provided 75 computers free-of-charge to students. This year, the partnership expects to distribute at least 100 free computers.