Most students haven’t finished high school when they are already thinking about going to college or university. There are many times when motivated young adults have everything they need to take this new step but the resources. For this, it is quite common to see them filling all the required applications in order to get the money they need for college in the form of a scholarship.
Scholarships can be sponsored by colleges, usually they don’t need to be repaid and are given to students who fit an already defined profile and criteria, such as holding a specific grade average, having a special talent for sports or music, enrolling in a particular major, and other representative circumstances that can make a student eligible for a sponsored scholarship.
Besides colleges, there are other agencies that intend to help students pay for their education. Federal and State institutions, churches, civic organizations or individuals can be responsible for financing all education-related expenses including tuition, fees, transportation, supplies, books and room and board for any type of post-secondary course.
By law, parents have the primary responsibility in Santa Barbara to pay for their children’s college expenses. Students should also contribute paying a reasonable portion of their expenses. However, the expected contribution to a student’s education varies according to the family assets and income. Due to this fact, many families in the Santa Barbara County encourage their kids to apply for a scholarship and one of the most experienced organizations in this process is the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
Founded in 1962 in Santa Barbara, California, The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is in charge of collecting and distributing donor’s money to eligible students. During its first year of operation, the foundation distributed nine $100 awards. More than 50 years later, the foundation provided 2,948 scholarships totaling $8.7 million, it also gave financial aid advising services to more than 36,500 students and families in the Santa Barbara County.
Concerned about its community, just like Kenny Slaught is, the foundation believes that the lack of financial resources should not keep a talented student away from its dreams. Money cannot be an issue when it comes to having access to proper college education. Thanks to this vision, The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is constantly working hard to reduce the number of students who can’t go to college, giving them the resources they need to keep building a better future for themselves and their families.
What does the Foundation do?
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is constantly inspiring, encouraging, and supporting students in the fulfillment of their dreams. The foundation helps students attend college, graduate, and vocational school education by receiving financial aid advising and the granting of a scholarship.
Based on the belief that students need and deserve education beyond high school, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has impacted the lives of thousands of young people. Convinced about the idea that money should not be an issue for someone with the motivation and talent to go to college, the foundation has done the following:
- Awarded scholarships funded by generous donors
- Advised students and their families on how to manage and save money in order to afford college.
- Reached out to encourage students who are underserved or ignored.
- Funded any type of undergraduate, vocational, and technical school scholarships.
- Given advice on how to apply and get a scholarship for medical school, graduate school, and professional school.
During the last year, the foundation has provided 3,016 scholarships totaling $8.74 million, giving financial aid advising services to more than 45,000 students and families in the Santa Barbara County. Without charging any type of administrative fees to scholarship fund donors, this means the foundation gives 100% of contributions to support scholarship grants.
Financial Aid Advising
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara offers financial aid counseling services for free to any interested candidate and their parents. Counselors help students understand the range of grants, scholarships, federal aid, and state aid that are available each year inside the County.
The foundation staff also provides presentations to Santa Barbara County high schools, organizations, and businesses. One-on-one assistance is also available to help potential candidates and their parents with financial aid questions.
Bilingual staff members are in charge of offering free advice and counseling services on federal and state financial aid programs, besides local funds for student aid.
How to Volunteer
If you are a former student who successfully went to college thanks to the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, volunteering for the organization, telling your story to current applicants or writing a letter for the foundation’s newsletter, can be a activity in Santa Barbara you can be a part of.
You can also make a donation to the foundation in order to benefit a future student. It doesn’t’ matter how much you want to give away, everything counts and will go straight to providing scholarships for today’s students.
If you want to learn more about the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, click here.