School to Community Connection
January 15, 2003

Issue 38

HHS  Scholarship Program:  A Sonoma County BEST!

The Healdsburg community has the profound distinction of enjoying the largest local scholarship program in Sonoma County and perhaps the state.  Over 100 scholarships are awarded annually for academic achievement, vocational and technical interest and in special interest areas such as agriculture, education, engineering, music and medicine.  Individuals, trusts and organizations who have chosen to support HHS graduates with monetary gifts provide these scholarships.  The scholarships range in amount from $200 to full 4-year scholarships at private institutions.  More information can be found in the Scholarship Handbook for Healdsburg High School students at www.hhs.husd.com/pubs.html. The intent of this handbook is to review financial aid opportunities from the major sources, describe in detail the local scholarships for our students, and offer sources for state and national scholarships.   

A special category of state scholarships is the Governor’s Scholarship Program.  There is no application form for this scholarship program – it is awarded automatically based on testing results. Public high school students who demonstrate high academic achievement on the statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test can earn a $1,000 Governor’s Scholars Award for each year that they take the test.  Students are eligible if they attain a combined reading and math score that places them in the top 5% of their grade level statewide or in the top 10% of their grade level within their high school.  Students can earn a maximum of one scholarship in 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grades for a total of $3,000.   The Governor’s Math and Science Award provides an additional $2,500 college scholarship if you receive high scores on the statewide achievement test and on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Golden State math and science exams.  You can receive only one Governor’s Math and Science award.  More information is available at www.scholarshare.com.

Another Healdsburg plus is the McCord Career Center on the HHS campus. Half of this center is funded by the McCord Trust which also provides Florence McCord scholarships to both high school seniors and college juniors and seniors studying in the fields of music and medicine. The Career Center is a very important asset which is staffed and equipped to help HHS students understand their own career interests and the tools available to them to make those interests become their reality.  The center is also available to the Healdsburg community for individual research.  

It is important to keep in mind that the financial aid process often changes from year to year, and many previously existent scholarships are discontinued and new ones are created. Application due dates range from October to May and may also change each year. There is no substitute for close communication with the Counseling Department, Career Center/Scholarship Office, and the financial aid officers of the college of your choice.