November 15, 2021
Charleston, S.C. – The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, a local resource developed to help high-achieving Charleston County School District graduates pay for college, is opening the next round of scholarship applications today, November 15th for the graduating class of 2022. The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund awards annual scholarships up to $10,000 or $40,000 over four years to accomplished students who may not be financially able to attend college otherwise.
“We are thrilled with the impact after launching the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund last year,” says Ben Navarro, founder of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund. “We hope school counselors, teachers, and parents will help share the application’s availability for the high school class of 2022, allowing us to offer even more students the scholarship funding they deserve so they can achieve their college dreams.”
The Meeting Street Scholarship fund was designed to enrich and enable Charleston students’ lives by reducing the financial burden often associated with college attendance. With the awarded scholarship funds, students can focus on the work to make the most of their experience and graduate college with significantly less debt. The easy application is available on the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund website at https://meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org and takes less than 30 minutes to determine eligibility and complete.
Any Charleston County School District graduate who meets the following criteria is eligible to apply for and receive the scholarship:
● Graduate in 2022 from a Charleston County public high school or eligible charter high school
● Earn an SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship
○ Meet two of the following three requirements to earn a LIFE Scholarship:
■ Earn at least a 3.0 GPA in high school
■ Score at least 1100 on SAT or 24 on ACT
■ Rank in the top 30% of their graduating class
● Qualify for a Federal Pell Grant by completing FAFSA
● Attend an eligible SC college and university
Founders Ben and Kelly Navarro announced the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund in 2021 and awarded 94 students tuition funds in the first year alone. This year, they expect a rise of applicants and hope to award scholarships to many more deserving students in an effort to support their post-high school aspirations.
The $10,000 award provided annually to each scholar will help fill the gap left after SC LIFE Scholarships, Pell Grants, and other financial aid, as the tuition price at most higher education institutions has continued to rise over the past two decades.
“This application cycle opens the door for another class of students to have a more affordable path to college. This is only the beginning of the long-term commitment we made to enroll more high-achieving students in colleges,” says Josh Bell, director of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund. “We hope to increase the number of Meeting Street Scholars from our first class and provide critical last-dollar funding to young people who have demonstrated hard work and perseverance.”
To learn more about the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, visit www.meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org.
ABOUT MEETING STREET SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund creates a pathway for thousands of hard-working Charleston County School District graduates to attend a great South Carolina college by helping families with limited means pay for college with up to $10,000 in annual scholarship awards for a total of up to $40,000 over four years. Based on the most recent data, the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund will initially support roughly 500 students by 2024, providing approximately $5 million annually. Scholarship founders Ben and Kelly Navarro hope many more students will achieve the academic results needed to qualify over time. For more information, visit www.meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org.
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