College scholarships available to Minnesota students

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Minnesota students who have completed challenging high school courses may be able to take advantage of new scholarship funds from the state of Minnesota, said state Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria).

The ACHIEVE program was passed in 2007 as part of a $3.16 billion state funding infusion to higher education, technology infrastructure and related programs. The funding increase was designed to help students face tuition increases at public or private colleges and reward them for taking challenging classes in high school, Ingebrigtsen said.

“We have high expectations for Minnesota students and want to help them reach their full potential,” Ingebrigtsen said. “ACHIEVE gives our high school students incentives to do well, and rewards them based on achievement, rather than solely on family income.”

The program awards scholarships to low- and middle-income high school students who complete college-preparatory courses, such as four years of English, three years of math, science and social studies, and at least one year of a foreign language. Or, as an alternative, students can demonstrate that they earned college credit for courses in the Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs.

The scholarships award up to $1,200 to be used at a public or private college in Minnesota, and are available to Minnesota residents who graduate from high school after January 1, 2008. Students have 60 days after beginning a post-secondary school to apply for the scholarship, and high school students signing up for courses should keep it in mind so they are eligible later on, Ingebrigtsen said.

“I strongly encourage Minnesota students to reach for their maximum potential, and to look at programs like ACHIEVE to help them continue their quest for academic excellence,” Ingebrigtsen added.

More information on the program and application materials can be found online at www.getreadyforcollege.org.

State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651) 297-8063, by mail at 132D State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul MN 55155, or via e-mail at sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn.

Tags: college, scholarships, minnesota