Gateway Launches Scholarship for New High School Graduates

Gateway Community & Technical College is introducing a new scholarship aimed at high school students who will graduate in the spring of 2014.

This is the first time we have offered a scholarship designed specifically for new high school graduates, said Will Bradley, Gateway coordinator of scholarships and financial aid. The Park National Bank scholarship will provide recipients with an award of up to $1,000 per academic year.

Park National Bank is deeply committed to serving the communities who support us. We believe investing in the education of our young people is an important way to build and strengthen our communities, said David J. Gooch, president of Park National Bank of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. We are thrilled to offer this scholarship to help support Gateway's efforts to fulfill its mission of providing high quality, affordable, accessible, and inclusive postsecondary education and training resulting in a positive contribution to the economic vitality of the region and enhanced quality of life for all citizens.

Eighteen of Gateway's 33 scholarship categories are available to high school students as well as other students. Last year, Gateway awarded 133 students with $195,943 in scholarships ranging from $200 to $5,000 a year.

To be eligible for the Park National scholarship, applicants must have been accepted for admission at Gateway, completed the 2014-2015 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and demonstrated an unmet need. The 2014-2015 FAFSA is available online at www.fafasa.ed.gov.

FAFSA applicants must provide federal school codes for the schools they're interested in. Gateway's federal school code is 013753. Funding available for certain types of financial aid can be used up quickly, Bradley said. We encourage students to complete the FAFSA as early in the year as possible.

He added the deadline to apply for Gateway's Park National Bank scholarship is March 3. More information about the application process and required forms can be found at http://gateway.kctcs.edu/Financial_Aid/Scholarships.aspx. Click on the link for the High School Scholarship Application for 2014-2015.

Applying for a scholarship is one way that high school students can curb the cost of going to college, Bradley said, and we are very excited to be able to offer scholarships to new high school graduates for the first time.