CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A program in Harrison County is helping its local students by funding scholarships to further their education.
The Harrison County Student Achievement (HCSA) Program was created in 1993 through the Harrison County Board of Education to help promising students within the area afford a college education. All of the funding for the scholarships came from donations from local businesses, making this project a group effort within the entire community.
Scholarship award amounts range from increments of $500 to $1000 and are distributed to several students depending on how much the program receives that year in donations. Last year with the help of Harrison County businesses, HCSA received approximately $35,000 and was able to grant over 60 scholarships to students.
12 News spoke with HCSA President, Robert Greer, on why he believes it is important to be able to offer this opportunity to students within the county, “we don’t have any real appreciation for what it costs to go to college today. What it costs for, maybe, a single credit hour is now the cost of a single book. Without this extra donation, some of these kids can’t necessarily afford to go, no matter how bright they are.”
Although this year’s submission period for applicants has come to an end, the only requirements for these scholarships included that the student be a graduating senior of a Harrison County high school and a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
The HCSA is currently in the process of selecting the recipients of this year’s scholarship awards, which are based on a variety of personal aspects including academics, leadership, creativity, and personal development. The board plans to announce these winners at an award banquet event they plan to host sometime in late April.
The Harrison County Student Achievement Board is still accepting donations at this time. Donations can be received by a member of the board or sent to the Harrison County Board of Education. More information on the program can be found here.
