Tri-City seniors receive $1 million from state scholarship fund

Nearly 50 Tri-City students will receive a collective $1 million in scholarship money from a state scholarship fund aimed at directing more students to science- and technology-focused fields.

Thirty-two students from the Pasco School District earned $720,000 from the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, the largest share doled out to any of the three districts. Fourteen Kennewick students received the scholarship while two students at Richland’s Hanford High School were selected.

More than half of the winning students are women, and most are minorities and will be the first in their families to attend college. The scholarship will provide up to $22,500 per student over five years to pursue bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, and health care fields.

“These scholarships are tangible evidence that when we work together we can make a lasting difference in the lives of students and families,” said Pasco Superintendent Saundra Hill.

Tri-City districts have pushed STEM education on various levels in recent years. All three collectively operate the 400-student and STEM-centric Delta High School in west Pasco. Pasco has opened STEM elementary schools in the last few years. Richland is looking at making its newest middle school being built in West Richland also STEM-focused.

The Legislature created the scholarship in 2011 to help students from low- and middle-income families earn degrees in high demand fields in the state. Employers in STEM fields in Washington, such as aerospace engineering and technology, have noted in the past that they face a looming shortage of qualified workers.

Advocates for STEM education noted that relatively few Tri-City students applied for the scholarship in past years because it wasn’t well known. That led the scholarship fund to provide some money to the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, based in the region, to promote the scholarship and hold information sessions for students and families.

“There weren’t nearly enough kids who knew about it and applied for it,” said Robin Wojtanik, spokeswoman for the foundation. “This is a life changing amount of money.”

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Tri-City seniors receive $1 million from state scholarship fund."