For any high school senior applying for college, finding scholarship aid to help with tuition can be an unwelcome additional assignment. But thanks to Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s single-online application, the process is just a bit smoother for hundreds of Worcester County families every year. For over 35 years many foundation donors have shown the value they place on education by endowing scholarships to help local graduating seniors afford their college education.

For all the recent debate over whether college is “worth it,” higher education remains the best path to success for most Americans. A study conducted by the College Board, with support from the College Futures Foundation, shows how scholarship programs can be structured to encourage low-income students to attend college and to persist once they get there. Overall, students awarded performance-based scholarships were 5 percentage points more likely to matriculate in college compared with the students that did not receive a scholarship.

Each year, we have the honor of selecting awardees from among a strong pool of college-bound applicants and this fall over 400 students will attend college with a GWCF scholarship. More than 167 volunteers serving 60 selection committees awarded the scholarships, the highest number of awards and annual scholarship payout in the history of the Foundation. Since the scholarship program began in 1978, the Foundation has awarded nearly $10 million to over 6,500 students.

To build a vibrant community both here in Central Massachusetts -- and the nation -- we seek to assure that our region’s students have an equal opportunity to receive the education and training necessary to be ready for tomorrow’s careers. Our generous donors and volunteers value the benefits of education and want to help other realize their academic dreams.