Local organizations looking to give students cash to further
their education
Gilroy – A thousand dollars here, a few hundred there. When it comes to college, every bit helps.
Local students can offset the huge burden of college tuition by taking advantage of scholarships offered by the Gilroy Rotary Club, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce and the Gilroy Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as others.
The Rotary Club is offering $13,000 worth of scholarships. Students planning to pursue a career in floriculture, horticulture, plant science, biology or other related field are eligible for the $3,000 Goldsmith/Gilroy Rotary Floriculture Scholarship.
Rotary also is offering two $2,500 and four $1,000 Academic Achievement & Service scholarships. To qualify students must be seniors in high school, live in Gilroy or attend a school within the Gilroy Unified School District, have a record of excellent service in the community and/or extracurricular activities and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the past two years.
Also, the club is offering something new this year, said GRC scholarship Chairperson J.Chris Mickartz. The Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen and runner-up will both receive $500 scholarships. Mickartz said the Rotary Club had a good turnout of applicants last year.
“Last year we had over 20,” she said. “So we’ve gotten a good response.”
The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce will grant $7,500 worth of scholarships in June. Two $500 scholarships will be given to students interested in a vocational education. Also, $6,500 Business and Education Program Scholarships will be awarded, including one $2,500, one $2,000, one $1,000 and two $500.
To qualify students must live in or attend a school within the GUSD, have an excellent record of community service or extracurricular activities, career goal in business, industry or education and a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Deadline for both the Rotary Club and the Chamber is 5pm April 14.
Gilroy Chamber of Commerce President Susan Valenta said students don’t always take advantage of the dollars available for college.
“There’s so many times that we do hear that a lot of those dollars go untapped,” she said. “It’s not unusual for parents to take a second mortgage out on their home. This is money in their pocket for education.
Valenta also pointed out that students can rework essays from college applications to save time and they can begin working on the applications their junior or even sophomore year since the forms and requirements rarely change.
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is offering seven scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000. Five of the scholarships will be based on applicants’ performance in the Annual Ambassador’s Scholarship Ball wherein students dress up in native garb and answer an impromptu question for the May event.
Deadline for those scholarship applications, which are available to seniors or college students from Gilroy or Morgan Hill, is Monday by 5pm. The chamber also is giving out two $1,000 academic scholarships for a graduating senior and community college transfer student.
The GPA requirement for the senior is 3.5 and for the college student 3.3. The application is due April 27. The Gilroy Chapter of the Association of California School Administrators is granting three scholarships of $400 each for graduates of Gilroy or Mt. Madonna high schools who are interested in a career in education.
Scholarship forms are available in the GHS counseling office.
How To Apply
– Gilroy Rotary Club scholarship applications are available at Gilroy Chamber of Commerce or contact J.Chris Mickartz at 848-6540 or in******@ga****.com
– Gilroy Chamber of Commerce: available at Gilroy Chamber of Commerce or contact Susan Valenta at 842-6437 or ch*****@gi****.org, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce is located at 7471 Monterey St.
– Gilroy Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Applications available at GHS counseling office, drop off at GUSD district office for Martha Martinez. District office is located 7810 Arroyo Circle.
– Other sources: school counseling office, http://gilroyhighschool.com/
