Over 200 northern Santa Barbara County students gathered in Santa Maria on Wednesday to celebrate themselves and their peers.
The students participated in the North County Scholarship Awards Ceremony held at Allan Hancock College — a recognition of the students there and hundreds of others throughout the county who received scholarships to help them in the next phase of their academic journeys.
"Incredibly proud; proud and inspired," said Melinda Cabrera, the president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. "And when you see the students and they're telling you where they're going to school and what they're going to study and you see the pride on the parents' faces — it makes it all worth it and we are just so proud to be part of their journeys."
Over 1,700 Santa Barbara County students were awarded scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year, totaling more than $7.1 million, helping alleviate the financial burden of schooling compounded by the botched rollout of the new and improved FAFSA, officials with the foundation said.
Over $3.2 million was awarded to students in the northern parts of the county. Just over $3.8 million was distributed to students in southern parts of the county.
Those scholarships can be used for college, graduate, and vocational studies, including law school and medical school.
“The scholarships are made possible by the generosity of the community," Cabrera said. "The community that believes in our students the community that believes in education they come together and they make these opportunities possible.“
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is described as the nation's largest community-based provider of college scholarships.
“There is nothing like knowing the community is behind you and rooting for you to succeed,” Cabrera said.
