Dear Editor:
Earlier in the year, the B.C. government unveiled new rules regarding how graduation scholarships would be calculated and awarded.
These scholarships used to have a net worth of more than $5 million, money that could be used to help finance the education of students who would otherwise have difficulty in improving their education beyond a high school diploma.
Because these changes include Grade 10 exams in the final calculation for grades and awards, I am curious to know what is being done by the ministry and local school board to properly explain these changes to students and parents and to stress the importance of striving towards excellence beyond the final year of studies.
In previous years, there was only a limited amount of information given to students regarding the exams that would count for these scholarships, and many students likely were unable to obtain the scholarships due to a lack of knowledge.
We all know that Burnaby students are among the very best and brightest in the world, but that millions of dollars in these awards are not being collected due to a lack of knowledge about their very existence.
Parents and students: in a few days the school year will begin again. There is money out there to help with the cost of a post-secondary education.
Make sure that you're aware of how to obtain these scholarships; there's no extra effort needed, these are all courses that are required for graduation.
With the cost of a post-secondary education continuing to rise, our schools and ministry should be doing everything they can to help point out ways of making education more affordable.
Trevor Ritchie,
Burnaby
