Twenty-eight Palm Beach State College students with a 4.0 grade point average have received some unexpected cash to help pay for their college expenses.
They are the first recipients of PBSC’s 4.0 Achievement Award, a new scholarship created this year to recognize and reward outstanding students enrolled at the college.
The students were not required to apply for the scholarship, and they had no idea they would receive it. Instead, the college combed through academic records to identify eligible students. The $500 scholarships were awarded to students who had completed two consecutive terms of full-time enrollment in an associate or bachelor’s degree program with a minimum of 24 credit hours earned and a cumulative 4.0 grade point average. The scholarship recipients also will receive an additional $500 each term as long as they are enrolled full-time and their cumulative grade point average does not dip below 3.8.
“I was excited about it and glad to be recognized for working so hard,” said Marinna Haley of Wellington, an aspiring equine veterinarian. “Something like that is definitely encouraging. Most kids are like ‘as long as I pass this class I’ll be fine.’ You always want to do your best. It’s nice to be recognized for that extra effort.”
Other local scholarship winners included: Ginell Iversen of Wellington, Elena Maris of Wellington, Mikeria Moore of Loxahatchee and Christopher Sousa of Loxahatchee.
“This is a retention scholarship to encourage them to continue and complete their studies at Palm Beach State College,” said Dr. Peter Barbatis, vice president of student services and enrollment management. “It is one of four new scholarships created to attract and retain top students.”
The other new scholarships are the Presidential Honors College Scholarship, the Green and Gold Scholarship, and the Honors College Merit Award.
For more information on PBSC scholarships, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/financialaid/scholarships or call (561) 868-3386.
