A GW scholarship aims to help D.C. highschoolers attend college. The Trachtenberg scholarship awards nine recipients $200,000 for tuition, books, fees and room and board. There are currently no such specific scholarships at AU, but the school says it is implementing improved college recruitment methods in the District.
This scholarship is particularly important. Less than half of D.C. students graduate from high school and less than 10 percent of college-bound students from D.C. public schools ever finish their degrees.
The GW grants are an outstanding way to help students in the District. On top of limited elementary, middle and high school resources, D.C. residents have limited options for public universities. Whereas most state systems have at least several public universities, D.C. has only one.
Although there is a program that allows D.C. residents to attend other states' state universities at in-state tuition rates, parents and students may not be aware of this program. In addition to the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program, there are other opportunities, including charter schools, for public school students to get a better education.
AU and the other universities in D.C. should do more to expand opportunities for D.C. public school students. There are undoubtedly some students who don't even apply to college because they believe they can't afford it. More programs like GW's will give students and parents hope that they can graduate from college and better their lives with advanced education.
