Scholarship Foundation Awards

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara (SFSB) in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation presented its 2018 awards at a ceremony in the Courthouse Sunken Garden. More than 600 folks, including students, parents, educators, and community leaders, gathered to witness or receive awards. This year, SFSB awarded more than 2,700 college and vocational scholarships totaling in excess of $8.3 million to students throughout the county. Their first year, they awarded $900. I’d say they’ve come a long way.

The SFSB board chair Don Logan and Santa Barbara Foundation board chair Diane Adam both spoke. Don told the recipients, “We want you to know that the community is investing in your future. College grads earn one million more than non grads.” The Santa Barbara Foundation has contributed nearly $1.2 million in scholarship funds this year and is the SFSB’s largest partner.

Some of the facts are pretty amazing, such as the SFSB is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded in excess of $100 million to more than 47,000 county students since it was founded in 1962. Not only dollars, they provide free financial aid advising services. That would be to some 20,000 individuals a year. And SFSB award recipients have a six-year graduation rate of 81 percent, while the national average is 63 percent. Way to go!

For additional information, visit www.sbscholarship.org. or call (805) 687-6065.