Tacoma schools the rest of the state

Today’s Tacoma News Tribune editorial highlights an incredible state program that’s incredibly underutilized right now: The College Bound Scholarship program created by the Legislature last biennium.

Despite twenty Republican House members voting against it, the program passed the Legislature overwhelmingly, and is setting thousands of students across the state on the path to a better life thanks to an opportunity for a higher education.

Eligible students just need to meet one of the following:

• Are eligible to receive free and reduced-price lunch
• Receive TANF benefits
• Are a foster youth
• Meet the income standards

The problem, as the TNT points out, is motivating students to pursue those dreams of higher ed as 8th graders. College can seem a long way off at that age, especially for a student whose daily struggles keep them from focusing on anything else.

Recognizing that difficulty, the Tacoma School District and the Tacoma Housing Authority have teamed up to raise awareness of the program and keep kids on the right path to reach their higher ed goals. Their efforts are showing great success: 77 percent of eligible Tacoma public school students and a whopping 83 percent of eligible THA residents were enrolled in the program, compared to 46 percent of eligible students in the rest of the state.

Click here to learn more about the College Bound Scholarship Program or enroll.