Liberty County public-school students will have access to the REACH Georgia scholarship program for the first time in the 2015-16 school year.
Torri Jackson, the district’s counselor on loan, discussed the program with the school board during its regular meeting April 21. REACH, which stands for Realizing Education Achievement Can Happen, is a needs-based mentorship and scholarship program. It rewards academic promise starting in eighth grade and provides financial support following the completion of high school.
A middle-school counselor at each school will serve as a REACH academic coach and monitor the attendance, behavior and academic performance of the chosen REACH scholars. Each scholar will be paired with a school counselor and mentor.
“Upon completion of the program, REACH scholars will receive up to $10,000 in scholarship money for any HOPE-eligible, two- to four-year college,” Jackson said.
Middle-school teachers, school counselors and administrators will nominate an eighth-grader, and a committee of school and community leaders will review the application to choose the district’s five REACH scholars. Scholars must have good discipline and attendance records, have free- or reduced-price lunch status, maintain a 2.5 grade-point average in core academic courses and have the potential of being an “A” or “B” student. Once selected, there will be a statewide scholarship-signing day Sept. 23.
REACH Georgia only will fund the district’s first cohort of scholars. The school district and community are responsible for raising a percentage of the funding for following cohorts.