Academic excellence on the high school level results in a tuition-free higher education option for dozens of Valley Tech students, including several from the town of Upton.
As winners of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, a total of 74 BVT seniors will receive tuition waivers if they choose to enroll full-time in a Massachusetts public college or university. Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awards the scholarship to students who earned scores of Advanced and Proficient on grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (with at least one score of Advanced) and earned a combined score within the top 25 percent of their school district.
The following Upton members of the BVT Class of 2014 were recently informed of their eligibility for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship:
Brandon Audette, Emily Boulter, Derek Cannistraro,
Anthony Collari, Halle Coots, Gavin Humes,
Samuel Linstead-Atkinson, Brady Neyland, Stephen Poirier, Theresa Rook.
Students who accept the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and enroll in a state university or college will receive a tuition-waiver for up to eight semesters, which must be completed within six years of the recipient’s high school graduation. Recipients must also maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average.
“At Valley Tech, we stress students adopt an attitude of career readiness, including how to finance their post-secondary educational pursuits,” said Assistant Superintendent-Director/Principal Anthony Steele. “By excelling on their MCAS assessments in the spring of their sophomore year, they put themselves in a position to receive an Adams scholarship. Even though the award only covers tuition, it is still an incentive to our students and those across the Commonwealth.”
According to data on current tuition rates from the Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education, recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship could benefit from an average four-year savings of nearly $3,000 at community colleges, nearly $4,000 at state universities, and nearly $6,500 at the University of Massachusetts campuses.
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, Blackstone Valley Tech creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of vigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills. The school’s website is http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us.
UPTON DAILY 