The Scholarship Program  

Figure 1. Sixth grade graduates selected for scholarships

 

 
Background

The Club Rotario de San Carlos Scholarship Program provides Middle School and High School educational opportunities for deserving children of families in our community who cannot afford the tuition and fees.  San Carlos is an expanding town in the Mexican state of Sonora that is located near the city of Guaymas on the Sea of Cortez approximately 250 miles south of Nogales , Arizona .  In our area of Mexico , children are required to attend state-sponsored school through the ninth grade.  However, after the sixth grade, many children drop out because their parents cannot afford to pay the additional fees that are required after the sixth grade.  In addition, parents must provide their children's uniforms, school supplies, and transportation.  For more than 20 years, the Club Rotario de San Carlos has tried to mitigate these hardships by providing a scholarship program for students in Middle School (grades 7 thru 9) and High School (grades 10 thru 12).

 

Figure 2. Graduate receiving scholarship award

 

 

Our Commitment  

Our Club is striving to reach the point where every student who lives in the San Carlos community has the desire and opportunity to graduate from High School.  Our approach is to remove financial constraints that most families face in educating their children while recognizing the effort and achievements of the students.  Our primary tool in executing this approach is the award of scholarships.  We will provide as many scholarships to qualified students as possible; thereby motivating both parents and students to stay in school through High School or as long as possible.  Furthermore, we are expanding the program to help more of the most dedicated and gifted students to attend University and Technical Institutes.

 
The Need
 
Presently, 76 Middle School and 18 High School students are receiving our scholarship support, and they will require continuing support for the 2008-09 school year.  There are approximately an equal number of eligible students that would benefit by receiving financial aid, but there are insufficient funds to sponsor them. In addition, approximately 33 students in the San Carlos area will graduate from the sixth grade this year.  About half can qualify for scholarships based on their performance and need, but we only have the resources to provide half of the need. 
 
Qualification Standards/How Students are Selected
 

A student must demonstrate need and academic achievement to obtain a Rotary scholarship.  They must receive the recommendation of a teacher, meet with a Rotary representative with the teacher and parents present, and attend regular follow-up meetings during the year.  The student must maintain a minimum grade-point-average of 8.5 (out of 10).  If the average drops below the requirement, we discuss it with the student and the parents.  If there is no significant improvement, the student loses the scholarship at the end of the academic year.  However, it is rare that students perform below expectations, and the vast majority of our scholars maintain.

 
Career Scholarships
 

Until recently, San Carlos Rotary scholarships have ceased upon completion of High School. Through our involvement in the Scholarship Program, on occasion, a gifted and dedicated student comes along, completes High School, and wishes to continue his or her studies, but does not have the means to do so. In response to this need, our Club has recently initiated a new program to assist these dedicated and gifted students of San Carlos with modest resources, who strive to pursue a professional career, at one of the nearby Universities or Technical Institutes. The level of support we provide varies according to the economic situation of the student and according to where he or she will study. Presently,we are contributing a total of approximately $53,000 pesos ($5,300 U.S.) to this program, at an average cost of $8,000 pesos ($800 U.S.) per student per year. We have selected six students to receive Career Scholarships. Most of the students have previously received a Rotary Scholarship, and all have maintained exceptional grades through High School.



If you would like more detailed information on the scholarship program, please contact us through any of the methods provided on the home page of this website.

 

 

 

 
 
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