BALTIMORE \u2013 Maryland\u2019s graduating class of 2017 received more than $1.327 billion in college scholarship offers, according to the results of a new Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) survey. This amount surpasses the class of 2015\u2019s record total, which fell just short of $1.32 billion. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur administration would like to congratulate Maryland\u2019s students for setting a new record for scholarship offers,\u201d said Governor Larry Hogan. \u201cThe hard work and commitment of our students will help pave the way for even greater achievements in their postsecondary education and future career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools, agreed that hard work is a hallmark of these recent graduates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to their dedication, our graduates are held in the highest regard by the nation\u2019s colleges and universities,\u201d said Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools. \u201cBy setting a new record for scholarship offers, these students are helping ensure their success after high school. They deserve our admiration and our congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey found that 18,206 Maryland graduates received scholarship offers last year, which accounted for about one-third of the graduating class of 56,702. Scholarships included 145 National Merit Finalists and 347 offers from Ivy League institutions. <\/p>\n
Montgomery County received the highest total scholarship amount for its graduates, falling just under the $3.51 million mark with 4,161 students receiving at least one scholarship offer. Montgomery County is followed by Anne Arundel County with just over $1.56 million in scholarships and 1,579 students receiving at least one offer, and Baltimore County which had just under $1.54 million in scholarships and 2,116 students receiving at least one scholarship offer. <\/p>\n
For more than a decade, MSDE has collected and analyzed data on college and university scholarship offers received by graduates. The total dollar amount of these offers has risen dramatically since 2007 when Maryland graduates received less than $500 million total in scholarship offers. Maryland graduate scholarship offers officially passed the $1 billion threshold for the first time in 2013. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"