Editorial: Students need your assistance

The Westport News received a press release this week about a great resource for Westport high school students.

Every year the Staples High School Tuition Grants program gives more than $100,000 to high school students who are entering college. Actually, last year the group gave out almost $200,000 in grant money to 77 graduating seniors or alumni who now needed grant money when they did not before.

The common perception is that Westport kids don't need financial assistance for college. The reality is that many of them do. Living in Westport doesn't automatically mean that families have tons of money. Or even if they do, sometimes situations arise that leave them needing assistance.

Take the case of the DeBussy triplets, as described in the press release, who received grant money last year for all three to attend the colleges of their choice. The mother might have been able to swing tuition for one kid going to college, but three kids starting college at the exact same time is more than almost anyone's bank account can cover. She needed help, and she was able to get it, right here in her hometown.

Some Staples students come from single-parent households, and the increasingly expensive college costs are just too much. Some students' parents are ill or disabled and overwhelmed by medical expenses. Or, in a scenario that has become all too common, some parents are out of work. There are many reasons why families need assistance in paying for college -- especially at this time in our nation's history, where tuition prices are sky-rocketing, but bank accounts are dwindling.

So it becomes obvious why Staples High School Tuition Grants are needed. What is less apparent, though, is that the grants program is in serious need of contributions from the community. So far, the program has raised only half of what it needs, and high school graduation looms large. This year's graduates need to make decisions now about where they will be attending school, and that all depends on the financial aid they receive.

The Staples High School Tuition Grants program is Westport's largest single donor in financial aid. Last year the program saw a 35 percent increase in the amount of applications it received, and this year the group's organizers expect as many, if not more.

Let's look out for our own here in Westport. Staples students have a reputation for hard work and academic excellence. Let's not see their efforts wasted. If you can afford to donate to this worthy program, please do. Our nation's students are already over-burdened with loan repayment -- something like this can be a great help in the long run, as well.

Donations may come from individuals, organizations or businesses. Tax-deductible contributions may be made online or sent to: Staples High School Tuition Grants Committee, Box 5159, Westport, CT 06881.

Students interested in submitting a grant application must do so by March 15. Applications are available online at www.staplestuitiongrants.org.