St. Paul county council is considering moving funds from graduation gifts to increase scholarships for students pursuing careers in health and agriculture.
At its February 25 public works meeting, council reviewed its donation, sponsorship, and recognition policy (ADM-32), which currently allows for around $5,000 in swag items, such as $25 water bottles, to be distributed to graduating students. Instead, council agreed that offering more scholarships would better support students and their families.
“I like more scholarships myself, because money is tight for these families,” said Councillor Dale Hedrick, a shared feeling by the rest of council.
Councillor Darrell Younghans introduced a motion to establish a $1,000 healthcare scholarship for a student pursuing a career as a health professional. The motion was passed, adding a fifth scholarship to the county’s existing awards, which include, agriculture, trades, and two general scholarships.
While the new scholarship is less than the total amount spent on graduation gifts, council also asked administration to draft a scholarship policy to further explore how funds could be assign in the future.
“The thing is, you give a kids a $25 water bottle, and they may use it, or they may not,” Younghans said. “A scholarship, we think, is a better use of money.”
