Scholarships

It's a problem most government agencies wouldn't mind having: millions of tax dollars to spend, and not enough places to spend them. But for the Maryland Higher Education Commission - the agency that administers state-funded college scholarship programs - the looming threat of getting stuck this year with millions of dollars in undistributed student grants could threaten future financial aid funding, officials say. That's why the commission is anxious...

Howard Community College will offer new-student orientation sessions from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 22 and 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 24. First-time HCC students are encouraged and expected to attend; parents are welcome to attend a parent session that will be held during their child's orientation program. The sessions include refreshments, information packets and interactive workshops, campus tours and prizes. Information: 410-772-4896. Reservations: 410-772-4430. Or sign up online at www.howard cc.edu/nso.

In an effort to encourage more graduating students to consider college, Baltimore City Community College is offering a year's scholarship to one senior at each of the 41 city high schools. Scholarship winners will receive about $3,400 each to cover tuition, books and other fees. The scholarships are funded by the BCCC Foundation Inc. and they will be awarded as part of the school's 60th anniversary celebration. To qualify, applicants must have a 2.5 grade point average, demonstrate financial need and submit an essay about the value of a college education.

PHILADELPHIA -- The NCAA has regained at least temporarily the use of minimum test scores to determine whether freshmen are eligible to play intercollegiate sports.A federal appeals court yesterday issued a stay of a lower court ruling that had invalidated the NCAA's freshman-eligibility standards on the grounds that they are racially discriminatory.The stay, which will remain in effect until an appeal of the lower ruling can be heard, will leave the standards in place as NCAA member schools approach the April 7 national signing date for a number of sports, including basketball.

Johns Hopkins Hospital neuro-surgeon Ben Carson says good grades ought to rate as many accolades as a strong jump shot -- and he's putting his money where his mouth is.With the help of a $200,000 yearly contribution from the Abell Foundation, Carson's scholarship fund will provide an annual $1,000 award for a child in every Baltimore public school. The fund has provided 70 scholarships since 1995 to students in Maryland, Delaware and Washington, and Carson hopes the new money will lay the foundation to expand the program even further.

For many high school students and their parents, procrastination is as much a part of applying to college as taking the SAT.The future often seems like a better time than now for perusing stacks of college information, preparing for the SAT, visiting colleges, filling in admissions application forms, writing essays and scouting for scholarships."

Reeling from poor attendance and a rift among its volunteer organizers, the city's largest ethnic festival may not be able to provide the college scholarships it was to fund in the coming year.The annual AFRAM Expo, a three-day event celebrating African-American culture, attracted only about 11,000 paid visitors to Pimlico Race Track earlier this month, said James Mango, the track's chief operating officer.That's a tenth of the figure the organization's volunteer steering committee had hoped for and a fraction of last year's paid attendance, which approached 70,000, said Lloyd Mitchner, who recently resigned as executive director of AFRAM Expo Inc., the nonprofit organization that runs AFRAM.

Delegate sets criteria for scholarship awardRepublican Del. Donald B. Elliott, District 4B, has announced the establishment of four one-year scholarships to be awarded to high school graduates from his district, which includes parts of Carroll and Frederick counties.Scholarships are based on academic record, involvement in extracurricular activities and other criteria determined by the Scholarship Committee.Scholarships are applicable to any public or private college or university in Maryland.

Annapolis' DeWayne Hunt and Severna Park's Lauren Huber are the recipients of the fifth annual Dick Hart Memorial Scholarships.Hunt and Huber will receive $1,500 scholarships on June 28 at Bay Hills Country Club in Arnold at the annual golf tournament, the Hart group's main fund-raiser.Hart, boys basketball coach at Andover High school for 30 years before dying of cancer in 1991, emphasized the intangibles of defense, discipline on and off the court, and teamwork.A panel of six who either played for or coached with Hart, a member of the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame, perpetuate the coach's name by raising money for scholarships.

The state's first attempt at a HOPE scholarship program has fallen short of its predicted enrollment.About 700 high school seniors -- well below the expected 2,000 -- have qualified for grants aimed at encouraging students to major in science and technology."

Alarmed that most of Maryland's top high school students are going out of state for college - and possibly not coming back - the Board of Regents announced yesterday an initiative, dubbed "Project 1300," to keep the brightest students closer to home. About 6,000 high school seniors in Maryland score 1,300 or better on their SAT each year, and two-thirds of them leave the state for college, according to Regent David Nevins. He's worried that students won't return to Maryland and put their talents to use here.

Cecil College holds advisory session Cecil College will hold a free college information and career advisory session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Elkton Station, 107 Railroad Ave. Advisers from the college's credit and noncredit programs will talk to prospective students about training programs, workplace readiness classes, lifelong learning resources and financial aid. Information: 410-287-6060, ext. 641. Fundraiser focuses on life changes ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Free is good. That's my rallying cry for coming high school seniors starting the scramble for every dollar they can get their hands on between now and next spring to cover college tuition, textbooks, and room and board. Yet, at a time when college costs continue to escalate with no end in sight, many sources for "free" money are being overlooked and untapped. By "free," I mean millions of dollars in scholarships that are typically available annually to qualified students with no repayment strings attached.

Cecil College to host information session Cecil College will hold an information session about its veterinary office assistant program at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Technology Center on the North East campus. Veterinary Assistant Training I: Outpatient Care covers office and exam room procedures, client relations and biology. V.A. Training II: Diagnostics and Pharmacology covers diagnostics basics, functions of the lab, pharmacy, radiology and ultra-sound. Both classes are available in the fall semester.

Reacting to public outrage, a Southeast Baltimore car dealer renewed its offer yesterday to give $8,400 in college scholarships to four Patterson High School students, but the school's principal turned the money down. Principal Laura D'Anna said she received dozens of phone calls and e-mails yesterday from people willing to donate money for student college scholarships. She said she will be able to give the four students twice what Castle Toyota/Scion had initially promised them and give money to some of their classmates as well.

Howard Community College invites the community to attend an event similar to NBC's Apprentice television program, in which students from Adjunct Instructor Barbara Surran's "Principles of Marketing" class will present marketing plans to the Ellicott City Fire Department. The department approached the college for student help with fundraising and marketing. The winning student group will be selected by a panel of judges, and the fire department will receive a copy of each group's marketing plan for possible use. The event will be at 6 p.m. April 21 in Room 400 of The Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia.

The Mount Hebron Nursery School Parents' Group will hold its 24th annual Spring Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19, rain or shine, at Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church on Mount Hebron Drive in Ellicott City. Activities planned for children include pony rides, Moon Bounce, face-painting, crafts, games with prizes, and a Mother's Day Secret Shoppe. Books, food, cotton candy and baked goods will be for sale. Performances by Kinetics Dance Studio, Kangaroo Kids precision jump rope team and the Teelin School of Irish Dance, and demonstrations of Tae Kwon Do are planned.

Two are available from business group The Route 40 Business Association is offering a scholarship for graduating seniors from Joppatowne, Edgewood, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace High schools. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing a degree or certificate in a business-related field. Applications, with a letter including college choice and status, community activities, awards and recognition, work and related achievements, career and educational goals and financial need for the scholarship, are required by April 7. For other requirements and application, contact the scholarship committee representative: Joppatowne, Suzanne Green, 410-679-9622; Edgewood, Alan Doran, 443-372-0080; Aberdeen, Kathy Wajer, 410-638-3059; Havre de Grace, Amy Carlson, 410-272-4000.

Manor Woods Elementary School will hold a Longaberger Basket Bingo at 7 p.m. Friday. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the adult community event, which includes food and prizes. The event will help fund PTA-sponsored educational, health and cultural activities at the school. Information or to purchase tickets: 410-750-1018; For information about charitable donations: 410-461-1357. Autism fundraiser part of nationwide effort The Autism Society of America and Pump It Up will sponsor "Bounce for Autism," a nationwide, community-based fundraiser to raise awareness and support for children with autism.

COLLEGE PARK -- Hudson Taylor is focused on three-card monte. The Maryland student sits shirtless beside the red mat in the Comcast Center wrestling room after practice, deftly arranging and rearranging cards. The card game is a natural for the theatrical Taylor, an amateur magician who entertains his teammates on road trips. But he reserves his best performances for the mat. On March 8, the redshirt sophomore won at 197 pounds at Comcast Center to clinch Maryland's first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 35 years.