SBCUSD Class Of 2023 Earned More Than $9 Million In Scholarships

By Mauricio Arellano, Superintendent | San Bernardino City Unified School District

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— As San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD’s) Superintendent, I am in a constant state of awe that I have found myself in the same place where my educational journey began as a student, and later as a teacher, then a principal, and later as a director.

Reflecting on my own experience, it was SBCUSD teachers who saw that a kid from San Bernardino had brilliance and could shine, and I believe our teachers are uncovering the brilliance in our students day in and day out.

If I would have been able to tell my younger self about all the places I would go, I don’t think I would have believed any of it back then. Despite my own reluctance to believe in myself, I hope that this isn’t the case for the students in our District today.

My hope is that our students dare to dream and do the impossible simply because they can. One of our District priorities is to help our students unlock their potential and ensure that once they graduate, they can successfully enter college or career.

One of the lesser-known ways that SBCUSD supports students is through its efforts to help graduates find scholarships to help fund their post-high school educational dreams. As a student, I was fortunate enough to receive a multitude of scholarships, which helped me afford college.

In part due to two non-profit organizations that coordinate and fund scholarships specifically for SBCUSD students—the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association and the Making Hope Happen Foundation—and dedicated Scholarship Counselors at each high school, SBCUSD provides a huge advantage to our graduates compared to many other California schools, including local charter and private schools, by offering more than 375 scholarships exclusively for SBCUSD graduates and assistance in helping students apply for other, non-exclusive scholarships and grants.

According to ThinkImpact and Education Data Initiative, only about 7% of students will receive a college/post-secondary education scholarship or grant. Of those, 16% will receive a state-funded scholarship/grant and 27% will receive federal aid in the form of a Pell Grant. Only about 3% of public school students receive private scholarships, usually averaging about $3,463.

Compare that to the 1,351 SBCUSD Class of 2023 May/June graduates who collectively earned more than $9 million in scholarships and grants, including military enlistment bonuses. That equated to just over 42% of all SBCUSD May/June 2023 graduates, including adult graduates of Inland Career Education Center (ICEC) and continuation high school graduates from San Andreas and Sierra High Schools.

And in case you thought that $9 million was just a fluke, you would be wrong. I was pleased to learn that SBCUSD’s Class of 2022 and Class of 2021 each earned more than $11 million in scholarships and grants.

Indian Springs High School’s 334 graduates from the Class of 2023 earned the most scholarship dollars this past school year. Graduates earned a total of $1,850,882 in scholarships and grants, which includes military scholarships and enlistment bonuses.

The oldest SBCUSD high school and my alma mater—San Bernardino High School—graduated 291 students who earned the second-highest total of scholarship and grant dollars of any SBCUSD school at $1,601,214.

A full 100% of Middle College High School‘s 48 graduates earned scholarships totaling $810,000.

Cajon High School’s 613 Class of 2023 graduates, which also included International Baccalaureate (IB) students, earned $804,811 in scholarships and grants. Another SBCUSD IB school, Arroyo Valley High School, proudly graduated 665 students who pulled in a total $1,302,000 in scholarships and grants.

Of Pacific High School’s 202 Class of 2023 graduates, 77% received a combined total of $1,285,969 in scholarships and grants. Almost 75% of San Gorgonio High School‘s Class of 2023 secured $1,500,000 in scholarships and grants, including $450,2000 from an Air Force Academy scholarship and enlistment bonuses.

SBCUSD’s continuation high schools also boasted scholarship and grant recipients, with 20 San Andreas High School and 24 Sierra High School graduates in the Class of 2023 earning $24,525 and $20,925, respectively.

Eight of ICEC’s 179 adult high school diploma and GED graduates earned a combined $13,354 in scholarships and grants.

San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association’s 87 donors were responsible for awarding 248 scholarships to SBCUSD’s Class of 2023 totaling $261,705. SBCUSD graduates are exclusively eligible to receive these scholarships. Each scholarship has unique requirements, but because there are so many different scholarships, the odds are that most graduates will qualify for at least one if not more. And new scholarships are constantly being established through the Association.

The Making Hope Happen Foundation, a non-profit supporting the District’s educational mission, awarded $3,000 mentor-supported college scholarships to 128 SBCUSD graduates this  year, for a total of $384,000. What makes these scholarships unique is that in addition to money, scholarship recipients are paired with a mentor, who is an upperclassman in college and also an SBCUSD alum, to help guide them through the college experience, helping them register for classes and navigate this new phase of their lives.

The bottom line is that San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) graduates are almost six times more likely to be awarded scholarships and grants for post-secondary education, and the average amount they receive is almost double the average across the nation. And it’s not too late for local high school students to take advantage of these resources by enrolling in SBCUSD via the District’s enrollment webpage at https://www.sbcusd.com/departments/student-services-division/enrollment-placement-services or by calling (909) 889-7576.

For more information or to donate to the Making Hope Happen Foundation, visit https://makinghope.org/ or contact CEO Niki Dettman at (909) 245-1452 or niki.dettman@makinghope.org. To create your own scholarship or donate to one of the many existing Association-managed scholarships, contact the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association at sbcsa@sbcusd.k12.ca.us or call (909) 381-1250.