Rialto Unified School District students earn over $2 million in scholarships

At the end of September, Rialto Unified School District students made history by earning over $2 million in scholarships to four-year universities.

“We are here with over 30 colleges and universities that will be conducting on the spot admissions and granting scholarships. Today we hope to see around 1,000 students from the Rialto Unified School District and surrounding districts come out to experience this opportunity. This year we are anticipating getting 200 to 300 students accepted into a university. We are confident we will have 2 million dollars in scholarship offers,” said Dr. Alan Rowe, United Action College Network (U-CAN).

On September 17, A.B. Miller High School hosted a U-CAN college fair to provide leadership services, college preparation assistance and award scholarships to qualifying students throughout the district.

“Our students have worked hard in preparing their resumes and preparing their communication skills for interviews. What is unique about this college fair is that students receive on the spot scholarships, full ride admissions, and it really helps them get excited about the college admissions process,” said Dr. Edward D’ Souza, math and science lead academic agent.

The college fair aims to bring more opportunity to students preparing to enter four-year universities, who have a focus on admissions to one of the nation’s 100 Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HSBCU).

“This is the one time where students will receive an opportunity to see colleges and universities from across the nation, specifically historical black colleges. This may be the only time these students would have the opportunity to access one of these schools in a single day,” shared Rialto Unified School District Board Clerk Dina Walker.

The students accepted to universities on the spot shared their excitement as they were granted a scholarship.

“I got a scholarship to University of Florida for $8,000. I feel really excited and it’s a great opportunity because I didn’t know a lot about these colleges or universities prior to attending the college fair. Having the opportunity to directly speak to the admissions directors has been very helpful,” said Rialto High School Senior Diana Salazar.

The granted scholarships will assist students’ college tuition and living expenses. “It feels good to be accepted into a college. This was my first application and it feels good to follow in my parents’ educational footsteps,” said Carter High School Senior Miles Williams.