ST. PAUL – County of St. Paul council is considering increasing its scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary education in health and agriculture-related fields, opting to prioritize financial aid over graduation gifts.
During its Public Works meeting on Feb. 25, council reviewed its donation, sponsorship, and recognition policy (ADM-32), which allows for approximately $5,000 worth of swag items, specifically $25 water bottles, to be given to graduating students from within the County of St. Paul.
Instead, council discussed if it should reallocate those funds to provide additional scholarships.
“I like more scholarships myself, because money is tight for these families,” said Coun. Dale Hedrick. It was a sentiment agreed to by the rest of council.
Coun. Darrell Younghans made a motion to create a $1,000 healthcare scholarship specifically for a student pursuing a career as a health professional. The motion was carried, ensuring at least one such healthcare scholarship would be available this year.
While the scholarship is less than the money the graduation swag would cost, council also directed administration to draft a scholarship policy to further discuss how the additional funding will be allocated in the future.
“The thing is, you give a kid a $25 water bottle, and they may use it, [or] they may not,” Younghans said, in a follow-up interview. A scholarship, on the other hand, “We think is a better use of money.”
The County offers four other scholarships - one for students entering agriculture, another for trades, and two general scholarships. The new health-focused award brings the total number of scholarships to five.
