$10,000 in scholarships focus on high-school students who need summer school courses to graduate

 
As part of its continuing commitment to Albuquerque Public Schools, Nusenda Credit Union this year provided $10,000 in scholarship support for summer school courses allowing high school seniors to receive their diplomas, and underclassmen stay on track for on-time graduation.

The summer program is for APS students who need to recover credits in order to get back on track with their graduation requirements. This year, Nusenda’s $10,000 contribution covered a maximum of two summer school courses for 78 students - 16 underclassmen and 62 graduating seniors. Since the partnership began in 2015, this fund has helped 140 students reach their goal of graduating on time with their peers.

Summer school tuition at APS is typically $500 for two classes and must be paid in advance. To date, Nusenda has supported more than 25 percent of the summer graduates each year of the partnership, said Shana Runck, Nusenda’s AVP of Community Relations and Financial Capability.

“This is one component of our comprehensive support for APS students, parents, teachers, and administrators,”Runck said. “While discounts for summer school tuition are available for low-income families who qualify for free or reduced lunch, an expense such as this could be a barrier for seniors who need summer school courses to graduate on time and do not have other types of financial assistance.”

For many of Nusenda’s scholarship recipients, they will be the first in their family to graduate from high school or the first to attend college. Many of the students also live in single-parent homes.

“Many of our summer graduates have faced personal obstacles including financial struggles on their journey to earning their diploma, yet they persevered. They also got a much needed helping hand from Nusenda,” said APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy. “The scholarships provided by our long-time community partner have helped many students earn the credits they need to become high school graduates. We appreciate this support, and we appreciate all that Nusenda does for Albuquerque Public Schools.”

In a letter to Nusenda, student Monique Rodrigues-Navarette said, “Thank you for offering the scholarship.  It really helps because I am on my own and I have bills to pay. It’s like this big relief to not have to pay for all three classes. Again, thank you for helping me finish my last few credits and graduate.” 

For more information on APS’s Summer Learning Programs, visit http://www.aps.edu/summer-programs.

This year’s Summer High School graduation is scheduled for Monday, July 23 at the Kiva Auditorium in Downtown Albuquerque. 

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