By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – A new program in the St. Louis School District has a goal of sending all current 9th graders to college in 2010.
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw announced the formation Monday of a $20 million dollar scholarship program available to qualifying students. Half of the money has already been committed, she says.
Bourisaw says the scholarships will help motivate those with limited means. "If you ask kids do you want to go to college almost all of them will say 'yes,' said Bourisaw. "If you ask them, do you have the means to go to college, 80% of them will say 'no'.
"So they then become very not motivated to do well in school because what's the point?"
Bourisaw says the program aims to have 250 sponsoring colleges and universities by this Fall.