The Viking Promise Kendall Murphy Scholarship Program addresses two realities of the 21st century:
Quality jobs today and tomorrow require at least some level of post-secondary education, and students with expectations of attending college achieve more at every level of their elementary and secondary education than their peers without such expectations. This project makes a long-term investment in our community by investing in the academic future of its youngest citizens. With a long-term commitment/partnership between Barr-Reeve Community Schools and the Scholarship Team, each kindergarten student enrolled in Barr-Reeve Schools, (beginning in the fall of 2018) will be provided with a Kendall Murphy Scholarship of $100.
Through the schools and with the support of experienced financial advisors, parents of kindergarten students will be presented information about the process and scholarship opportunity in a series of evening seminars, and will be provided assistance in completing the application process. Parents will have to have, or with the help of Barr-Reeve Schools, will create a 529 College Savings account for their student. The Scholarship Team will then distribute the funds to each student’s 529 College Savings account. Additional/ongoing contributions can be made by families and community members as the students progress through their K-12 years at school. It is the ultimate goal of The Viking Promise Kendall Murphy Scholarship Program that every student in Barr-Reeve Schools will have a college savings account which can be used for educational related expenses not only for traditional four-year colleges, but for any accredited post-secondary education, including vocational and trade schools.
What are the benefits?
At its most basic level, the Viking Promise Kendall Murphy Scholarship program will increase the percentage of Barr-Reeve graduates continuing their education beyond high school. Research indicates that establishing a college savings account also provides the following benefits:
- Students are nearly seven times more likely to graduate high school
- Students are two times more likely to attend college
- Students maintain a higher rate of attendance and a lower rate of discipline referrals
- Parents begin planning for their child’s future at an earlier age with guidance from a professional
- Parents improve their own financial literacy and long-term economic stability
Thanks to this long-term investment by the Barr-Reeve Schools and Scholarship Team, The Viking Promise Kendall Murphy program will help today’s and future Barr-Reeve Viking students be better prepared to lead more productive and stable lives in the many decades to come!!
