SPOKANE, Wash. — LaunchNW will be introducing a new scholarship program to benefit students in Spokane County in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The phase one rollout of scholarships will be available for select seniors graduating from 10 local high schools, along with senior students living at Catholic Charities of Easter Washington properties.
These scholarships will be for students whose annual household income is $100,000 or less. This will support tuition at two and four-year degree programs, technical training and registered apprenticeships.
Students at Medical Lake, East Valley, Riverside, North Central, Shadle Park, Liberty, Lakeside and University high schools will be eligible for the scholarship.
Students will have to participate in the Mpower Mentoring Program, which launched this fall.
In addition, select students from Rogers and Lumen high schools will have an opportunity to apply.
School districts, universities and nonprofits in this program will connect high school students and their families to mentors supporting them on their journey to post-high school education.
“We are excited for phase one of the scholarship program and the life-changing opportunities LaunchNW provides students and families,” says Shelly O’Quinn, CEO of Innovia Foundation, the community foundation for Eastern Washington and North Idaho. “Community support and generosity for the LaunchNW initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to continuing the momentum and supporting students on their pathway to success.”
LauchNW is an initiative of the Innovia Foundation with the goal to provide support to students through their journey from education to career attainment.
The decision to apply a household income cap on the LaunchNW scholarship was based on demographic data and feedback from community partners. “As we wrestled with the question of which students would be eligible for the LaunchNW scholarship, it became clear that the majority of students most in need of financial support in Spokane County are from households with an annual income below $100,000,” says Ben Small, Executive Director of LaunchNW. “We want to ensure we are serving the students and families furthest from educational affordability.”
Over 60% of children in Spokane County live in households with an annual household income under $100,000.
Through this phase one rollout, they will collaborate with the community to make this as accessible as possible.
For more information about the LaunchNW program, you can visit their website. If you want to become a Mpower Mentor, click on this link.
