A Charleston, South Carolina billionaire and his wife announced a new scholarship fund that will help hundreds of Charleston County, South Carolina public school students attend college.
On Wednesday, Ben and Kelly Navarro launched the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, which will give 500 Charleston County students up to $10,000 per year (or $40,000 total to pay for tuition at a South Carolina university in good standing.
“Removing financial barriers to higher education is critical to developing our community and South Carolina’s future leaders,” Ben Navarro said.
Ben Navarro founded Sherman Financial Group and owns the Volvo Car Open and the Volvo Car Stadium.The Navarros also founded Meeting Street Schools, a non-profit that provides educational support to students from Pre-K through college.
“Meeting Street Schools is committed to raising the bar in public education by implementing best practices and showing what’s possible in educating students from under-resourced families,” Ben Navarro explained. “The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund extends that commitment and builds on the belief that college should be available to all students, no matter their family income or ability to pay.”
High school seniors this year are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Applications will be available by January.
To meet the criteria for the scholarship, students must:
- graduate from a Charleston County School District public school
- earn either the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows state-provided scholarship
- qualify for the federal pell grant
- be accepted into 4-year a South Carolina university/ college with a six-year graduation rate over 50 percent
- stay in good academic standing throughout college
“This scholarship fund provides a tremendous opportunity for more Charleston County School District students to fulfill their goal of earning a college degree,” Charleston County School District Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait said in the news release. “Hopefully, this will allow students who previously thought college was unattainable to now see it as a viable option for them.”
Multiple Charleston leaders said that the scholarship will be a game changer for hundreds of students.
“Today’s Meeting Street Scholarship Fund announcement represents a major milestone for public education in Charleston County,” Charleston County School District Board of Trustees Chair Rev. Eric Mack said. “Every student in our schools deserves this path-changing opportunity. It is our responsibility to make sure more students are college-ready and scholarship eligible. Our schools and educators will rise to the challenge.”
To learn more about the Meeting Street Scholarship fund, check out the website here.
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