Alburnett High School students pinning hopes on scholarship come out disappointed

Ben Lahue graduates from Alburnett High School in less than three months. Last week, he knew how he was going to pay for college. Now he isn't sure.

“I went to school on Monday and everything was fine,” Lahue, 18, of Toddville, said. “Now - everyone is just kind of shocked.”

Lahue learned Tuesday that school board members unanimously voted to change the Rockwood Scholarship for the class of 2010. Instead of funding four semesters of college, students who qualify for the award - named after Carl “Bucky” Rockwood - will receive a one year scholarship, defined as two semesters.

The actual dollar amount won't be known until later in the school year.

Principal Tom Stewart said the change was made so the school could fulfill the wishes of Dora Rockwood Cumley, who created the scholarship in her brother's memory.

“Dora Cumley really wanted to give as much scholarship money as she could to as many students as she could for as long as she could,” Stewart said.

Since 2002, the district has awarded Rockwood Scholarships totaling more than $270,620.00 to 76 students.

Initially, the scholarship was competitive. From 2002 through 2007, Alburnett seniors competed for a total of $50,000.

In 2008, the scholarship shifted from competitive to grade-point average driven.

All Alburnett seniors who qualified - attended the high school for four years, had a cumulative 3.25 GPA, lived or open-enrolled in the district - received four semesters tuition assistance. The amount was based upon the credit cost at Kirkwood Community College. Students who received the scholarship had to maintain a 2.5 GPA in college.

The Class of 2009 also received four semesters tuition assistance, except they had to maintain a 2.8 GPA in college.

Fifteen Alburnett graduates received the scholarship in 2008; 26 seniors won it last year. The Class of 2010 assumed they would have the opportunity. So did their parents.

“It's an opportunity we had looked forward to since we first heard about it,” said Shelli Fuller of Toddville.

Fuller's daughter, Megan, is a senior. Megan had hoped to attend Drake University in the fall, but Fuller said she is looking elsewhere now that the scholarship has changed.

The scholarships are funded by the interest the Rockwood trust generates. Stewart said the fund lost money in the stock market and is being rebuilt. Meanwhile, the number of qualifying students are outpacing the growth of the fund.

Variables outside the district's control - Kirkwood's increased college credit cost and the number of credit hours students opt to take - also had an impact.

The school board works with Wells Fargo, an attorney for the trust, and Stewart, who is the administrator of the trust, to tailor the scholarship program for each graduating class.

Board members reviewed four options Monday night. They could do nothing and see the entire scholarship paid out in four years, return the scholarship to its competitive roots, give a maximum payout of $1,000 to students who qualified or divide the amount of money available for this year's scholarships equally among the qualifying students.

The board voted to divide the available money among the qualifying students. This likely will lead to scholarships worth more than $1,000.

“It was the best choice that allows us to help as many kids as possible for as long as possible,” Stewart said.

This decision doesn't impact the Class of 2009. Students who maintain a 2.8 GPA will receive the money awarded to them through the scholarship.

The Class of 2010 must maintain a 3.0 college GPA.

Stewart said Wells Fargo will inform him of the scholarship's total amount for the graduating class in March. The school will know how many seniors qualify for the scholarship in May.

“I do understand the disappointment,” Stewart said. “I would have loved for this to continue at its grand effect, but variables outside our control made that impossible.”