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STAMFORD, Conn. ? The following opinion piece was written by Tony D’Amelio and Jim McClafferty, co-presidents of Stamford Dollars For Scholars. It discusses the importance of going to college, and how their organization can help Stamford students pay for it.
The Stamford Daily Voice accepts all letters and opinion pieces from readers, which can be submitted through e-mail to reporter Anthony Buzzeo, tbuzzeo@dailyvoice.com.
It happens every year at this time. No, we don’t mean the holidays ? the college application process. Throughout Stamford, students and parents are working feverishly through the extensive process of applying to colleges and universities. And after the applications are sent off with a sigh of relief, the often-tricky and equally important part of the college application process really begins – parents and students asking themselves, how are we ever going to pay for this? And, is college really worth it or necessary? Let’s start with the second question first: Is college worth it or necessary? Consider these points: • The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that by 2018 nearly two-thirds of all job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, rising from about one-third in 2008. • An employee holding a bachelor’s degree earned an average weekly salary of $1,053 in 2011, 65% more than the $638 weekly salary for those limited to a high school education. • A person with just a high school diploma is twice as likely to be unemployed as one holding a college degree. So, as these statistics show, there is real value from attaining an undergraduate degree. Yet as valuable as education after high school is, costs continue to rise at an alarming rate. Depending on the survey you read, some say they have increased by as much as 595% since 1991. Is it any wonder college dropout rates are at an all-time high, with a shocking 50% of post-secondary students not completing their degree program. The average 2012 college graduate is saddled with $28,720 in debt. To help Stamford students and parents address the enormous costs of a college education, Stamford Dollars for Scholars was founded in 2011. Stamford Dollars for Scholars is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving our city’s residents with the single mission to mobilize the community to help Stamford students achieve their dreams through education after high school. We support two-year college, four-year college educations and vocational training. As Stamford-based families struggle with the incredible cost of education, businesses and individuals in our community can make a difference by choosing to create a scholarship for a 2013 high school graduate in the name of their company, organization or loved one. In our first year, over 200 Stamford seniors logged on to Stamford Dollars for Scholars' website to begin the application process. And, thanks to the generous support we received from individuals and businesses in our community, we were able to offer 12 scholarships in 2012 with a four-year value of as much as $83,000 ? a great accomplishment for our first year but short of accommodating all those who needed our help. As we enter our second year, we aim to help more Stamford students offset the cost of college. We encourage Stamford students to apply for a scholarship. While we are very grateful that all of our inception-year donors renewed their scholarship commitments, we still have a long way to go to meet more scholarship needs in Stamford. While many of you are planning your year-end charitable contributions, we ask you to help Stamford students further their education by donating to Stamford Dollars for Scholars. Stamford Dollars for Scholars is a resource to students and parents currently applying to college. To learn more about us and how you can help as a donor, serve as a volunteer or apply for a potential award, visit www.sd4s.org , call 203 885-SD4S (7347) or email info@sd4s.org. Become a friend on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StamfordD4S. Thank you to our generous supporters who got our first year off to a good start, and to those of you supporting our second year goals for providing more college scholarships to Stamford students.
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