Lynn English awarded 109 Adams scholarships

LYNN – After five consecutive years of gains and improvements on the MCAS exams at the school, Lynn English High School boasts the second highest increase in the state of John and Abigail Adams Scholarship awards in 2008.The State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced the winners of the scholarships Thursday.Scholarship winners must score advanced on either the English/ Language arts or math MCAS exam and score either proficient or advanced on the other, as well as score within the top 25 of students in the district to qualify for the award, which offers up to eight semesters over four years of free college tuition at any state-funded college or university.Lynn English High School improved by 34 students in 2008, up from 75 to 109.”The Adams Scholarship represents the level of academic and college career preparation we want all of our students to aspire to,” said Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. “I commend the recipients for their hard work, commitment and achievement.”Nearly 17,500 total students in the class of 2009 qualified for the award statewide, an increase of nearly 500 students over last year.The tuition waiver award must be used in the first fall semester following high school graduation and students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better throughout the time of the waiver.The scholarship does not cover the cost of living on campus or additional college fees.The John and Abigail Adams Scholarships come at a good time for many families as a slumping economy has forced student loan lenders to cut off funding in recent months. In Massachusetts, the average tuition per year at community colleges is $745 and it is $959 at state colleges. The University of Massachusetts will cost families $1,619 annually this year, and this cost does not include books, housing and fees.Fees vary annually at each school, but average $3,118 at community colleges, $5,441 at state colleges and $7,966 at UMass.As the state’s only merit-based tuition waiver program, the Adams Scholarship was established to help families pay for college, create an incentive for students to push themselves academically in high school and encourage those students to pursue higher education within the state.”If students chose one of our many fine public colleges and universities, they will receive an affordable, high quality education and will be prepared for Massachusetts’ knowledge economy,” said Audra Kelley, Commissioner of the Department of Higher Education. “We look forward to seeing all of these Adams scholars at our institutions next fall.”