TAYLOR COUNTY, Ga. — Taylor County High School seniors are almost at the finish line. For many of them, college is next.
In an assembly Thursday morning, Georgia Southwestern University president Neal Weaver announced the Southwestern Promise scholarship for seniors who live within their 56-county map.
To qualify, students must live in southwest Georgia and apply to the university. Students will get $1,000 in scholarship money if they get an 1100 on the SAT or 22 on the ACT and $2,000 for a 1200 on the SAT or 25 on the ACT.
One student hoping to be a recipient is senior Trent Bennett. "I want to major in nursing and I looked it up on Georgia Southwestern's website. They have a really good nursing school, it's really good over there."
Georgia Southwestern president Neal Weaver says this scholarship money can be paired with others.
"Those are all on top of any other scholarship they may receive, so if they're HOPE scholarship-eligible or Zell Miller-eligible or they get their local rotary club scholarship, this money is on top of all that," he says.
Weaver says this funding comes from generous donors and alumni and the student can get the scholarship all four years.
"It's a 4-year scholarship commitment. As long as they stay enrolled and keep their grade point average at 3.0 or higher, they can continue to get the money," he says.
Out of the 56 southwestern counties included, 17 are here in Central Georgia. They are: Taylor, Bibb, Houston, Peach, Macon, Dooly, Sumter, Crisp, Wilcox, Pulaski, Dodge, Telfair, Wheeler, Laurens, Bleckley, Twiggs, Crawford.