For high school students looking for green careers, there could be more “green” left in their wallets with Lakeland College’s environmental science programs and the academic excellence scholarships.

New this year, academic excellence scholarships will go to qualified applicants who apply for full-time environmental science programs for the fall of 2010. Program majors include conservation and restoration ecology, environmental conservation and reclamation, environmental protection technology, and wildlife and fisheries conservation.

Academic excellence scholarships are awarded to applicants based on their Grade 11 average in five subjects. Averages between 85 to 89 per cent qualify for $1,500, 90 to 94 per cent earn $2,500, and 95 per cent or higher cash in at $3,500.

For the last three years, the academic excellence scholarships have also been offered to qualified applicants to business, educational assistant and university transfer programs. Last year, collectively, a total of $57,000 in academic excellence scholarships was distributed to new students at Lakeland.

Scholarship benefits have become more widely known and valued among high school students and their families, particularly with today’s economic conditions. They also provide an incentive for high school students to pursue post-secondary education programs at Lakeland.
 
“In the past, Lakeland College has had students with strong academic ability but had a difficult time because of financial hardship,” says Mel Mathison, dean of the college’s School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “The academic excellence scholarships help to address those financial needs. They reward students for their high school accomplishments, and they lessen financial worries so students can focus on their studies and pursue careers in the environmental sciences field.”

The deadline for applicants to qualify for an academic excellence scholarship is May 1, 2010. For more details, call the Admissions office at 1 800 661 6490 ext. 8420 (direct in Vermilion at 780 853 8420) or go towww.lakelandcollege.ca/greatsavings/