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Latest News from BECA.
A draft of the St. Mary's Common Scholarship Application for 2009 is now available. The form will be finalized on January 15, 2009. The changes may include additional scholarships and minor changes to wording. This means that students can begin work on the application, by requesting letters of reference, writing essays and collecting information for the application.
Passports to the Future earned in the spring semester of 2007-2008 are printed and ready for distribution the week of November 10 in public schools. Private school schedules may be different. A new list of discounts offered to students who earn a Passport are now available on this site.
The criteria for earning a Passport to the Future will change in the semester that begins in January 2009. The old criteria of five or fewer absences is replaced with the new criteria, no unexcused absences.
Financial Aid Nights will be held at each of the public high schools and at St. Mary's Ryken high school in November and December, 2008. In addition a FAFSA Line by Line Workshop will be held in January, 2009. The schedule may be downloaded here.. All presentations are by Sonia Wagner of the Southern Maryland College Access Network.
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 BECA's Yahoo Groups site, for BECA Board members only.
The mission of the Business, Education, Community Alliance (BECA) is:
| To build partnerships involving local businesses, the broader community and the school system in order to improve students’ success in school and enhance educational opportunities in St. Mary’s County. |
The organization was founded in 1989 by the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce and the St. Mary’s County Public Schools.
BECA is supported by major employers and educators in our community such as St. Mary’s Hospital, SMECO, Anteon Corporation, Shah Associates, General Dynamics, St. Mary’s County Board of Education, and the College of Southern Maryland.
BECA has two key programs:
Passport to the Future, an award earned by high school students for academic achievement, citizenship and attendance. . The Passport program is undergoing a major revision. Passport awards earned in the fall of 2007 have been delayed, but will be distributed soon, along with the Passports earned in spring, 2008. Businesses are signing up with new discounts for Passport holders.
Passport to Scholarships, which has awarded over $50,000 in scholarships to students who earned at least five Passports to the Future in High School. BECA has created the St. Mary's County Common Application for Scholarships that allows students to apply for multiple local scholarships with one application. BECA has also created this website with a wealth of information (see student tab) to help students locate scholarships.
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