MPS: 2024 graduates' scholarship, grant offers total $113M
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools on Thursday announced its 2024 graduation class was offered $113 million in scholarships and grants to further their education.
MPS said it represents the second-highest total since the school district began tracking the total in 2012. A record 931 students in the 2024 class were offered scholarships and grants.
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MPS students who attended last fall’s "UNCF Empower Me Tour" were offered more than $12 million alone in scholarships from the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and from historically Black colleges and universities, the district said.
Scholarships come from many donors and institutions, including the MPS Foundation.
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The grand total of scholarships and grants is usually announced in June, but MPS said the delayed rollout of the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, in 2023 led to the delay in 2024 of scholarship and grant offers.
MPS said it provides high school students access to school counselors, College and Career Centers and a scholarship coordinator. The district also said it has forged relationships with key business and community partners and institutions of higher learning.
Student spotlight from MPS
Karena Clark is a Riverside University High School graduate who will study to become a registered emergency room nurse – tuition-free – at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"Your generosity is not just an investment in my future, but in the community as a whole," she said.
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Dwayne Veal, another Riverside graduate, spoke before leaving to move into a Milwaukee School of Engineering dormitory. His story, he said, was that of "a first-generation college student who was fortunate enough to have the support of incredible people and organizations who believed in me and my potential."
His scholarships, which total more than $400,000, will pay for his tuition and living expenses for all four years at MSOE on his way to becoming a mechanical engineer.
Riverside High School in Milwaukee
"This is not just about money. This process has taught me a lot about myself and how capable I am. There are no limits to my success, and I want you all to know that about yourselves, as well," he said.
Aida Ochoa-Macedo, a graduate of North Division High School, earned more than $100,000 in scholarships. She will attend Mount Mary University to pursue a degree in early childhood education.
"As an alumna, I can proudly say I have met some amazing staff members and people who have guided and supported me at North Division," she said.