Scholarships were awarded to the Class of 2017 during a special ceremony at Habersham Central as part of graduation week.
Habersham Central High School will graduate it’s largest class ever this evening during commencement services at Raider Stadium in Mt. Airy.
This year 442 students are expected to receive diplomas – 400 from Central and 42 from the Success Academy.
Not only is the Class of 2017 the largest ever to graduate from Habersham County’s sole public high school, it’s also been a banner year for scholarships.
This year’s graduating class was awarded a total of $5,445,884 in scholarships from a range of institutions, businesses, civic groups, churches and other donors.
HOPE
More than $2 million was awarded through the HOPE Scholarship program and another $776,161 through the Zell Miller Scholarship. Both are based on grades. The HOPE Scholarship requires a minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in core academic classes and the Miller Scholarship a minimum 3.7 GPA along with a minimum combined score of 1200 SAT or 26 on the ACT.
Habersham Central Lead Counselor Holly McShane says, “HCHS is proud” that over 55% of the Class of 2017 is currently eligible to receive these merit based scholarships.
In addition to the HOPE and Miller scholarships, Habersham Central seniors received $1.9 million in college awards and $86,250 in local scholarships.
Move On When Ready
The remaining balance of scholarship funds this year came through the state’s Move On When Ready program. Students enrolled in MOWR simultaneously attend high school and post-secondary schools. The college credits they earn are considered a scholarship by the Georgia Finance Commission.
This year Habersham Central students collectively earned 946 College Credit Hours through MOWR. Total tuition value, $344,548.
Student enrollment in the program “exploded” this year, according to McShane, increasing by 370% in just one year. This year, over 26% of Habersham Central’s Class of 2017 enrolled in at least one MOWR course.
HCHS Class of 2017
Scholarship Totals
| Type | Amount |
| HOPE Scholarship | $2,317,635 |
| Zell Miller Scholarship | $776,161 |
| MOWR Class of 2017 | $344,548 |
| College Awards | $1,921,290 |
| Scholarships | $86,250 |
| Grand Total | $5,445,884 |
