FUNDING FOR TOP STUDENTS AVC SET TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS TO BRIGHTEST.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College unveiled a new program Saturday to help the best and brightest local high school graduates by providing full scholarships, thanks to a $50,000 donation by a local attorney.

Those scholarships will provide high school students who have a 4.0 grade-point average with enough money for their classes and books, about $2,000 per student each year, officials said.

``We want students to know that the community supports them,'' said Attorney R. Rex Parris, who donated the funds to kick off the program. ``All a student has to be concerned about is maintaining a 4.0. We'll take care of the rest.''

Parris, an AVC graduate who attributes his success to experiences at the college that helped him turn his life around, pledged $5,000 a year over 10 years to get the program rolling.

But he said it isn't enough to provide scholarships for all the 4.0 students in the Antelope Valley who graduate each year.

He and college officials will begin talking to local business owners in an effort to raise more funds for the program. They hope to begin providing full scholarships by the fall of 2005 and have the program fully funded in four years.

``We're looking for people to make long-term commitments,'' Parris said.

``There are a lot of people who have achieved financial success in the Antelope Valley, and we need to reinvest in the future of the Antelope Valley. The best way to do that is by giving those kids who have demonstrated their ability to succeed an opportunity for success.''

More than 200 area high school seniors graduated with 4.0 grade-point averages last year alone, and officials say there are still a lot of funds that need to be raised to cover all the students who will qualify for the program.

College officials say the need for the program is evident given the high success rate of students who start at a California community college before going on to a university.

Statistics gathered by the college say that AVC students who transfer to four-year universities have higher grade-point averages than those who start out at a university.

``You need to remember some of these high school graduates are only 17 or 18 years old when they start college,'' said AVC President Dr. Jackie Fisher Sr. ``An extra two years spent at home can make a big difference.''

The program targets students who may not qualify for financial aid but whose families' financial situation only allows them to attend part time or not at all.

Although all of the specifics of the program have yet to be worked out, officials said this project will help successful students who otherwise might not be able to go to college.

Greg Botonis, [phone]

greg.botonis(at)dailynews.com