Public school students in the area have thousands of dollars in new scholarships available to them, thanks to Dallas Bright Futures and local philanthropists.
Dallas Bright Futures announced in a news release the launch of The Monty J. and Sarah Z. Bennett Dallas Scholarship for college-bound Dallas ISD seniors. For the scholarship’s inaugural year, five awards of $5,000 each will be made available to district students who will be college freshmen in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The funding for the scholarships comes from Monty and Sarah Zubiate Bennett, who view the scholarships as a way to support and give back to the community.
“Education is the foundation for a brighter future,” the Bennetts said in the release. “The Scholarship Fund represents our unwavering commitment to making higher education more accessible and affordable for students within DISD. We look forward to welcoming a group of talented and motivated students to our college scholarship initiative.”
The scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievements, leadership qualities, and commitment to the greater Dallas community. Furthermore, “adversity-based” scholarships will also be awarded to students who face “unique hardships or financial challenges” that limit their access to higher education.
“Sarah and I are delighted to provide these scholarships for those at DISD in the most neediest of situations,” Monty Bennett told The Dallas Express. “Sarah herself was lifted up from a very modest background by education … she did well in high school and then received a full academic scholarship to college. We are proud to support our Dallas community.”
According to the latest Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability report, roughly 85% of Dallas ISD students are considered economically disadvantaged. The district is responsible for educating about 143,000 students.
Of those, some 59% of qualifying high school students were considered college, career, or military-ready during the 202-2022 school year.
Such figures reveal a considerable overlap between students who are academically prepared to pursue higher education and those who are economically unable to do so. The Bennetts started their scholarship fund with these students in mind.
Those interested in the scholarships can visit www.dallasbrightfutures.org for details on eligibility and how to apply.
Disclosure: Monty J. Bennett is the publisher of The Dallas Express. Sarah Zubiate Bennett is on The Dallas Express’ board of directors and host of The Dallas Express Podcast.
