St. Clairsville — Belmont College announced it is now offering the Trustees Scholarship to graduating high school seniors in Jefferson County.

During the March 27 Belmont College Board of Trustees meeting, the board voted to extend the Trustees Scholarship to students in Jefferson County. The Trustees Scholarship at Belmont College offers a tuition-only award to students to cover the cost of up to six academic terms after other forms of need-based financial aid have been applied.

As local students look forward to their upcoming high school graduation, families may have many important college decisions ahead. These decisions are coming at a time when higher education costs continue to increase, and many parents and students wonder how they will pay for a college education. Belmont College established the Trustees Scholarship to make higher education more affordable and accessible for students who reside in or graduate from a high school in Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, and now Jefferson counties.

According to Paul Gasparro, president, “At Belmont College, we strive to make college affordable for our students, so that emphasis can be placed on academics instead of how to pay for tuition. Whether their destination is the workforce or an advanced degree, starting at Belmont College enables Trustees Scholarship recipients the opportunity to benefit from lower costs and easy transferability to a four-year institution for degree completion.”

He continued, “Belmont College is committed to assisting the students of Jefferson County with their educational and career goals, and we hope that by extending the Trustees Scholarship to them, it will make the pursuit of a degree and/or certificate more affordable.”

Comprehensive community colleges, such as Belmont, are a less expensive alternative to many higher priced four-year institutions. From the 1989/90 through the 2024/25 academic years, Belmont has awarded more than $11.9 million to local students through the Trustees Scholarship.

2025 high school graduates must meet eligibility requirements in order to receive the Trustees Scholarship, meaning that they must enroll full time at Belmont College for the Fall 2025 semester. Additionally, these students must meet residency requirements for Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson, or Monroe counties, or have graduated from a high school in one of these counties.

For more information about the Trustees Scholarship extension, call 740-695-9500 or visit belmontcollege.edu.