Delaware looks to expand signature college scholarship program

A bill introduced Tuesday would expand Delaware’s college scholarship program to accomodate part-time students and students who take time off.

Founded over a decade ago, the SEED Scholarship covers tuition costs for Delaware high school students who attend either Delaware Technical and Community College or the University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts program.

To be eligible, students must graduate from a Delaware high school with a 2.5 GPA or higher and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA in college. They must also attend school full-time, without interruption.

The bill introduced Tuesday would make part-time students eligible for the SEED Scholarship. Students could also take time off and maintin their eligibility so long as they earn an associate’s degree within six semesters.

To date, 16,000 Delawareans have benefited from the SEED scholarship, according to the governor’s office.

“Students who responsibly balance their education with raising a family or working a job shouldn’t be excluded from this wildly successful program, which has helped so many Delawareans forge a path to success,” State Senator Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, one of the bill’s co-sponsors said.

Governor Jack Markell is requesting a little over $6.1 million in the upcoming state budget to fund the SEED Scholarship. That’s up from the roughly $4.6 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2016.