The clock is ticking for graduating seniors in the City of Buffalo to apply for a Say Yes scholarship. This is the program's first year and it's already proving to be very popular.
Say Yes has been such a hit in Buffalo, most eligible students submitted their scholarship applications well ahead of the April 1 deadline.
"Within the Buffalo Public School system we have 1,381 students that are eligible for Say Yes this year. And we have forms from well over 1,330. So we are above 96% of the district that has taken the significant step to apply," said David Rust, Say Yes Executive Director.
Rust says the numbers are better than they ever could have hoped for. Last year Rust says only 55 percent of students district-wide applied to college.
To be eligible, graduating seniors must reside in the City of Buffalo from at least 9th through 12th grade and have been continuously enrolled at a public or charter school.
"So there's about 365 kids right off the bat that are ineligible due to lack of continuous enrollment in the district," Rust added.
By year two of the program in 2014, Rust says he expects more students will qualify for a Say Yes scholarship, which covers tuition towards a two-or four-year degree and various vocational programs.
Scholarships are available to all students in the city regardless of family income.