INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Sierra Nevada College has announced a new Valedictorian Scholarship program, which covers the four-year cost of tuition for valedictorians from any high school in Nevada.

The program was created to respond to a statewide initiative for options that make it possible for talented high school seniors to remain in state for college.

“As Nevada’s only private, four-year college, we are an integral part of the fabric of the higher education system in Nevada,” said SNC Interim President Shannon Beets. “We want to do our part to ensure that the private college option is available for Nevada students.”

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For other talented Nevada high school graduates, the college offers the Millennium Plus Scholars Award, a $15,000 annual, renewable scholarship for any student who qualifies for the state of Nevada’s Guinn Millennium Scholarship award by completing a rigorous high school curriculum and achieving a minimum 3.25 grade point average.

At present, the state-funded Guinn Millennium Scholarship awards a maximum of $1,920 per year; by adding the $15,000 Millennium Plus to this state award, SNC’s goal is to provide high-achieving students with the best possible financial aid package for their college education.

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Approximately 89 percent of students at SNC Tahoe qualify for one of a broad array of grants and scholarships, and unlike student loans, grants and scholarships do not have to be paid back, so they can significantly reduce the true out-of-pocket cost of a college education.

While the average published yearly tuition and fees for private four-year colleges and universities in the United States is $29,056, the majority of college students pay significantly less.

Nationwide, about two-thirds of undergraduate college students receive financial aid, and 62 percent of that aid is in the form of non-loan assistance, such as grants or scholarships. United States college students received $112 billion in scholarships and grants during the 2011-12 school year.

This article was submitted to the Bonanza by Sierra Nevada College. Visit sierranevada.edu to learn more.