Atlantic City students get another chance at $10,000 scholarships

Atlantic City plans to hand out more scholarships for the upcoming school year.

There was money left over after the Mayor Marty Small Jr. Scholarship Committee handed out the second round of a three-year, $3 million commitment for scholarships this year.

That means 10 more residents will be picked by the 14-member committee.

Unlike the previous 200 scholarships handed for the first two years of the program, the residents applying for these are eligible regardless of which high school they graduated.

Previously they had to be Atlantic City High School graduates. Students who previously applied but were not awarded a scholarship are eligible.

Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. Aug. 5.

The mayor is not part of the selection process. Last year's committee was headed by his wife, schools Superintendent Dr. La'Quetta Small, and city employee Pamela Fields.

Applications can be found at on the city's website.

The money comes from the Addressing Educational Disparity category of the $33 million of American Rescue Plan funds the city received over the past two years.

In the spring, 100 scholarships of $10,000 each were awarded: $5,000 for the fall 2024 semester and $5,000 for the spring 2025 semester.

The scholarship breakdown for the second year of the program to this point were 45 scholarships for Atlantic City residents who graduated from Atlantic City High School in the spring and plan to attend college in the fall, and 45 residents who graduated the city's high school and are incoming college sophomores, juniors or seniors in the fall.

Nine scholarships went to residents who graduated Atlantic City High School and are now pursuing a Masters or Doctorate degree

One scholarship — broken into 10 parts — is part of a partnership with the nonprofit Battle by the Bay for them to distribute $1,000 each to Atlantic City High School students.