23 Brockton High students offered full ride to North Carolina college

Nearly two dozen Brockton High School seniors were offered full-ride scholarships to Livingstone College, a historically Black, Christian college in North Carolina. 

At a school assembly in April, Livingstone College President Anthony Davis told seniors that the school would completely cover the cost of the tuition, fees, room, board, and books for any student with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. The Presidential Scholarship amounts to nearly $26,000 a year.

“I want to offer you a presidential scholarship to Livingstone College if you want to leave Brockton,” Davis told students in April, WCVB reported.

The offer comes as Brockton Public Schools is contending with a myriad of challenges. Last summer, school committee members were not informed of a $14 million budget deficit until after the fiscal year ended, and then-Superintendent Mike Thomas went on extended medical leave before being placed on paid leave in February. The school district is facing another disastrous budget deficit of $25 million this year.

Earlier this year, mounting violence at Brockton High prompted some school committee members to call for the National Guard to be deployed at the state’s largest high school to address the violence.

Davis told Boston.com that 27 Brockton High School students were admitted to Livingstone College, and 23 of those students were offered the Presidential Scholarship. Davis said those students won’t pay at all if they choose to attend the school.

“We see Brockton High School as a strategic alliance partner, where we will be extending this opportunity to students from Brockton in years to come,” Davis said in a statement.

Livingstone College, a private institution located in Salisbury, N.C., offers 14 undergraduate majors, from criminal justice to biology. The school enrolls about 800 students.

“Any time students can get an opportunity to further their education, especially with little to no financial burden, that’s a tremendous success,” a spokesperson for Brockton Public Schools said in an emailed statement. “We’re thankful to Livingstone College for recognizing the potential of Brockton’s students and providing them with this opportunity.”

Livingstone College said their admissions are rolling, and students can apply throughout the summer. They could not confirm how many Brockton High students will attend the North Carolina school in the fall.