The Beaufort County School District’s Class of 2016 has earned a record $30.4 million in college scholarships, and its members have acceptance letters in hand from more than 100 colleges and universities across the nation.

The district’s 2016 scholarship total is the fourth consecutive increase and more than double the amount from $14.8 million five years ago. District officials said that as additional college scholarship information continues to arrive for the Class of 2016, the total will continue to increase.

“All of these scholarships are a wonderful testament to our hard-working students, and also to their families and their teachers and their school staffs,” said Superintendent Jeff Moss. “The fact that our district’s totals have more than doubled in the last five years is really exciting.”

Says Board of Education Chair Mary Cordray. “We celebrate our seniors’ accomplishments and we wish them the best, whether they’re heading off to college, entering the military or beginning their careers.”

School-by-school information includes:
<ul>
	<li>Battery Creek High – 171 graduates and $3,867,300 in scholarships.</li>
	<li>Beaufort High – 279 graduates and $8,480,650 in scholarships. The class valedictorian is Mattie Hibbs, and the salutatorian is Andrew Stoddard.</li>
	<li>Bluffton High – 396 graduates and $6,945,164 in scholarships. The class valedictorian is Hannah Hundley, and the salutatorian is McCall Faciszewski.</li>
	<li>Hilton Head Island High – 295 graduates and $7,317,500 in scholarships. The class valedictorian is Jason Busby, and the salutatorian is Parker Liggett.</li>
	<li>Whale Branch Early College High School – 102 graduates and $3,814,101 in scholarships. The class valedictorian is Brooke Everly, and the salutatorian is London Becker-House.</li>
</ul>