More than 700 seniors throughout the district are going to be awarded with funds for college at the Wednesday’s Frisco Education Foundation Scholarship Night at Comerica Center from 6-8 p.m.

“FEF tries to help as many students as we can each year achieve their educational goals by awarding scholarships,” FEF Board of Trustees President Geneva Polster said via email. “This year FEF will be awarding over $680,000 in scholarships to over 700 FISD Seniors. FEF will be awarding over 860 scholarships.”

The scholarships awarded by FEF recognize students’ hard work throughout their entire academic careers so far and help them prepare for their future to come.

“I’m happy to have gotten an FEF Scholarship since it means I’m being rewarded for my hard work these past several years,” senior Lisa Punnen said. “These scholarships are beneficial because it can go towards paying for college tuition.”

For Punnen’s mother Rebecca Thomas, the scholarships help lessen the burden of a college tuition and help encourage students to work hard.

“It will help financially for paying for college,” Thomas said. “Also, I think it’s a form of encouragement from the school district to be giving these scholarships, since it shows that they’re recognizing their students.”

Seniors have to meet certain criteria in order to receive a scholarship, with donors helping set the parameters of qualification.

“The scholarships are donor driven,” Polster said via email. “With their criteria which could include: where the student will be attending college, their college major, financial need, merit, volunteer hours, where they attended elementary or middle or high school.”

The scholarship funds are for school related costs and go directly to the given school.

“FEF scholarships can be used for tuition, fees and books at the colleges of the student’s choice,” Polster said via email. “The student must already be admitted to the college or university as FEF sends the scholarship funds directly to the college/university for the coming fall semester.”