GREENVILLE, Texas — College possibilities just got a whole lot bigger for hundreds of Greenville High School students.

Through a new partnership between Greenville ISD and VU Scholarships, 410 Greenville High School juniors and seniors have received an incredible $867,022,900 in college scholarship offers — before even applying to a college or university.

Combined, participating GHS students received 17,647 scholarship offers from colleges and universities, giving them an early look at opportunities that could help shape their plans after graduation.

The VU Scholarships program is designed to flip the traditional college scholarship process. Instead of students first selecting colleges, applying and then waiting to find out whether scholarship assistance may be available, VU connects students with scholarship offers from participating postsecondary institutions based on their academic information. Students can see those opportunities before applying, potentially introducing them to colleges and universities they may not have previously considered.

“This is such an exciting opportunity because it can show our students possibilities for college attendance that they may not have even known existed,” GHS Senior Counselor Catherine Just said. “For some students, seeing that a college is already willing to invest in them can completely change the way they view their future. It opens the door to conversations about colleges they may have never considered and helps them see that continuing their education after high school really can be within reach.”

VU Scholarships partners with school districts and postsecondary institutions to provide students with an earlier view of their college and scholarship possibilities. According to VU, the platform allows high school students to view scholarship offers from participating colleges, universities and technical schools before they apply. The scholarship offers come from the participating postsecondary institutions, and students who choose to pursue an offer must apply to the institution and meet its requirements.

For Greenville ISD, the partnership is another way to help students and families explore postsecondary opportunities earlier and with more information about what may be financially possible.

The first round included 410 GHS juniors and seniors whose families opted in to participate. Greenville ISD will offer a second opportunity for parents and guardians to opt their students into the VU Scholarships program. Additional information about the second opt-in opportunity will be shared with GHS families soon.

To learn more about VU Scholarships and how the program works, visit the VU Scholarships website.