Round Lake Beach shifts scholars program

Round Lake Beach will dissolve the nearly 10-year-old local chapter of a scholarship program, though it won't impact village aid to students.

The village was chartered as the Round Lake Beach Dollars for Scholars chapter in late 2000, with the intent of raising and distributing financial aid to high school seniors.

At the time, Nicor Gas, a founding sponsor of the program, offered incentive grants to participate. But incentives and matching grants are no longer available, and the cost of affiliation has increased to $350.

"Dollars for Scholars had some (incentive) benefit to it when we first started," said Patrice Sutton Burger, the village finance director.

And because the chapter does not actively raise funds, the paperwork has become unruly.

"Because the village is really the only contributor, it's an awful lot of work for one contributor," Burger said.

The process to dissolve the chapter is under way. The village can continue to provide annual scholarships through the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce without the Dollars for Scholars affiliation.

The village board each year decides how much to contribute. Despite a tough economy, the board decided to provide the same amount for the 2010-11 school year as in the past.

"We have given out $45,000 in scholarships (since 2002) and there will be another $6,000 this year," Burger said.

The winners this year for $2,000 Round Lake Beach scholarships are Lainey Pasternak, of Grayslake North, and Michelle Gizowski and Stephanie Oehrlein, both of Grant High School.

The scholarship program will be made more efficient by dissolving the Dollars for Scholars chapter because it will be handled within the village's general fund, rather than having to maintain a separate bank account, Burger said. The village also will save the annual fee.