Newtown Scholarships Paid Out $164K to 2013 Graduates

This year, Newtown's 2013 graduates and current students will receive about three times more support from their hometown than previous years, according to the Newtown Scholarship Association.

46 Newtown students received a variety of scholarships from 23 different local organizations affiliated with the NSA -- ranging from memorial funds to grants from businesses and 12/14 funds -- totaling about $164,500, NSA chairperson Stephanie Gaston reported. Gaston said the number is about double what the NSA usually provides.

"All this is made possible by the general of local business, services and individuals," said the NSA's Julie Savino at graduation June 22. "We could never do it without you."

A majority of that total -- $90,000 -- comes from charities established after the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to Gaston.

The Newtown Memorial Fund -- established to assist victim's families and the wounded from Dec. 14 -- contributed $30,000 to students Paige Murphy and Michael Vabner. The fund also committed $40,000 to continuing aid students, Gaston said. The We Are Newtown memorial scholarship contributed $26,000 to students Brianna Bauch, Rachel DiVanno, Natalie Svanda and Megan Watts.

Gaston said she anticipates this year's scholarship awards -- including funds to continuing students -- will add up to $375,000, about three times more than previous years.

See our attached PDF above for the full list of recipients.