The Mary Ware Scholarship Fund, formed in memory of Mary Ware because of her love of children in need, provides financial grants to "at risk" Georgia High School graduates who demonstrate strong financial need and aspire to attend one of Georgia's many institutions for higher learning or continuing education.

This scholarship recognizes that many of Georgia's children are taken from their homes due to neglect or abuse but instead of ending up in foster care, where they have many opportunities for college assistance, they are instead sent to live with relatives such as grandparents, aunts or cousins. This leaves some children to enter young adulthood with little or no financial assistance for care and for continuing education.

The Foster Care Support Foundation believes that many of these children could have a promising future if only they could receive financial assistance for college, vocational, apprentice or trade school opportunities. The Foster Care Support Foundation opens its doors to include these children and families in their clothing program but other needs may remain unmet.

Because of these living conditions, eligible scholarship applicants are not able to take advantage of the many programs provided by Georgia's Independent Living program that provides college tuition to foster care youth. Applicants may be shy of the B grade point average required to earn the Hope Scholarship, paid for by the state.

Application and requirements can be found on the Foster Care Support Foundation website at www.fostercares.org. The deadline has been extended to May 15.