More than 70 students in the valley are getting a financial boost to help them continue their education in college.

That's because the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley has awarded $130,747 in scholarships to 73 students from:

  • Austintown Fitch,
  • Brookfield,
  • Canfield,
  • Cardinal Mooney,
  • Champion,
  • Homer-Center in Pennsylvania,
  • Howland, 
  • Hubbard,
  • Jackson-Milton,
  • Joseph Badger,
  • Laekview,
  • Mathews,
  • Poland Seminary,
  • Salem,
  • Warren G. Harding,
  • West Branch, and 
  • Youngstown Rayen Early College.

"The journey to postsecondary education is expensive," said Shawntae Burton, philanthropic services director fot the Community Foundation. "Our community is blessed to have generous community members who are committed to the advancement of our youth."

Some of the scholarships offer renewals to help students already in college. This includes the Veronica Willo Scholarship, which renewed three scholarships for a total of $4,500, and the Woman's Board of Youngstown Scholarship, which renewed three for a total of $10,000, according to a news release from the foundation.

"Scholarships, including the Community Foundation award, have been the only reason I have been able to continue my education," says Abigail Stephens a recipient of the Willo Scholarship studying environmental and conservation biology at Kent State University.