Marietta City Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera is again offering to help high school seniors pay for college applications.
For the fourth year in a row, Rivera will personally pay for one application fee for any senior at Marietta High School who applies to college ahead of regular deadlines.
“You bring your college early decision/action application, and I’ll bring my credit card,” Rivera wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday to seniors and their families.
The offer only applies to early action or early decision applications. In applying early, students can get a decision by December or January. Students can only apply to one early decision college, according to the College Board. Those decisions are usually binding, meaning students must attend those schools if accepted. Students can apply to multiple early action colleges and have more flexibility.
“I don’t want any of our Blue Devils to miss out on the opportunities associated with early action applications, which include an increased chance of getting accepted and an increased chance of financial aid,” Rivera said in a letter sent to seniors and their families.
Marietta City Schools counted a little more than 500 seniors last year, out of roughly 9,000 students in the district.
Rivera’s base salary is more than $200,000. He first used a $10,000 bonus in 2019 to cover application costs for seniors. The application fee depends on the college or university.
He noted that Wednesday is Apply to College Day at Marietta High School. A spokesman for the district said students can still take advantage of Rivera’s offer later. Students can get more information from their college advisers.
“As Superintendent of Marietta City Schools, I feel especially proud of the hard work that was required for our Class of 2023 to get to this place,” Rivera said in the letter. “I cannot wait to see where this class goes next as they continue to be Special. Different. Better.”
