The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara will award $8.1 million in scholarships to help thousands of Santa Barbara County students attend college, vocational school, graduate school and medical school.

The monetary grants, which range from $1,000 to $5,000 each, will be presented to students at an award ceremony in Santa Maria this upcoming on May 28 and 29. The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara first started in 1962 and has helped high school students in the Santa Barbara area pursue avenues of higher education with more than 32,000 awards totaling over $72 million.

According to Colette Hadley, executive director of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, students with a high school diploma can gain financial assistance for attending any college with the help of the Foundation.

Colette also said the Foundation has no strict criteria for who can receive a scholarship, aside from sponsored scholarships whose funder chooses an individual particularly inclined toward an organization’s mission. The Rotary Club, for instance, may want an individual who has done a good amount of community service, Colette said.

To apply, students must fill out an application process that includes submitting two letters of recommendation, an essay and transcripts, as well as complete an interview.