Money may be tight, but that hasn't stopped Bigfork High School's senior class from raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship awards as the 75 students prepare to graduate next week.

BHS Guidance Counselor Christina Nadeau said the total value for scholarships for the students' freshman year of college is $212,049. The total value of those awards if they're renewed through four years of schooling is just short of $600,000.

Nadeau said about 80 percent of the Class of 2009 is pursuing some sort of post-secondary education, something she's encouraged in light of the current job market.

"I tell them it's not all doom and gloom," she said. "It's all in how you look at it. There are not a lot of jobs, so go to school."

Nadeau said she has worked hard to explain that "college" doesn't have to be a four-year degree at a liberal arts school. A two-year degree or even a one-year certificate can be valuable assets in any job market, and the time in school gives the young graduates a chance to see in what sectors jobs appear.

"This is a shift," she said. "This is a good opportunity to look at where people are working and see where the niches are. When we come out of this slump, there are going to be some changes."

For the next few years, though, many students from the 2009 class will be going to school with plenty of assistance from scholarships that range from hundreds of dollars awarded by local groups to tens of thousands by colleges and national programs.

Rebecca Denning was awarded $20,000 through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Jennifer Wirth won the prestigious Sullivan Leadership Award at Seattle University, which is valued at nearly $40,000 a year for four years. Matt McGady received a Governor's Honors Scholarship to the University of Montana and the list goes on.

Some students were also given awards at institutions other than four-year universities. Doug Leisinger is pursuing his education at UM-Northern's lauded diesel technology program, for which he was awarded the Northern Chancellor Scholarship, among others.

The lone athletic scholarship in the class belongs to basketball standout Roxy Thurman, who will play at UM-Western's campus in Dillon.

The most popular school for the BHS senior class is Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, which Nadeau said fills far bigger shoes than its community college moniker would suggest.

"Because we don't have a satellite campus, FVCC has played the role of a four-year university in this Valley," she said.

Nadeau said some of the college's programs like nursing and business administration are big draws for local students.

The bottom line, though, is that the Class of 2009 is off to a good start in furthering their education and preparing for the future.

"I tell them, 'As a young person, you've got to give yourself a leg up,'" Nadeau said.

An awards assembly took place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27 at BHS to honor award winners from all Bigfork schools.

The Class of 2009 commencement ceremony is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 31 in the BHS gymnasium.