Sixteen area high schools received a total of $98,000 in grant funding Wednesday from North Georgia College & State University’s Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education. The funds were awarded to help encourage students to finish high school and pursue a college degree.

Shirley Davis, director of the Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education, said high schools in Jackson, Banks and Lumpkin counties were among those awarded the competitive grant.

"We know the economic consequences of leaving high school without a diploma are harsh, and, in today’s world, stopping short of postsecondary education is equally grim," Davis said. "We want every student to graduate from high school and have college as a viable option."