The Class of 2009 in Montgomery County Public Schools has earned approximately $185.9 million in scholarships reported to date. This is up by more than $32.4 million, or 21.1 percent, from that of the previous year’s class ($153.5 million).

An increasing amount of scholarship money is being earned by students of Hispanic, Asian American, and African American backgrounds. Scholarships earned by Hispanic students climbed by 68.34 percent—from $10.6 million in 2008 to $17.8 million in 2009. For Asian American students, total reported scholarships rose 50.95 percent—from $21.7 million in 2008 to $32.8 million in 2009. African American student scholarships increased by 49.39 percent, from $24.1 million to $36.0 million. Scholarships for white students rose from $96.6 million to $99.1 million, a one-year rise of 2.5 percent.

The Class of 2009, with an estimated 10,425 graduates—an increase from last year’s 10,197—also has distinguished itself through students’ attainment of a variety of prestigious awards. These include:

- 126 National Merit Finalists (75 in 2008)
- 28 National Hispanic Recognition Finalists (15 in 2008)
- 16 National Achievement Finalists (18 in 2008)
- 152 Maryland Distinguished Scholars (108 in 2008)
- 233 Ivy League school acceptances (229 in 2008)