It has been a good year for high school seniors needing a bit of state aid for college.
Ten area schools this fall substantially increased the number of students who won John and Abigail Adams Scholarships for free tuition at state schools. Around the south-of-Boston region, the number of seniors who won jumped from 2,907 to 3,035.
The schools with big increases - at least a 20 percent jump - included Hull, Middleborough, Pembroke, Brockton, Scituate, West Bridgewater, Holbrook, and Rockland; Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton; and South Shore Charter Public School in Norwell.
To win, students must be in the top 25 percent in their district and score Advanced on one MCAS exam and either Advanced or Proficient on the other. Students must also maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better while in college to keep receiving aid.
"We said we'd make it over 200 this year, and we did," said Maria LeFort, associate principal for curriculum and instruction in Brockton, where 251 students qualified, up from 199 last year. There are 952 students in the senior class.
She noted that while the award might not be as valued by students in wealthier school districts, who might be planning to attend private colleges, it is a big deal to many students at the school.
"Our kids are poor," she said. "We are an urban school. These are great and terrific kids and they deserve that break. They work hard for it. It's more meaningful for kids like ours."
The winners receive free tuition at any of the state's public colleges or universities. Tuition averaged $734 at community colleges, $957 at state colleges, and $1,618 at the University of Massachusetts. Students are still responsible for room and board, textbooks, and fees.
About 20 percent of the scholarships awarded each year are used, according to a state report.
"When I got this, it made me look at more state schools," said Courtney Flynn, 17, of Braintree, who said she is ranked ninth in her class at Blue Hills Regional Tech. Among public schools she is considering are Fitchburg State College and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell or Amherst. Also on her list is the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. She said her parents told her, "you better start looking at state schools because we're not made of money."
At Blue Hills Regional Tech, the 42 winners will be honored at a Dec. 3 ceremony; they can invite their favorite teacher.
Samantha Budwit, 17, of Canton, who is ranked second in her Blue Hills class, said the scholarship is valuable because if she doesn't do well on the SAT, "colleges can look at that as an alternative testing method."
The awards, while welcome, generally cover only about 20 percent of the cost of a state college education, according to a study by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. Fees can be expensive. They average $2,927 at community colleges, $5,173 at state colleges, and $7,687 at UMass.
Across the state, 16,976 students won scholarships, up more than 800 students from last year.
Prue Goodale, the executive director of the South Shore Charter Public School, said that winning the scholarship does not automatically guarantee a student acceptance in a state school, but it is a step in the right direction.
Ten students - double the number from last year - won scholarships out of about 36 students at the K-12 school in Norwell.
"We were thrilled that about 30 percent have the opportunity to attend a state college or university," Goodale said. "They were very excited."
Matt Carroll can be reached at mcarroll@globe.com.
