Families Say They Weren't Told Of 9/11 Scholarship

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Some Californians who lost parents or spouses in the Sept. 11 attacks were unaware of a scholarship program funded by specialty memorial license plates, while millions of dollars from the plates went to plug the state's persistent budget deficits.

An aspiring lawyer and a single mother are among those who say they would have signed up for the $5,000 scholarships.

The state advertised the license plates as a way to provide scholarships to children who lost parents in the attacks and help fund anti-terrorism efforts.

The Associated Press reported in May that only $20,000 of the $15 million collected since lawmakers approved the program has been paid in scholarships.

State officials say they sent two letters to every family eligible for the program, which closed to new applicants in 2005.