SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts' Springfield Council of Jewish Women hosted their 80th annual scholarship breakfast Tuesday morning.

In total, 48 students from all over greater Springfield, including Chicopee, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham, were awarded with the Eleanore A. Dunn Scholarship at the Sinai Temple in Springfield. This year, the council is giving away a total of $70,000 in scholarship funds to the recipients who range from high school to college.

Council co-chair Ann Cowen said higher education can be very expensive for young people, so the goal of the scholarship is to reduce the financial burden. 

"Today, colleges are so expensive and every little bit helps," Cowen said. "We're not funding an entire tuition but we're giving the students a little bit more money to make it easier so they won't have to take out loans and just have a good little cushion for their college."

People interested in learning more about the committee's scholarship program can do so on the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts' website.