Want to be a cheerleader? $200. Basketball player? Shoes, uniform and warm-ups total $300. A math whiz? Try $80 for a graphing calculator. Just school supplies can run a few hundred dollars during the year.

For students in families scraping by, coming up with the costs of school activities can be impossible. Albright's recognition of this led him to develop a foundation that provides needy high school students with the money for such fees.

This year, nine high schools in Santa Barbara County, including Lompoc and Cabrillo, have ongoing funds granted by the American Dream Foundation that are available to needy students. The foundation began in 1999 and originally served just LHS and Santa Maria High.

"The philosophy of the whole program is if they fit in, they stay in," said Virginia King, a LHS counselor. "We've helped kids get everything from choir fees to a prom dress to a class ring."

This year, Lompoc and Cabrillo received a combined $24,600 from the foundation. Altogether, the nine participating county schools received over $82,000 this year.

Participating schools run the program through their activities office and give small allotments of money vouchers to needy students for specific items. A designated staff member then goes out and purchases the items for the student. No cash is ever passed to the student.

The program extends to basic needs also. Brianne Jory, Cabrillo lead counselor, said she has bought shampoo and deodorant as well as clothes and backpacks for students. Cabrillo counselors meet with every student in the school during the school year to touch base and set an academic road map. These meetings also help counselors become aware of economically-disadvantaged students.

The program isn't well known on campuses. The schools don't advertise it and say they use discretion giving out the money. Most students who participate are recommended by their teachers and staff to school counselors, who oversee the program.

One Cabrillo senior, whose name is withheld, heard about the program from his basketball coach. He had to pay $300 for all his athletic gear and was facing travel expenses for a Las Vegas tournament the day after Christmas. The program, which Cabrillo calls Pay It Forward, paid for his gear and his hotel stay.

"It's really good for people who live with one parent, like me," the student said. "She had already spent all her money on moving."

Once selected for the program, a student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average, attend school at least 85 percent of the time and not incur any major disciplinary problems.

Albright, who has over 20 years experience working in high schools, said if large-scale funding was made available, schools would see a major increase in student performance, particularly with economically-disadvantaged students.

"There were so many kids that all they had to do was have a connection with school and if they had that connection they had better attendance, grades and achievement," Albright said.