Rising tuition costs have turned scholarships into a seniors best friend however, the process of applying can feel like a nightmare. During this chaotic time of applying for schools while finishing out senior year, it can be difficult to focus attention towards the application of scholarships.
Students can struggle with where to find them, which ones are worth applying for, and when they need to apply.
The process of applying for scholarships can start in junior year but remains extremely active during the summer before senior year and throughout senior year. Some seniors have been feeling behind on scholarships however, there is still plenty of time to apply. Many deadlines occur between September and May.
There are many different types of scholarships that are available to seniors. These include academic, athletic, community service, and need-based scholarships. Students can find these from your high school or at the local, institutional, and national level.
Local scholarships are offered or sponsored by local organizations within the community, city and state. There’s often a lower number of applicants making them less competitive.
Institutional scholarships are funded by the individual colleges or universities. These can include academic, need-based, and some out of state schools even offer a special scholarship for bordering states. Examples of this would be University of Cincinnati’s tuition reciprocity agreement and University of Louisville’s border benefit.
National scholarships are often offered by large companies and foundations and are eligible for students throughout America. There are usually a larger number of applicants making it more competitive than local scholarships.
It can be helpful to look at all of these different kinds of scholarships from different sources and come up with a list of scholarships that feel achievable. This can be an overwhelming and difficult process but it is important to reach out for help if struggling.
“It was difficult finding scholarships before my counselor helped me,” senior Meta Selke said.
When looking for scholarships, talking to a school counselor can be helpful, as they have information on which ones are worth the time. There are also many websites that can be helpful such as Xello, BigFuture Scholarship Search, CareerOneStop, EduPass for International students, TheDream Scholarships for undocumented students and many more.
“I’ve been using a website called 360 scholarships where you can enter things about you and it will find scholarships based on that,” senior Sophia Yoder said.
With this being such a new and stressful process, students want to feel supported and educated by the adults at North Central.
“I think North Central can do a better job of showing students how to find scholarships and also recommending which ones to apply for that will be most beneficial. I wish finding and applying for scholarships was something explained to students by teachers or counselors because from my experience I had to ask about them to even figure out where to be looking for them,” Selke said.
This view has been shared by many seniors at North Central as they push further into the semester.
“I don’t think NC has done a good job helping us find scholarships. I wish that our counselors would meet with seniors more frequently and show us common cites or ways to find scholarships,” Yoder said.
