By Emma Szabo Co-Editor-in-Chief  

With the first semester ending, it’s time for upperclassmen to start thinking about college if they haven’t started already. Juniors took their PSATs in October, and seniors should start applying to colleges. It’s time to prepare to make their transition out of high school easier by applying for scholarhips.  According to Mrs. Irma Vaughn, the school’s College Career Military Adviser, a scholarship is a financial aid award designed to assist students to pay for college expenses. Scholarships do not have to be paid back and can be a one-time award or a renewable award. Meaning that if a student meets the designated requirement, they can continue to receive funding every year up until graduation.

  “Students can be awarded scholarships for academic excellence, athletes, majors, military affiliation, age/grade level, gender, hobbies/interests, and traits,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  College is a very expensive investment for most people, and scholarships provide them a way to pay off the expenses. One common misconception about scholarships is that they only apply to college tuitions, but that isn’t always the case.

  “Scholarships help to cover the cost of tuition, housing, books, and other college expenses. Students might receive the scholarship money directly in their name, but in most cases, the funds are sent to the college or university the student plans to attend,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  Another misconception is that scholarships are solely grade or sports-based. There are many different types of scholarships that are available for students to apply for. While many scholarships are for good grades and athletic ability, there are kinds for almost every hobby or trait. From scholarships for musical abilities to ones for being left-handed, the number of scholarships out there makes it easy for everyone to find something for themselves. But there’s more to scholarships than just being good at something. Scholarships require students to submit an application to their host, which is usually the trickiest part.

  “Most scholarships will require the student to submit an application, official transcript, at least 2 letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT score (if available this year), essay, and financial aid forms,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  But since scholarships are so important, when should you start applying for them? Mrs. Vaughn says that most students start applying for scholarships once they’re juniors or seniors in high school, but there are scholarships for students as young as elementary and middle school age, meaning that it’s never too early or too late to apply.

  So where can you find and apply for scholarships? You can usually find scholarships online through college pages or websites that are made specifically for scholarships, but you can also find scholarships through our school’s career center.

  “The Career Center can help you with scholarship searches, transcript and test score orders, templates for essays and resumes, and providing you with the form that is needed for your counselor to write you a letter of recommendation,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  So as the semester progresses, it’s important to think about college and how you can make the next phase of your school life less stressful. College doesn’t always have to come at such a heavy price; if you utilize tools like scholarships, you can go to college and finish with less worry and less debt.