Many high school students plan on attending college after high school. To help pay for college, scholarships are in place where students can reduce their financial burden. 

   S.H.S. has much useful information on scholarships. Counselor Darci Francis emails seniors directly about available applications and scholarships of the week.

  Francis says, “Earning money from scholarships has tremendous benefits, such as lessening the amount that a student may have to take out for loans and perhaps even allowing the student to focus on studying as opposed to working while in college. Many scholarships are applied towards tuition costs, but some scholarship winnings can be used for the purchase of books, laptops, and other college expenses.”

   To those who don’t know what scholarships are, they are a form of funding given to students to support their education, typically for college. This sum of money is rather important because it can apply to some fixed expenses. This assistance lifts a weight off of their chest and helps students focus more on their future endeavors throughout college. 

   Undoubtedly, students should make time for these applications. Applications usually last from September through May, so it’s recommended to consider applying to a multitude of scholarships in order to grant a good amount of money.

   Francis says, “You can’t win scholarship money if you don’t apply. Of course, you are not going to win every scholarship you apply for. However, many scholarships end up having very few applicants. If you are one of the few, your chances of winning increase greatly! There are many scholarships that look for other qualities in the applicants. Read the criteria carefully and give yourself every opportunity to be selected.” 

   As a student who’s currently looking for applications and applying, a piece of recommendation is given; commit and conquer with whatever time you have throughout your everyday life. Dedicate the extra time left to waste towards applying and motivate yourself to push through. Scheduling certain days throughout the week has been the easiest way of managing scholarships, it keeps track of what new applications have opened and manages time efficiently when reading over qualifications. Even the smallest rewards count, don’t miss out on ANY great benefits! 

   Overall, students should take the opportunity and time to put in a portion of effort in scholarships, even a small sum of money can help a student continue to focus on what’s really important: their education.