Many seniors do not take advantage of available scholarships to reduce or completely eliminate the cost of college tuition.
In an online survey, over 50% of the Class of 2017, said that they haven’t applied for scholarships. Some students said that work, AP and honors courses as well as extracurricular activities leave little time to apply for scholarships. Other students said they don’t apply for scholarships because they have too many requirements. For example, they may require a Curriculum Vitae or resume, letters of recommendation from teachers or employers and videos or essays explaining their eligibility. Furthermore, many seniors feel that money for college is the responsibility of their parents and FAFSA.
The School Counseling Department said that they post monthly scholarship newsletters on the Varina High School website, which can be found by clicking on the school counseling link. Each newsletter lists scholarships in due date order and explains the requirements, amount of money awarded, deadlines and sources of additional information. The School Counseling Department also said each newsletter lists scholarships for two months following. For example, the May scholarship newsletter lists scholarships for June and July.
Students fail to understand the full benefits of scholarships. According to a 2010 Trends in College Pricing report by College Board, since the year 2000 public four-year college tuition and fees have increased more than five percent annually above inflation. Tuition at public two-year colleges and private four-year colleges also has increased three percent above inflation. The more scholarship money that students earn, the more they reduce their college tuition. Also according to the Institute for College Access and Success, one quarter of the U.S. population owes a collective $700 billion in student loan debt. However, if students take advantage of scholarships they will avoid the burden of student loans after graduation.
College has become significantly more expensive over the past decade. Students must realize that scholarships offset problems created by the economy and decrease the cost of living. Scholarships exist for everything and everybody. The free money is the worth the investment of time required to complete the application.
Recent Comments