Many seniors have now completed their college applications, leaving some with final decisions, others waiting on decision letters, and some unsure of what their future looks like. But what now? While it’s easy to sit back and let the senioritis catch up to you, there’s another important element to consider on your journey to college: scholarships!
A common struggle for seniors is how to find scholarships. The 66.7% of senior students who took a survey at Harrison echoed
this statement, expressing that it is hard to find scholarships, more specifically, scholarships they’re eligible for. There is help, though. The best place to find scholarships (in my opinion) is Naviance. Many of the scholarships in Naviance are locally based, which you are much more likely to win due to the smaller number of applicants. These scholarships range in several areas such as sports, theatre, where you attended elementary, and more, as well as ones for the greater Cincinnati area. To find these scholarships, sign into Naviance, hover over College, and click on Scholarship search. Be sure to check it often, as the local scholarships are updated about once a week.
You can discover many national scholarships through various websites, and while they are more difficult to earn, they’re definitely still worth applying for! Some of the most common national scholarship websites include College Board, Scholarship America, and College Express. These scholarships also cover a diverse range of people and interests, so make sure to check the criteria before applying! Once more, make sure to check in for updates throughout the process as new scholarships get added.
Scholarships can seem overwhelming at times. Between the constant deadlines, varying criteria, essay prompts, and more, it can certainly feel daunting. 66.6% Harrison senior survey respondents rated their stress for scholarships between 6-10 out of 10. And I get it! Many late nights frantically filling out the same three questions becomes monotonous and tough after a
while. My top suggestion would be to create a Google Spreadsheet consisting of information such as when scholarships are due, how much the scholarship is worth, where it’s located, its status, and more. This small way of organizing is extremely helpful in keeping the many items of scholarships together.
If you’ve already chosen your college, or have been accepted to some, don’t forget that many individual schools have their own scholarship applications. For some schools, such as Wright State University, you must fill out an application each year to get your scholarship amount, whereas some other schools will give you an academic/athletic scholarship upfront, but offer you separate applications for higher priced scholarships based on said achievements. A variety schools even offer a small amount of full tuition scholarships, so make sure to submit these applications by the deadline!
Third quarter can be tough and jam-packed with tasks, but it’s important to save room for scholarships to ease financial burden in the next four years. It may be challenging now, but your future self will thank you for it!
