Got Scholarships?
Feb 22, 2023
As seniors are hearing back from colleges and universities, the pressure to make life-changing decisions are on the rise. Along with that, comes the added stress of figuring out how to fund a college education. Luckily, scholarships can help relieve some of that stress.
Scholarships and grants are ways for students to receive free money, that doesn’t need to be paid back. The least competitive scholarships to apply for are local scholarships. Local scholarships consist of scholarships that are held for students only in your area. Niles West even offers a bunch of scholarships for only Niles West students! Other places to find local scholarships include places of worship, local banks and credit unions, local businesses, libraries and any other organization you might be affiliated with. There are also state and national scholarships, meaning that organizations open up scholarships to anyone who might live in your state or within the country. Examples of these scholarships include the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Dell Scholars Program, Burger King McLamore Foundation and the BigFuture Scholarship. These scholarships are wonderful, but just keep in mind that the number of students applying for them is higher compared to local scholarships.
Not only are there scholarships available depending on the area you live, but you can find a scholarship for pretty much anything. Ranging from being a first-generation student to being left-handed! There is truly a scholarship out there for everyone, you just have to spend the time searching.
It may feel overwhelming and you may not even know where to begin your scholarship search. The first place to start is with the resources we have here at West. One of the school counselors, Stephanie Lau, maintains the Niles West Scholarship site. There you will be able to find all the local scholarships available to West students.
The best time to be applying for scholarships is truly all year round.
“Local scholarships are published during the months of December, January, and February. The applications are due in March,” college and career counselor, Daniel Gin said.
Additional national scholarship search engine websites include fastweb.com, goingmerry.com, bold.com, niche.com, cappex.com and raise.me.
“Your best source of scholarships is the university or college you plan to attend for school. Once you have been admitted and/or decided on a college, check out their financial aid page, which often has information on scholarships available to their students,” Lau advises.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when applying for scholarships is to consistently keep searching and applying.
“Continue to apply for as many scholarships as possible. Many of our local scholarships have about 10 students applying for them. So your chances of earning a scholarship are good. While scholarships take some time and require an essay, think of the rate of return, how many jobs pay $500 dollars an hour,” Gin said.
“Most scholarships are awarded to seniors but there are many specific to juniors. Check scholarship sites once a week and stay organized. If you complete a profile on a scholarship site, consider creating an email specifically for scholarships because you will be bombarded with information. Do not wait until the spring of your Senior year,” Lau said.
Senior Cherie Animashaun, recipient of the Live Mas Taco Bell Foundation Scholarship and 2023 Coca-Cola Regional Finalist has these words of advice,” Don’t only emphasize your titles and positions, highlight the impact behind them. Throwing in activities and accomplishments that are less popular will help you stand out, whether it’s an artistic endeavor or something you established in your district. Make sure every application tells your story, why you were motivated, how much time you put in and the beautiful outcome you saw as a result of your efforts. Lastly, when reading over your essays, make sure they mention the mission statement that the college or scholarship foundation has!”