Students struggle with scholarship applications

As students in their senior year, they start to think about life after high school.  If the student is going to college, then scholarships can be a huge help in paying for the classes or their books. According to the MyScholarship.app, “scholarships provide financial support for students to help pay for a college degree. These funds enable students to obtain an education they may not have access to otherwise,” 

But what if the students can’t get help with filling out the scholarship applications? Then what do they do? When students can’t figure out how or where to apply for the scholarships they qualify for then they miss out on the opportunity for higher education.  For low-income students it can be difficult in general for them to be able to go to college, but not having resources to help students apply for scholarships makes it 100 times worse. 

Both Eldorado and Carrier Mills High Schools have multiple resources that help all students with filling out the applications. 

“At Eldorado, I am thankful to have the resources that help me, not only fill out scholarships but also make sure I complete every step in applying for college,” Eldorado senior Brock Newman said. 

Eldorado has many different resources for helping seniors with filling out scholarship applications. They have a class period just for this purpose. HHS does not. We have a college and career counselor, but no set class time to meet with him other than advisory. Most students have other work to do in advisory and simply don’t have time to go down and talk with the guidance counselors. If the students had a time in their day, such as a class, for filling out scholarships, it would be more efficient.  

Most students don’t know where to start when filling out scholarship applications, so having the resources and the time makes the process easier for students. 

“If the resources weren’t offered at the school, I wouldn’t have a clue where to start on scholarships,” Carrier Mills senior Abbigayle Musgraves said. “With the staff helping us fill out our scholarships, it shows that the school and staff care about us furthering our education.” 

Some students at Harrisburg High School are going to sources outside the district for help as they don’t feel they have access to the resources they need here.

“I have to take time out of my day to just get scholarship help from a different school, and it’s wasting my gas,” senior Ayden Price said. 

Senior year can be very stressful for students, and adequate support in seeking financial aid can help reduce that stress. 

“My senior has been very busy and I haven’t had time to really focus on scholarships, but (I have had) the help of my teachers and guidance counselors pushing me to make sure I am checking boxes that will help me later down the road,” Newman said. 

The resources for students that walk students through filling out applications for college can be beneficial for those students. 

“Our teachers and staff put us in touch with so many people that can help us find more scholarships that go for what we are going into and help us have more money for college,” Musgraves said. “ They also help with what scholarships we can and cannot apply for depending on our career choice.”

If HHS had a class for seniors that could help the students with applying for scholarships and colleges, it might increase the number of graduates who go on to college. 

“I think that if we had a class built in for this it would be a great opportunity for those who are struggling with applying for colleges and scholarships to have time to access the help they need,” senior Sophie Williams said.