As the cost of a college education continues to rise, Northwood counselors are taking the steps to aid students in their search for scholarship money. The ongoing Scholarship Web Bulletin features information for more than 90 scholarship applications and is available to all Northwood seniors for access.
The bulletin, which is run by guidance counselor Montgomery Hall, lists the names, deadlines, dollar amounts, specific requirements and links for a variety of general and specifically-targeted scholarships all in one space. The amounts offered by the scholarships range anywhere from $500 to full tuition. For some students, this bulletin is a welcome departure from the typical nature of scholarship searching.
“College is super expensive, and even the aid is not really that helpful. Everything online is confusing, so it’s nice to have a consolidated place for us to look at,” senior Catherine Hall said.
In the last 20 years, in-state tuition has risen 175 percent, and out-of-state tuition has risen 140 percent. This leaves many students at a loss for how to afford the college education they desire. Affordability is one of the main factors cited by students when choosing whether or not to attend college or which school to attend.
“I know a lot of students that don’t want to go to college because of how expensive it is or they are worried that their family won’t be able to afford it, so I feel like price is a very big factor,” senior Clementine Astorga said.
The guidance counselors have observed these financial concerns each year when helping students in the college decision process. According to Montgomery Hall, her main goal is to ensure that students are able to achieve their goals and pursue what they want without being limited for financial reasons.
“I have so many students who come in here a little defeated when they see the cost of tuition and things like that,” Hall said. “Unfortunately, in-state colleges are going up in tuition and for students who are going out of state, it’s astronomical, some of the costs. But I think there’s a lot of value in a 4-year university, and I don’t want someone who wants a freshman college experience other than community college to feel like they have to miss out on that opportunity.”
Hall recommends for any students who are seeking scholarship money to continue to check the bulletin for updates, especially in the coming months.
“March and April are going to be big months for scholarships, so keeping an eye out for updates is going to be really important. I’ll continue to send out those email blasts and add them to the announcements,” Hall said.
Once scholarships have been located through the form, students then need to fill out all of the required materials. Hall’s main advice for students looking for scholarship money is simply to put forth the effort to send in an application.
“Even if you don’t necessarily think [a scholarship] is applicable to you, apply because we have students who don’t actually put in an application because they don’t want to do the work with it or they feel like they are not going to get it, which means the pool is so much smaller. I have seen scholarships where only two people applied, and it was two people receiving the award, so they automatically got it,” Hall said.
Any students who would like more assistance with scholarships can make an appointment with their assigned guidance counselor. The scholarship bulletin can be found through students’ stumail accounts.
