Many students entering their senior year are still unaware of all of the scholarships available for Big Spring students. Jocelyn Kraus, counselor, said, “A scholarship is money received from an organization, post-secondary institution or company to assist students in paying for college or technical school. Usually scholarships are awarded based on unique sets of criteria determined by the awarding organization. Kraus also said, “There are thousands of scholarships. Check out www.fastweb.com to get an idea.  There are quite literally millions of dollars are available annually for students.”

Students must complete an application for most scholarships. Award winners are then selected based on the criteria. Students can apply online for many scholarships; however, many local or regional scholarships have a paper application  The Counseling Office advertises many scholarships every year; the number changes based on what community/local organizations are providing that year. “We also encourage all students to create an account on fastweb.com or Scholly to facilitate a more national scholarship search.” said Kraus.

“Every scholarship is different, and some of the major criteria include GPA, class rank, a copy of a transcript, community service/volunteer work, sustained engagement in extracurricular activities, leadership, financial need, and a possible essay.” Kraus explained.

Lauren Seiple, senior, said, “There are plenty of scholarships out there, and I am applying for one right now. I guess it’s not easy or hard but there are people out there that want it more. That’s why I am working really hard.”