November is National Scholarship Month. During 2022, 60% of families used scholarships to help pay college tuition, but some of these scholarships were insufficient grants compared to tuition prices. Scholarships are critical for many students; however, many miss opportunities to apply because of their fear of getting rejected for them.     

Every student who plans on going to college should apply for all the possible scholarships available to them. 

The most important reason scholarships are important is that it opens many doors for students. Some parents sacrifice a lot for their children to pursue higher education, but sometimes these efforts don’t provide enough funds to pay for college. This can lead to many students having to try to pay their own tuition, but if the student is unmotivated to go to college in the first place, a lack of funds is a reason to not go to college. Scholarships allow students to pay for their tuition and funds, but it goes even past that. Scholarships can also be used for other opportunities. For example, they can pay for housing, a semester abroad, and living expenses. Scholarships provide so many opportunities, so just go for it and apply.

People might think that scholarships are too scarce and oftentimes only rely on applying for federal scholarships. However, many companies and local associations offer scholarships for students. Although these might be hard to seek out they’re less competitive and easier to get. Even if these scholarships are not very large, the more people apply to and get, they start to add up. Even if a scholarship is only $500, that $500 that students and families don’t have to come up with. Businesses and associations love opportunities to get tax breaks, which is exactly what scholarships are for them. So scholarships benefit everyone involved. 

While in college, it is hard to maintain a balance between school and life. Students who have to help pay their tuition or those who have to pay their own tuition completely, have the added stress of having to balance work, school, and life. This can lead to a huge decrease in mental health. Even if scholarships are tedious and can be dreadful, they will be beneficial for the future and can save people from having to sacrifice much more in the future. 

Go apply to all the scholarships available and call local organizations to ask about scholarship opportunities. Today is a great day to start helping the future. 

Websites that help students find scholarships: 

Scholarships.org 

Niche.com

Collegeboard.com

Bold.org