Scholarships are available through many different sources and are an excellent way to help off-set the costs of post-secondary education. Unlike loans, scholarships are GIFTS of money and consequently do NOT need to be re-paid! Generally speaking, scholarships are available for current high school seniors who plan to further their education at a 2 or 4 year university or technical school the following year. Although scholarships are awarded based on a variety of criteria, most place a heavy emphasis on a student's Academic achievement, Community service, and Extra-curricular involvement or ACE.
National, state, and local scholarships received by the PHS Counseling Department will be updated for students on a weekly basis. Students should check the website and the bulletin board in the counseling office for the latest updates. In addition, daily announcements will also serve to remind students of new opportunities and approaching deadlines.
Although the counseling department is made aware of many scholarships, it by no means has access to ALL scholarships. Students should take the initiative to check with the university or technical school they plan to attend, perform online searches, and peruse local newspapers and publications over the course of the year to find additional scholarship opportunities. Often times, many students find the best scholarship opportunities through their parents! Employers, insurance companies, banks, and clubs and organizations are frequently generous scholarship donors and eagerly await the opportunity to assist the children of their employees, customers and/or members.
So, how does one take advantage of all these opportunities?
Start applying! As the old cliché goes, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," the same is true when it comes to applying for scholarships. You can't win one if you don't apply. Take your chances, apply!
Start today! Visit the links on this website! Pick up a scholarship magazine! Ask your parents! Whatever your plan is, start putting it into action today!
Start small! Find one scholarship you meet the criteria for and apply for it! The first one may take a while, but the more you do, the easier they'll become. Before you know it, you'll be a scholarship wiz and filling out applications will be a breeze!
Stay positive! Remember, most scholarships, especially national ones, are extremely competitive and the chances of winning are sometimes very small. Don't let the odds deter you, apply anyway! You never know, you may be just what they had in mind! (If not for the first one you apply for, maybe the next!)
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