It’s never too late to look for scholarships

After the dreaded season of college applications finally end, high school seniors still have many essays and applications ahead of them. In order to help pay off the steep tuition of college, many students look towards applying for scholarships.

Depending on the type of scholarship, students can receive anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a full scholarship. The amount of money also correlates to the rigor and competitiveness of the scholarship.

There are a wide variety of scholarships available to appeal to all types of students. Different organizations create scholarships based on need, merit, service, leadership, and more. General requirements include a low family income, a minimum GPA, essays, and teacher recommendations.

CVHS students can utilize the College and Career Center as well as their counselors, teachers, and assistant principals to receive information and guidance on the application process for scholarships.

On the local level, there is a student scholarship created by Castro Valley Sanitary District. CVSan awards $500 to two students enrolled within the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). The application asks for extracurricular activities, awards/recognition, employment experience, two letters of recommendation, and an essay. Current seniors are able to find the application at http://www.cvsan.org/studentscholarship, and they must submit their application by 2 p.m. on April 1.

All Castro Valley high school students also have the unique opportunity to apply for Castro Valley Education Foundation Scholarships. There are about two dozen different kinds of scholarships available for students with varying purposes and prerequisites that range from $500 to $1,000. Anyone could also be a donor and potentially create their own scholarship. All applications are due on April 1, and more information can be found at http://www.cvef.org/scholarships.

Current juniors graduating in the class of 2017 can start looking for scholarships as well! Applications for the Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship open in August, and Regional Finalists can receive up to $20,000. Out of the thousands of applicants, 2,200 semifinalists are asked to submit additional materials and around 1,400 students receive some sort of funding, but only 250 students move on to be Regional Finalists with a guaranteed $1,000 stipend. Juniors can learn more about the process and requirements here http://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/applicants.

Despite the extra essays and requirements, applying to scholarships is definitely worth it in the end. The excess funds could prevent stress and other issues for students once they begin college. All students should start utilizing their resources now to be able to receive as much help for college as possible.