College Scholarships: What? Why? How?

By Hanna Littmarck, Godwinna Koroma-Coker, and Caroline Goggin

March 27, 2019

Applying for scholarships may seem like a case of David and Goliath, but it is much, much simpler than you think. Students see the hundreds of possibilities with varying price ranges and immediately get psyched out. However, it should be the opposite. The endless opportunities to save your family’s wallet during and after college are pillars of light to get you through a college education. Here we will guide you through the numerous kinds of scholarships, why it is so critical to do them, and how to actually obtain them.

Why apply?

College and University. Aka the quickest immediate path to debt. This “debt” that many students suffer post-graduation is the biggest fear leading students to wonder: Is a higher education really worth it? It 100% is. College and university is still the best direct path to a good and successful career that pays well. Through scholarships, students can save tons of money, and the best part is they don’t have to pay it back!

What exactly is a scholarship? A scholarship is a grant or payment given to a student because of achievements they’ve made or the plain fact that they applied for it. Scholarships can be received and achieved in so many different ways and are not always given through one’s high school, town, or city. You still may be wondering: “Why should I even apply? I’m not smart enough or even good at a sport.” Give me a few paragraphs to convince you on why it is important to apply for scholarships.

Did you know, out of every three students, two receive a scholarship or grant (The NGPF). The reason why the last student usually doesn’t get one is because they didn’t apply or claim their received scholarship. Increasing yearly, over $100 million dollars of scholarship money goes unclaimed by American students (Saving For College). That’s a lot of money and with about 3.3 million high school students graduating for American high schools and 66% of them going to college, that’s tons of money left under the table. There are PLENTY of opportunities on ways to recieve free money for school! College is expensive, so why make it as affordable as possible? The one shot at winning a scholarship is applying for it. The worst that can happen is you don’t receive it. That’s is why it is important to apply for as many scholarships as possible. There is no limit in how many scholarships that one can apply for and there are scholarships opportunities such as the ones listed in the previous section. Scholarships for those who even drink coffee are available! Even to those who may be in college already, there are scholarships still available for you!

“So… you still haven’t specifically stated why should I apply.” The reason is obvious: SAVING MONEY! If students love searching for discounts to their favorite stores, searching and applying for scholarships is the exact same thing, but with greater benefits. Graduating with the least amount of debt possible is one of them. While graduating may seem far, think about how easy it will be to buy a house, car, or even furthering an undergraduate degree to a masters or doctorate. Doing these thing will be much much more affordable without having to worry about a monthly college payment. Or at least one less than $600. Also, do not ignore smaller scholarships with lesser value just because they do not “excite”you. Remember that even $300 can be a huge help in buying groceries, paying for gas, and even purchasing textbooks. Any money can help, but not all money is good money. Scholarship scammers do, sadly, exist. Every year 350,000 applicants are scammed of a total of $5 million. That’s is why you MUST be prepared to do hours of research with as much help as possible in finding out which scholarships are applicable to you. We can not do all the work for you! Also note, apply for scholarships as young as possible. Whether you are a freshman in highschool or 3 years out of high school, it is important to start researching now to learn what is available to you.

What is there to offer?

Dedham High School offers two types of scholarships: outside and local scholarships.

Outside scholarships are from organizations and institutions outside of the school. They send their scholarships to the guidance office, which are then posted on the Outside Scholarship tab on the guidance website https://sites.google.com/dedham.k12.ma.us/dhs-guidance/senior-year/outside-scholarships.

These scholarships award varying amounts of money, from $100,000 to $250. This money either goes directly go towards your college tuition, or is placed right in your hand at graduation. The idea is that you’ll use this to pay for laptops, textbooks, and other school costs. These scholarships have all different criteria that you must qualify for (ex: ethnicity, GPA, sports you play), and different applications to go along with them. Some will require you to submit an essay, and others smaller autobiographies or detailed responses to questions. Some outside scholarships include the Thiel Scholarship for future designers and builders ($100,000), the Tom Olen Memorial Scholarship for those impacted by cancer ($5,000), and the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes scholarship for those who play high school, intramural, or community-based sports ($20,000). It should be noted that these scholarships have all different deadlines, from December up until June, whereas local scholarships are all due on May 2nd.

Local scholarships are Dedham-based. Last year, there were 187 local scholarships that totalled $175,000. Guidance usually receives 150 or 160 applications, and so theoretically everyone can get some free money. These scholarships are available to a wide variety of students, including players of Dedham Youth Soccer, members of the school band, past Students of the Month, and students with a qualifying GPA (to name a few). Taking all these things into account, guidance will send your application to the scholarship offers you qualify for. There are some scholarships that require their own applications. The timeline for these is the local scholarship assembly will occur in April, seniors have a month to fill out the application, the committees meet in May to read them and decide, and the recipients will be announced during graduation in June.

There is a scholarship for everyone, as many require you to only be a high school student with a GPA greater than 2.5. And some are completely random, like the scholarship for those who enjoy Final Fantasy games.

How do I apply?

At an assembly on April 2nd, the guidance department will educate seniors and their parents on available scholarships and how to apply. Applications to local scholarships will be shared with students at this assembly. Outside scholarship opportunities have been and continue to be emailed out to seniors at DHS by our career counselor, Ms. Mansfield. These scholarships are also accessible on the DHS Guidance Department Website under the header “senior year”. Seniors interested in applying for scholarships should be checking their emails regularly.

Most scholarships are on a universal application. Local scholarships usually require their own application, such as Dedham Youth Soccer and Dedham Football, which will be accessible at the upcoming assembly.

When filling out scholarship applications, it is important to make sure spelling and grammar are correct. Students who take their time and give thorough answers are more likely to be awarded scholarships than those who rush through them.

Take advantage and good luck!

Meet the Writers!

Caroline Goggin

Caroline Goggin, Class of 2020, is the Managing Editor of the Dedham Mirror and a Junior at Dedham High School. She is a Dedham High School Cheerleader and also plays for the Tennis team. Outside of School, Caroline loves to hang out with her friends and listen to music. She works as a camp counselor in the summer.

Godinna Koroma-Coker

Godwinna Koroma -Coker, class of 2020, is the Arts and Entertainment Editor of the Dedham Mirror. She is class secretary and a member of numerous clubs such as Happy Hands, SADD, Real Talk, Link Crew, and Global Citizens. Outside of school, she enjoys exercise, listening to music, and watching films.

Hanna Littmarck

Hanna Littmarck, class of 2020, is the Features Editor of the Dedham Mirror. She plays hockey all year-round (literally doesn’t go more than a week in the year without playing), as well as tennis, soccer, and competitive dancing. She loves to travel, go on adventures with friends, try new things, and hang out with family. When it comes to her writing, Hanna strives to make people laugh or become fascinated with a new subject.