Securing the Bag for College

​By Wilson Rivera
With only about four months left until graduation, all college applications should be in, and seniors should have an idea of where they will be going in the coming fall. Acceptance letters are coming and financial aid packages are not far behind. One big looming problem with the college process is the cost.
Most students cannot pay thousands of dollars over the course of four or more years; even with the financial aid packages that the colleges give them after completing the FAFSA and TAP, they still usually will not have enough money to pay for college. The only choice that most students think they have is to just take out enormous amounts of loans, which will gain a lot of interest over the course of their life.
The best way to get the remaining money needed for college is just applying for scholarships. Unlike taking out loans from the bank, you won’t have to pay back the scholarships. Once you get the money, it is yours to use towards college. Some scholarships require essays and others don’t. Just because you don’t feel like writing one or two essays doesn’t mean to stop looking at scholarships.
“As a college-bound senior, you should explore your options in terms of scholarships. There are billions of dollars available in scholarships, so do your research, because there's something out there for everyone!” Ms. Kankam explained.
Some are available to Latinx/Hispanic students, African-American students, LGBTQ+ students, and even for people who are left-handed. You can try RACF.org to find thousands of local scholarships, you can ask your counselor for help, or even go to the College Prep Center at B110 where new scholarships are posted every Friday. Keep that cost and stress down and apply now.