Hey seniors.

Guess what time it is.

Time for you to start applying for college.

We used to have a college and career counselor, but we don’t anymore. So I’m going to do my best as your interim college counselor and help out as best I can as a fellow senior. This time of year is stressful for all impending graduates, everyone running around frantic trying to get everything done to secure their future that’s only two semesters away. Once you apply to your chosen school, whether it’s community or private, GET ON THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS!! Research financial aid options, grants, student loans; anything to make your college experience the cheapest it can be.

One of your top priorities should be to complete your FAFSA. The FAFSA is a large pool of financial aid money that caters to all students, being a first come, first serve. The application opened October 1st which was kind of a while ago, but still, if you haven’t already, do it. It can only serve to help you.

A great website for a wide variety of scholarships is Scholarship Owl, an online website that offers thousands upon thousands of scholarships that range all different amounts and subjects. You can sign up for email updates, and frequently apply to the ones that suit you. Remember to apply to all scholarships pertaining your race, GPA, gender, sexuality, hobbies. There’s money out there for literally everything. You could even recieve a scholarship for $3,000 just for filling it out. You never know.

I also found another webiste, Scholarships360, which offers a ton of high-value scholarships, some exceeding $50,000. And most of their deadlines are in 2022, so you still have time to apply for them. But don’t be lazy!!!!!!!!! Don’t exit that Google tab!!!! Do it now!!!!!!

If you’re interested in going to an Ivy League, they unfortunately do not award merit, talent, or athletic scholarships. However, they do have some pretty strong need-based financial aid programs, and they grant money to students depending on their family’s  overall income. So just apply, and see what they offer you. Although, a full-ride will probably be extremely hard to come by as an incoming freshman.

Assuming that most of us are going to an Arizona school, here are all of their scholarship websites. Browse through and apply for every single one you qualify for. Although it’s tedious, that potential full-ride will be worth it.

University of Arizona’s Scholarship Universe: https://financialaid.arizona.edu/scholarshipuniverse

Arizona State University: https://scholarships.asu.edu

Northern Arizona University: https://nau.edu/office-of-scholarships-and-financial-aid/

Grand Canyon University: https://www.gcu.edu/financial-aid/scholarships-grants

Pima Community College: https://www.pima.edu/paying-for-college/scholarships/index

*Most deadlines for accepting scholarships are College Decision Day, which is May 1st, 2022. Be sure make your final decision and be ready to begin your school’s next steps in order to smoothly be enrolled by Fall 2022.

Reminders of things you NEED to get done:

• Submit your FAFSA ASAP. Seriously like as soon as you possibly can.
• Apply to your desired schools as soon as the applications open. UofA, ASU, NAU applications are all open at this time. The sooner you apply, the sooner they get back to you with a decision, and the faster you can decide where you’ll be going Fall of 2022. If you’re applying out of state, stay on top of when those applications open and look into their out-of-state tuition/boarding costs and start weighing your options.
• Research your potential scholarships. Type in anything that applies to you, like your race or grades or hobbies, and you’ll find thousands of scholarships for any amounts of money. Trust me, they add up, even if it’s only for $50.
• Whatever you do, DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. Deadlines are sooner than they appear, so get it done whenever you have the time.