Seniors: Now is the time to apply for scholarships
Finding scholarships
Once seniors have completed their applications for post-secondary education and have been accepted to their schools, then it’s time to move on to searching and applying for scholarships. There are many ways that today’s students can find and apply for scholarships.
The most convenient option for checking on available scholarships is for seniors to check the link on Loyal’s website at https://www.sdofloyal.wi.schools. bzolc/32/page/156 or go to loyal.k12.wi.us > School Counseling > High School Links > Scholarship List. The site is updated whenever new scholarships are sent to Loyal. Many scholarships are linked directly to their online applications.
Another avenue for finding scholarships is for students to check with their universities or technical colleges to find out what types of scholarships may be available. A student must have applied and been accepted to his/her college/university before being able to apply for these scholarships. Many, but not all, colleges use Feb. 1 as a due date for their scholarships.
A third option for seniors is to use online scholarship sites — seniors are cautioned to be careful, however, as there are sites that try to scam students and parents out of money. You should NEVER have to pay for scholarships or scholarship searches. Some “safe” sites include unigo.com, schoolsoup. com, scholarships.com and fastweb.com.
Finally, Loyal seniors can complete a “Community Scholarship Application,” which is due Feb. 28. If students wish, their Community Scholarship Applications are duplicated and given to over 25 local scholarship providers.
All seniors who receive scholarships and notify Mrs. Scherer will be recognized at the Senior Dedication in May.
Special scholarships
Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship: This scholarship will go to Loyal’s top academic (highest GPA) graduating senior. Recipients of this scholarship receive $2,250 toward tuition each year for up to four years. The recipient of this scholarship must be attending a college/university within Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship: This scholarship will be awarded to the one Loyal High School senior who has demonstrated the highest level of proficiency in technical education subjects. This scholarship can be up to $2,250 per year for two years. To be eligible, the applicant must have applied, been accepted, and then enroll in a program at a participating Wisconsin Technical College within Wisconsin. The application process for this scholarship was shared with Loyal seniors in late December.
Draper/Hills Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship was established in memory of both the Draper and Hills families from Loyal and is maintained by the Eau Claire Community Foundation in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This scholarship is awarded to students who have maximized their talents in their high school years. The Draper/Hills Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to seniors planning to attend technical college (total of $5,000), and seniors planning to pursue four-year university degrees (total of $12,000 each). The application for the Draper/ Hills Memorial Scholarships was provided to Loyal’s seniors in late December.
Financial aid
Students who enroll in a university or technical college may be eligible for financial aid. To be considered for most of the federal student aid and student loan programs, a student must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) once per year (after Oct. 1).
To assist you as you begin traveling down the financial aid road, please consider the following: -- FAFSA4caster is a free online tool to provide students with early estimates of their eligibility for federal student aid. The FAFSA4caster is NOT an application for financial aid—it is just a predictor that can be used at any time. To access the FAFSA4caster, simply typeFAFSA4caster into the browser of your choice.
-- Every student who plans to complete the FAFSA will need an FSA PIN (an electronic password.) Parents must also apply for an FSA PIN. These PINs can be used to sign the FAFSA electronically, drastically decreasing the processing time. PINs should be obtained before beginning the FAFSA at fafsa.gov.
-- To complete the FAFSA (after Oct. 1), go to fafsa.gov.
Your student will not receive complete financial aid award information from colleges until the student has applied AND been accepted to the college, and has completed the FAFSA—these awards letters have historically not arrived until late spring. Encourage your student to visit colleges, make decisions about where to attend and get the applications completed as soon as possible.
