Proponents of higher education like me readily agree that attaining it can make a major difference in bringing success to a student’s life in the future.
It’s a known fact that a higher education often leads to a better paying job and career. The extra education also creates better overall citizens.
As a college graduate, I am well aware of how much I grew as a person during those college years. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
My many years of being the education beat reporter at the Manistee News Advocate also opened my eyes to some of the big challenges tossed in the path of those seeking a higher education.
The strong reality is in today’s world, attaining the higher education comes at a high financial cost. In many instances the cost is so high it requires huge student loans that consequently take decades to pay off.
One way to help chip away at some of those costs is through scholarships. Every dollar an ambitious student picks up via a scholarship is money they don’t have to take out of their own pocket or borrow from a lending institution.
A recent story in the News Advocate detailing the college scholarship awards coordinated by the Manistee County Community Foundation got me thinking about this process. It is great that they do this, giving students and their parents a place to look a variety of scholarships available in this area.
I also learned on the education beat that there are many incredibly generous people, groups, organizations and businesses who are out there putting up money for scholarships. To me, it is one of the best gifts to be given and a great way for someone to leave a legacy by creating a scholarship to benefit tomorrow’s leaders with their education costs.
It is especially neat when scholarships are given in memory of someone, which keeps alive the memory of that particular person with family and loved ones while helping someone else advance their education,
The story, “Scholarship applications open now” in the News Advocate on Jan. 12 stated that during 2022, the Manistee County Community Foundation committed approximately $200,000 in scholarship awards. Wow, that is pretty impressive and when you toss on top of that number the other scholarships available in this area, it is an even greater amount of money.
Over the years I heard many good stories about kids who greatly benefited from scholarship programs. However, some students fail to grasp that scholarships don’t just come to you automatically — it takes some work to go out and apply for them to earn the funds.
More than once I would hear the surprising news from some group or individual who would say they had a scholarship and either no one applied for it or they had a very limited number of applicants. It’s kind of stunning when you consider the amount of money it takes today for four years of a college education.
Sometimes the reasons you would hear as to why a student didn’t apply for a particular scholarship were quite amazing. A few didn’t want to put in the effort or work as some scholarships require the applicant to write a short essay on why they feel deserving or in need.
Other times there is the misconception they would never win it, and that is the wrong approach to take as well. So I urge all high school seniors in Manistee County to check out the foundation’s website at manisteefoundation.org or speak to their guidance counselor to get a listing of all the scholarships available in their school, as some are limited to particular schools.
The biggest key is now is the time to act and apply. Waiting until graduation is too late. As the old saying goes, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain” by taking part in the process.
Also if you look at student enrollment numbers, there are fewer students in Manistee County now than in the past. That means your chances of getting a scholarship are greater than ever.
As I said earlier, a college education is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. While scholarships are for members of the senior class, underclass students can be taking steps in the next year to help cut those costs.
Schools in this area participate in the dual enrollment program with West Shore Community College where they can early college credits while still a high school student. It’s a great way to get a jump start on their college career.
Since I also covered the college for the newspaper, there were several times over the years during WSCC’s commencement when a student would receive an associate’s degree in the same academic year they graduated from high school. How cool is that?
More importantly it is a savings as the dual enrollment classes don’t cost the student anything; they are paid by their school district. So every class taken is a savings on those high costs of college.
Another avenue some students take to earn early college credits is with Advanced Placement classes. They are taught at the high school by qualified staff members and, again, it saves students money on their college education.
So I encourage all high school students to look into the scholarships, dual enrollment and Advanced Placement programs. It will help to make sure their walk across the stage to receive their college diploma doesn’t come with a huge financial debt attached to it.
Don’t wait and you can probably put those wheels in motion before I see you again on Monday.
Ken Grabowski is the retired associate editor at the Manistee News Advocate who spent more than 36 years in the newspaper business.
Source link
