January to May is peak time for high school senior scholarships. FHS seniors can access a list of 83 available scholarships on the counseling section of the FHS website. Scholarships can be awarded for academics, sports, hobbies, a good essay or be merit- based.
The United States Department of Labor has a free scholarship search tool with over 8,000 available scholarships, it can be searched by keyword or through available filters. The Academic Common Market tuition saving program is also available in Virginia. It allows students to pay in state tuition in out-of-state schools if they participate in a participating specialized degree program, complete the admissions process, and have proof of living in Virginia.
Students should also fill out their FAFSA, (Federal Application for Student Aid) it allows students to qualify for grants, federal and state student loans and college-specific scholarships. It also determines each student’s level of need, and then provides need based financial aid. For the FAFSA to be reviewed for the 2021-2022 academic year it must be submitted by June 30, 2022. However, each college may have different FAFSA deadlines.
Scholarships can affect how much financial aid a student can receive. Once a school is notified about the scholarship a student is offered they will subtract the necessary amount of financial aid they offer. The “Seniors” Google Classroom should be available to every senior, and is a good resource for scholarship information.