By Staff Writer: Rachel Brauer

College expenses can be frightening, especially if money is tight to begin with. Not everyone qualifies for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a completely free application, but most everyone could qualify for scholarships or grants. According to the scholarship experts, every year, hundreds of millions of dollars of scholarship money goes unused due to lack of participants. Recently, HHS has acquired a list of local scholarships that any senior could qualify for.

Most believe that one has to have a high GPA and ACT score to receive any sort of scholarship or grant, but that is not always the case. Joan Blair, HHS’s guidance counselor’s office secretary, is the person who receives most of the completed scholarships unless it is stated otherwise, comments on the opportunity.

“Scholarships are not just for straight-A students. There are scholarships available for students that have made academic gains. Students athletics and for the community service, to name a few,” says Blair.

Some tips to keep in mind when applying for scholarships are plentiful. Always have someone look over any essays. Most teachers are more than willing to help. Read through all of the directions, and be aware of the dates that they must be submitted. Make sure that the work submitted is something that is pride worthy. The majority of scholarships applications asks for transcripts, which can be submitted through parchment, letters of recommendations, and some form of an essay.

The local scholarships link is located on the Howell Public Schools website under HHS’s guidance tab in scholarships and FAFSA information (howellschools.com). The list is updated daily, so keep checking for more opportunities. Local scholarship night, where all the winners of the awards will be announced, is Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m., by invitation only.