Published: November 9, 2022
Expensive. This is one of the top words that could be used to describe college. Tuition, housing and textbooks are all examples of things that a college student has to pay for. Although, there are a lot of scholarships that can take out a chunk of money out of your tuition.
Evan Becker, a 2022 FHN graduate is one of these special cases. Becker received many scholarships that ended up covering his entire tuition to Washington University. He received the Bright Flight scholarship which was $3,000, the Missouri Access Extra scholarship which was $2,000, another scholarship from Missouri Access which was $1,280 and the WashU Pledge which was $60,000.
“Right now my tuition costs add up to zero dollars,” Becker said. “I got $1,600 back at the beginning of the semester. It definitely has made it a lot easier for me to afford college, considering that I’m actually getting money.”
These scholarships were mainly financial aid dependent, so they are based on your family’s income. The college and career counselor Brooke Prestige has resources about financial aid and scholarships that are financial dependent. For example; Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA is financial aid that is funding for students attending a post secondary education institution in the United States.
“One of my top tips for anybody that is looking at colleges is to fill out the FAFSA,” Becker said.
Another way you can get scholarships is based on your family experiences. For example, if you had a grandparent in the military, or if you’re a first generation in your family to attend college, students can talk to Prestige. She has information about resources and ways to find scholarship opportunities. When beginning the application process don’t wait too long to start applying. The earlier the better because more things will be available.
“I absolutely would have started earlier,” Becker said. “Personally I didn’t know what college I wanted to go to. So, I would have started looking for sources and options earlier.”
Another North alumni, Jordan Bryson, graduated from North in 2013. Bryson received the A+ Scholarship, a widely offered scholarship to students in Missouri who meet a set of requirements. The A+ Scholarship gives students two free years of community college or state college in Missouri. Covering your entire tuition, only leaving the cost of books.
“A+ completely covered my associate’s degree,” Bryson said. “It was an incredible weight off of my family’s shoulder to have my tuition completely covered.”
Bryson found out about the A+ Scholarship in her senior year. She knew immediately the gravity of having two free years of college. Looking back now, Bryson still thinks the A+ Scholarship was a huge help for her.
“Without a doubt I would recommend this to others,” Bryson said. “Even for those who have really great GPAs and involvement in sports or other activities that would provide avenues for scholarships, you never know what you’re going to end up getting with scholarships. But with the A+ program you’re getting a free associate’s degree period.”
As a junior or senior applying to colleges, scholarships can help out with the future. There are many scholarships available for anything – whether it’s athletic, academic, or performance related. Past these types of scholarships, there are many more that can be received that just require an essay or a project. Whatever the scholarship, they are beneficial in the long run.
“[It’s about] getting a degree and wanting to better yourself,” Bryson said. “But ensuring that the debt you could graduate with isn’t going to hold you back [is helpful].”
Your donation will support the student journalists of Francis Howell North High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.