Now is the time of the year when seniors are stressing and cramming to get scholarships done. Scholarships are very important at this time, especially if you plan on going to a 2-year, 4-year or technical college. For those who do not know what a scholarship is or what it entails, it is defined as ‘a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement.’ At South High we have a Scholarship Committee, which consists of eight members who teach upper classmen as well as administration. The committee members choose about 15 scholarships for SHS students and the rest are from outside donors. These outside donors sit down with the board members and tell scholarship board what they are looking for. Scholarships can take a while to fill out depending on the criteria needed for the person giving out the scholarship. Typically scholarships ask you for an essay, a high school transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, accomplishments earned, sports, community work and a little bit about yourself. Most scholarships can take a great deal of time, but if you do end up receiving a scholarship, the rewards are definitely worth it. Scholarships give you total bragging rights, as you are competing against your classmates. Mr. Kevin Heling, chairman of the Scholarship Committee, had much to say about the process and what it entails for the committee members Mr. Heling stated, “The most important thing is to sell yourself… sort of like a used car, there are 227 used cars in the senior class and you have to get donors to not only kick your tires but also to test drive you, and ultimately drive you!” There are many errors that students commonly attempt when it comes to filling out scholarship applications. A common error that students seem to make is handwriting scholarships in pen or pencil, which is not considered appropriate and will not be accepted if it is not done properly. Most if not all scholarships, ask you to type it right on the application. Another common mistake Mr. Heling found was that students got the Local Scholarship and the S.P.E.F scholarship criteria confused. It is important to know the difference when it comes to what each scholarship requires, such as letters of recommendation and essays. One of the last common errors that Heling found was that the essays that some students turned in were limited and did not follow the rubric, which in the end hurt them. How should students go about doing this? Not only is it important to really sell yourself, but Heling adds, “You should have a thorough application which means having an essay that really stands out and sells you.” Overall, scholarships are an important factor when it comes to moving onto college to get money. Seniors have been and will be going through crunch time until April to make sure they have completed everything that their scholarships consists of. The process may be time consuming, but what other way can you earn lots of money for your advancement based on your accomplishments and achievements. Good luck to all, and be sure to watch your deadlines seniors!! Story by McKenzie Noltner