Cash for college - Students become aware of financial options

By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian

More and more students entering college today are searching for extra money to help pay for their education.

With rising tuition costs, textbook fees and room and board, a college education can eat up a quarter of a low-income family's annual budget. And tuition is rising faster than parents can keep up.

Marilyn Pritchett of Cape Girardeau hopes that her daughter, now a freshman at Central High School, can earn a scholarship for college.

"It would help a great deal," Marilyn Pritchett said. "But it won't be a big factor for her to go to college."

Pritchett said she knows some parents who drill into their children the need for scholarships but she hasn't pressed her daughter, Danielle.

Pritchett said it would be nice if Danielle were to receive a scholarship, "but it's not going to stop her from going to college" if she doesn't.

A Google Web search using the word "scholarship" returned more than 3 million hits. So finding your way through the maze of available financial aid isn't easy.

But it's necessary for many students. Scholarships and financial aid lets some students enter college who might not have been able to otherwise.

Finding a scholarship was a serious goal for Becky Komorech of Cape Girardeau. The university freshman earned an academic scholarship to Southeast Missouri State University, which has helped pay for her education.

Komorech said her parents make enough money that they could support her education, but with two siblings things can get a little strained financially.

"Scholarships are kind of a mandatory thing," she said.

And more students are seeking scholarships to help fill in the gaps between what their families or they can afford and the cost of tuition. Komorech said her scholarship doesn't pay for everything because "we're just outside the range" of qualifying for federal financial aid.

About half the students at Jackson High School received scholarships last year, said counselor Melanie Duncan. The total awards were more than $1 million.

May is National Scholarship Month, a designation given by Scholarship America, which is a private scholarship support organization that hopes to raise awareness about the need for financial aid.

During May, many universities and schools will announce scholarship winners. Southeast Missouri State University has been announcing many of its awards to incoming freshmen in recent weeks.

But the key to earning scholarships is to start early, said Carole Smith, scholarship coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University.

While her desk seems to be covered in applications and paperwork now, much of the work began in December and January as students began to apply for early scholarships and federal financial aid. Now, Smith is verifying student information so that schools can be notified before graduation.

Students need to know that their grades as high school freshman can affect their chances for scholarships, particularly if they want to try for a National Merit Scholarship award, she said.

Smith said she couldn't determine if more students were applying for financial aid or if they were just more aware of the scholarships and awards available. Many of Southeast's scholarship applications -- for incoming and current students -- are posted online.

"They are more aware of the opportunities to go out and see what is offered," she said.

And reminders about deadlines and availability for program specific, endowed and sponsored scholarships are sent to faculty and staff, Smith said.

Students who complete a federal financial aid application also are eligible for grants, student loans and some statewide programs, Smith said.

Jackson High School offers financial aid seminars to parents and students throughout the year, answering questions and telling them what options are available, Duncan said.

The majority of students are trying to find "all the money they can to help pay for school," she said. Some students use the Internet to search for scholarships, others apply directly to colleges and some depend on local awards given by the school.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126

www.scholarshipamerica.org