The second semester has begun, and for many, this marks another step closer to the end of the school year; however, for others, it means that college is rapidly approaching. One problem for students when deciding what university they want to attend is the price, but most people do not realize the variety of scholarships that are available to them, some of which even cover full tuition. 

“A lot of people do not have thousands of dollars lying around, yet with scholarships many students are able to get the financial support that they need to be able to go to the school of their dreams,” Kaya Paongo, senior, said.

A common misconception is that only seniors can apply for scholarships, but as long as three courses of science, literature, and math are completed, anyone can qualify. If some of those courses have not yet been taken, there are still scholarships available for students to apply for based on race, ethnicity, hobbies, and sports. 

“Having the opportunity of getting a scholarship has allowed me to attend school while doing something I love [baseball],” Jake Mantooth, sophomore at Brewton-Parker College, said.

Some popular scholarships include: Hope, Zell Miller, and Coca-Cola. These organizations give a large amount of money to students to help with tuition; however, it is required to have a high grade point average (GPA) and a good standardized test score. For students who may not meet those requirements, there are opportunities such as The Beinecke scholarship for arts, humanities, and social sciences.

“I do not have the best grades, so for the longest time I thought that I could not get a scholarship, but I started to do more research and found out about scholarships I could get for writing. It made me feel a lot better about my situation,” Derek McCullough, junior, said.

When thinking about the financial aspect of college, do not be discouraged. Instead, remember the various scholarships available to everyone, and consider contacting one of the counselors at Etowah for more information.