The Education Foundation is a program that provides students with scholarship opportunities that are not excelling in school or cannot afford college after high school. Leigh Anne Albertini, the scholarship program manager of the Education Foundation, helped to create a scholarship opportunity for seniors starting on November 1, 2023. Osceola County seniors can apply online for a scholarship between $500 and $18,000 towards college. Keep in mind, scholarships take time to process and fill up quickly. The application should be submitted early, as soon as the window opens, for a chance to adjust and review your resume before the application is closed. If seniors wait until the day of applying, they will not have time to complete the additional items they may be required to give. “An additional item could be an extra essay, a recommendation, or just a few extra questions,” said Albertini.

     Ms. Albertini also shared why scholarships are so important, she shared “college is very expensive, and many students take out loans to pay for school. Scholarships will help pay for these costs so students will not have to take out as many student loans, meaning that when students first enter college, they wouldn’t have to worry about paying for things like books, tuition, housing, and more."

     Ms. O’Dell, college and career counselor at SCHS, agrees with Ms. Albertini. She stated, “everyone could use a little extra money.” She understands that getting money for college can be quite difficult these days, so she advises the seniors to apply for many and various scholarships. Even if the scholarships aren’t used for college, it can be put towards personal use, such as food or shelter, Ms. O'Dell explained. So seniors, on November 1st, visit the Education Foundation scholarship program website and apply for your chance to win a scholarship. Good luck!

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