By aneesh chintala
Lebanon Trail High School
Money, Money, Money: Finding Scholarships
What are scholarships?
For those of you applying to college soon (juniors and seniors), you probably know that paying for college is quite... expensive. However, scholarships, which are usually monetary awards given to students to help pay for education, typically based on merit, need, or specific qualifications, and don't have to be repaid. They can help students pay for specific needs when it comes to paying for housing, food, classes, and more!
So how can they help?
For students who may struggle paying tuition or other areas of their college life, scholarships provide a gateway to lessen the burden of these heavy costs. They can support students without financial stress paving the way for potential opportunities.
Some helpful examples include:
Tuition Assistance: Scholarships can cover part or all of a student's tuition fees, making higher education more affordable.
Living Expenses: Some scholarships provide funds for housing, meals, and other living costs.
Textbooks and Materials: Scholarships can help pay for textbooks, laptops, and other school supplies, which can be expensive.
Study Abroad: Scholarships often cover international study programs, allowing students to experience education in other countries.
Specialized Programs: Scholarships targeted at specific fields (like STEM or the arts) support students pursuing their passions and encourage further expertise.
DECA inc. Scholarships
As a student organization, DECA has various examples of scholarships that can support members, alumni, and advisors! These scholarships range between the district, state, and international levels.
These DECA scholarships can be found on the DECA website for students to apply to.
There are various scholarships for members interested in several fields of business, finance, hospitality, administration, and entrepreneurship.
There are two scholarship programs with various scholarships within!
Corporate Scholarship Program
Harry Applegate Scholarship Program
To apply, log into your DECA student member portal, and complete the application found there!
Texas DECA Scholarships
Our chartered association of Texas offers our own Texas DECA Scholarships. “Texas DECA offers seven (7) $1,000 scholarships for the purpose of giving recognition and financial support to senior students who are official members of Texas DECA and intend to pursue a career in the area of business/marketing.”
For more information and the application information:
https://www.texasdeca.org/scholarships
Other Scholarship Sources
Whether you are a senior finishing up college applications, or a sophomore just starting our DECA journey, I highly recommend starting the search for scholarship opportunities! But you may not know where to start so here are a few resources to help you begin!
I would highly suggest applying to as many scholarships as possible–there’s tons of them available for students–in order to eventually lessen the costs for higher education.
How can I start?
The search for scholarships does not have to be tedious and complicated! An easy way is creating a spreadsheet of potential scholarships, their description, and the due date! It can be as simple as that. Finally, DO NOT WAIT, scholarships can be earned before senior year and most organizations that offer them will hold onto them until necessary. Therefore, the earlier the better so start your scholarship search now! With the right planning and effort, you're one step closer to securing funding for your education.