Higher education is more costly than ever, which leads many students to seek out financial aid and scholarships. But it can be challenging to know where to look.
That’s why the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce is hosting a community scholarship fair this Saturday. Sara Hondel is the chamber’s tourism and education manager.
“Students can explore numerous scholarships from different organizations all in one place, which enhances spending opportunities for them,” Hondel said. “They also have the ability to have direct access to providers.”
The chamber held its first scholarship fair last year after noticing a decline in students applying for their scholarships. Hondel says other local organizations saw similar declines.
This year’s fair will spotlight about 15 organizations that offer scholarships.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District participated last year and saw more students applying to their scholarships — so they’re back this year.
“Being able to have those individual conversations and say ‘What are you interested in?’ and then be able to point them in the right direction to scholarships that were available was a great benefit,” said Annaleah Karron, the school district’s college and career readiness coordinator.
Karron says the fair can be a great help to parents who may be out of the loop about local scholarship opportunities for their children, including students who want to go to technical and trade schools.
The Kenai Peninsula Chapter of Safari Club International will be at the fair, too. The group offers a $2,000 scholarship to seniors interested in wildlife conservation. Elaina Spraker, committee chair for the local chapter, says it’s open to students of all prospective majors.
“We just want to hear about their love of the outdoors, their passion for wildlife conservation and the environment, too,” Spraker said.
Spraker says the fair highlights the diversity of local scholarships.
“The students don’t realize how many scholarships and opportunities are out there,” Spraker said. “What the Soldotna Chamber has done a beautiful job of doing is putting it all in one room, so it’s at their fingertips.”
Hondel, from the chamber, says the fair also offers students one-on-one application guidance from participating organizations. She says last year, students were amazed by how many scholarships were out there.
“I know a lot of students sometimes feel like ‘Oh, only the same kids get the scholarships’ or ‘I have to have a 4.0 grade point average to even apply.’ Those are myths,” Hondel said.
Students who come to the fair and will be seeking higher education in the fall will be entered to win a $500 education grant. For those who can’t attend, the chamber will compile a list of local scholarships options.
The chamber’s community scholarship fair will be this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
