Dec 12, 2024
(Editorial – Graphic Illustration – MetroCreativeConnection)
There’s been plenty of talk in the last few years about the cost of a college education, and the debt many students incur to fulfill their higher education dreams. Oddly, at the same time some scholarship-granting entities report they are seeing a decrease in the number of students applying for scholarships. For some, it is truly a problem of having money available and no one asking for it.
Parents, guardians, school counselors and anyone else encouraging students to pursue higher education for which they will have to pay should also be encouraging those students to seek out every scholarship opportunity available. Even if a potential awarded amount seems relatively small, students must remember every little bit helps — and sometimes a few of the “small” scholarships can add up to something big.
The search for any and every dollar that could fund further education is well worth the effort.
Fortunately, here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, there is an opportunity that does not require quite so much effort. Because of the generosity and forethought of donors to the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars available to high school seniors and college students. Last year, the foundation awarded 312 scholarships totaling $627,874.
Administering more than 150 scholarship funds, the foundation has come up with what it calls “a unique and easy opportunity for students to discover their eligibility for multiple scholarships.” It offers a single, consolidated application at pacfwv.com/scholarships/apply.
There is a catch of sorts. Most of the scholarships offered are restricted to residents of Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood counties in West Virginia, and Washington County, Ohio.
Students living in those counties must not waste the chance to apply, nor must they limit their search to what they find through the PACF. Look for other nonprofits, trade and industry groups, civic organizations and any other entity that aligns with planned study paths and careers. Do your research. Find money that’s just waiting to be handed out.
Those who believe it is easier to NOT seek as many scholarship opportunities as possible — perhaps instead opting to cover an education by going into debt — will likely find taking the easy way out could end being anything but.
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