Scholarships available to help offset costs of attending college – Cleveland Jewish News
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Updated: July 30, 2025 @ 9:11 pm
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For those in need of assistance in paying for college, here’s a number to consider: 1.7 million.
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Niederkorn
Walter
Niederkorn
Walter
For those in need of assistance in paying for college, here’s a number to consider: 1.7 million.
That’s the number of college scholarships awarded every year.
Some of those 1.7 million scholarships are from the Lake County Music Education Association, which offers scholarships to high school seniors planning to major in music.
“Many years ago, the scholarship was limited to those planning to major in music education,” said Tim Niederkorn, scholarship chair of the LCMEA. “Over the years, the criteria have expanded to include any music major program.”
Niederkorn shared one particular instance when the LCMEA scholarship changed a student’s life:
“A Painesville Harvey graduate was planning to major in music education in clarinet,” Niederkorn recalled. “He had been playing on borrowed school-owned clarinets the entirety of his school band life. He did not have the financial resources to acquire an instrument of suitable quality for a clarinet major.
“In 2020, he was awarded $1,000 and used that money to purchase a clarinet suitable for a clarinet major. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University this past April with a bachelor’s degree in music education and a 3.85 GPA.”
In April, three Lake County high school senior musicians planning to major in music received scholarships.
They were: Cheyenne Brooks and Bryce Nagel, a student of Scott Sell and Devra Levine at Eastlake North High School, who was accepted at Cleveland State University as a music education major, and Jonathan Kacsala, a student of Elizabeth Singer at Perry High School, whon was been accepted at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., as a music therapy major.
There are countless stories like that one when it comes to support through college scholarships. Kimberly Walter, executive director of Huntington Learning Center, shared some of her hints for college-bound students. First, Walter classified the types of scholarships available:
• Merit-based scholarships, awarded for academic achievement, leadership or special talents.
• Athletic scholarships, typically tied to college athletic programs.
• Identity- or background-based scholarships, such as those for underrepresented groups or first-generation college students.
• Field-specific scholarships, which support students entering particular career paths like health care, education, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To mine through the available scholarships, Walter said the first task should be to start with studentaid.gov.
“This is where where families can complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and explore federal grants, loans, and work-study options,” Walter said. “Reputable scholarship search engines like Fastweb, Scholarships.com and Going Merry are also valuable tools for identifying national opportunities. We also encourage families to explore local scholarship opportunities offered by community foundations, Rotary clubs, and employers. These awards often have fewer applicants and can be less competitive than national ones. Additionally, many colleges offer generous merit-based aid, so it’s important for families to review each school’s financial aid offerings directly.”
Walter said there are other, sometimes overlooked scholarship resources:
• Employer-sponsored scholarships for children of employees.
• Union, religious, or civic organization scholarships, which are often smaller but less competitive.
• State-specific grants, which may differ from federal programs.
• Scholarships connected to community service or career aspirations, such as those for future teachers or healthcare workers.
Walter added that there is one critical area where students can make themselves more attractive to scholarship committees:
“One of the most impactful strategies for accessing merit-based scholarships is through improved SAT or ACT scores,” Walter said.
Walter is on the board of directors for LEAF, a college and career planning organization that partners with local high schools. It is through LEAF that Walter has found some startling intel on scholarship applications.
“Many scholarships receive surprisingly few applications – and a significant number are incomplete or miss the mark due to poorly written essays or missing materials,” Walter said. “A strong, complete application can truly stand out.”
Steve Mark is a freelance journalist.
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