With the cost of college raising 296 percent from 1995 to 2015, students have to find ways to pay for their education. However, seniors have the opportunity to lessen their expenses by applying for an Assist-a-grad Scholarship.

Applications are due March 30. Twenty-five scholarships of varying amounts are available.

On the school website, students will find the catalog, application and the official timeline. Applications must be printed and turned into the College and Career Center.

“I am applying for a variety of scholarships including the Nancy Archibald D.D.S. Health and Science Scholarship and Allegiant Giving Scholarship for Tomorrow’s Leaders. I believe Assist-a-grad is pertinent to all seniors who need financial aid with college. It is a great program that allows you to really showcase who you are to the scholarship committee. My advice would be to start as early as possible,” Danny Liu said.

Students are encouraged to apply for the scholarships available, but they will be limited on how many they can receive. This is due to the “share the wealth” philosophy that will allow as many students as possible to earn money.

“I’m applying because the cost of going to college is expensive, and even though the scholarships are obviously not going to cover the cost of tuition, it would be short-sighted of me to not take advantage of every opportunity to cover any costs. Any kind of money is really, really helpful!” Kourtney Nham said.

Those who apply have the ability to receive any amount between $500 and $1,500.

“Students should apply because Assist-a-grad is only for our seniors here at Whitney, so it’s only competitive against your own classmates,” Mrs. Randazzo said.

Of the 25 scholarships available, 19 require an additional supplement, such as a letter of recommendation or essay.

Seven of the scholarships require an interview. Students who qualify for an interview must show up at the designated time and place, or they will no longer be considered. Scholarship interviews are May 2 and 3 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

by BRITNEY FLINT and MADDIE PAPENFUSS