As seniors’ final highschool days approach, the time has come for them to find a new school to call home. It may be a struggle for some people, and it could cause many seniors immense amounts of stress even thinking about it. Well, the good news is seniors are not alone. Many resources have been put out to help seniors with college applications and housing, which is publicly available and easily accessible.

The primary way many seniors will be applying to schools is through Common App, many students will use this easy and universal application system to apply to college. They currently offer a direct admissions option for students who don’t have their eyes dead set on a college. The direct admissions will pick schools that you fit the criteria for and offer you a free fee waiver for those schools. You may also contact your counselor to see if you can receive a fee waiver from the school. So, if money is tight for a college application, look into finding a direct admissions school. To receive a fee waiver from your school or college you may have to receive reduced lunch or your family has to be within a certain criteria depending on the total income. Money is usually the big limiting factor for students who are looking to go to college. Applying for your FAFSA will be a great help and will provide you with a loan that will allow you to attend a good college. FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, will enable high school students to receive funding for any school they want to attend. Even if you don’t think you will qualify for Financial Aid, it is always good to apply.
Scholarships are an incredible way to reduce costs for students going to college. HOPE is a scholarship many students can receive based on their performance throughout their high school careers. Additionally, if you don’t get this out of high school you can get it by displaying quality performance in college keeping over a 3.0 GPA.  Applying for as many scholarships as possible will help you in the long run and will reduce your costs significantly. You may also be able to find scholarships through family or friends. Many jobs will offer scholarships to employees’ kids. If a family member was in the military, you may also be able to get a military scholarship through them. According to Senior, Briley Buchanan, said  “Yes, I’ve applied to three. They were for my father’s work, and they weren’t hard to find because he told me about them.”  She found scholarships through one of her parents. This could make the scholarship application process much more manageable. Finding scholarships is as easy as visiting your GAFutures account and looking for the scholarship search function. This will match you up with scholarships that match your settings on your account. It will provide you with current deadlines and more information on applying for certain scholarships. Go to gafutures.com and log in to your current account to check the potential scholarships that may be offered to you.

Scholarships may apply to other parts of your college experience. Housing is a large part of your college experience if you wish to live on campus. The price of housing can make or break a student’s college decision. If a student can afford to stay at home, then that should be a priority. If you can’t, you will be forced to live on campus or in the surrounding area. A lot of scholarships can also be credited towards your housing on campus. Keep in mind that if you live on campus, you must pay for a meal plan.

Try your hardest to apply as soon as possible. Students who apply early are eligible for early admission. Even if the school you are applying for does not offer early admission, it is still always good to apply early. Even if you have no plans to go to college, it is always recommended to apply to colleges in case your interests change towards the end of the school year. Good luck in finding your home for the next four years, Colonels!