Blue Valley North High School hosted the Scholarship and Financial Aid Workshop at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
The opening session was held in the Performing Arts Center.
Representatives from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Rockhurst University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Johnson County Community College were present.
All junior and senior students and their parents in the Blue Valley District were invited to attend.
“Every school has a Scholarship and Financial Aid coordinator,” counselor and Financial Aid coordinator Anne Dummit said. “We had a district counselor meeting and we all teamed up to organize the event. I had to contact a representative from a private school. I knew a representative at Rockhurst so it wasn’t too hard.”
Senior Alex Leatherman said she was unaware of the workshop until her counselor told her about it.
“I just need extra money, as much as I can get, for college next year,” she said. “I have already applied for a lot of scholarships through the school website, but I just want to see if there is anything else I can do.”
Starting Jan. 1, students must fill out the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for financial aid.
The goal of each session was to allow each student to understand the FAFSA and how financial aid and scholarships work.
Dummit said it is important to fill out the application with your parents because it asks about income and your financial situation.
If you are struggling to fill out the application, assistance will be given during College Goal Day on Feb. 24 from 2-4 p.m.
To find a location for the event nearest you, visit their website.
Dummit said to check your desired college’s website to find scholarship deadlines.
Leatherman will be attending Oklahoma State University (OSU) next fall.
Even though a representative from OSU was not present, she said the workshop was still worthwhile.
“My counselor said, ‘There is a representative from K-State who knows a lot about FAFSA in particular,’ so I think that will help me more than anything,” Leatherman said. “[Her counselor] said even though he isn’t through Oklahoma State, that he knows a lot about the program, and that’ll benefit me as well.”