As seniors prepare themselves to go to college and close their admission applications, students must now find local methods to pay for their high-cost tuition. In efforts to help the student body, Downey High promotes the Local Scholarship Application, the application that is taken into consideration by local clubs and organizations in the community to grant money to aspiring college-freshmen. Local clubs like Kiwanis and the Downey Rotary Club sponsor students that embody leadership and excellence within their high school career. The amounts range from $50 to $2,000. They all have different requirements and can be based on GPA, financial need, college major, career choice, etc. There are scholarships for students going to 4-year colleges/universities and to 2-year community colleges.

Parents concerned with financial aid turned to the Local Scholarship event held at the auditorium. The event served as the “training wheels” for parents to learn how to support their cash-consuming students. They were taught how their children could apply their individual scholarships to each organization. The meeting also consisted of explaining the Grade Point Average verification form, which releases students’ GPA’s to the organizations they wish to receive money from.

Parents were also shown the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will benefit both financially ill and stable families. The application reviews the financial history of parents and students and grants money to the children through need-based financial aid. The schools students apply to will review the need and offer a percentage of the tuition granted.

Since tuition is approximately $10,000 in public schools and $30,000 in private schools, financial aid is the best solution. Whether it be from the local scholarships or the government grants and loans including FAFSA, students need money for their secondary education, and these methods are the most accessible ways of achieving college success without having to pay a fortune.