It’s a well-known fact that a college education is one of the largest expenses a family will have to bear. Tuition, room and board, books, dues and fees--college costs take a serious toll on a family’s bank account.

    So what are your options? Pay it outright? Rob a bank? Spend the rest of your life paying off student loans? These don’t sound too great. The good news is that hundreds of need and merit-based scholarships, as well as government grants, exist to help cushion the cost of your college education.

    Paint Branch College Career Coordinator Mrs. Murphy comments that "students should apply for every scholarship they find, no matter how small the award. Books can cost up to $500 per semester, so even relatively small awards can help."

    The first step any family that needs financial assistance should take is filling out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form, provided by the federal government, is used to determine a family’s expected contribution towards college expenses. The Feds take into account your family’s earned income, any investments your family has, and the number of dependents in your family – essentially children living at home until the age of 19 for working children, or until the age of 24 for full-time college students. After you fill out the form, the website will generate a number, like 17549, which represents the dollar amount the government expects you to pay for each child in college at the same time. A significant amount of tax information is required, so anyone filling out the FAFSA should make sure that the family’s taxes (including your own) are done before you hit "submit" so that the form is as accurate as possible.

    "The FAFSA enables schools to look at admitted students to see if they are eligible for need-based money," explains Mrs. Murphy. "The FAFSA information is also sent to the state of Maryland for any monies available for the same reason. Of course, you can only get Maryland money if you are attending a school in Maryland." Most colleges require that students seeking any kind of aid fill out the FAFSA.

    At colleges nationwide, including UMBC and UMD College Park, the application you send to gain admission to the college is the application they use to judge you for merit-based scholarships. Merit-based scholarships are monetary awards that are based on one’s achievement in areas ranging from academics to community service to artistic talent. Essentially, theses scholarships reward a student’s exceptional work. Mrs. Murphy notes, however, that even though these scholarships are not based on financial need, "many times for merit-based scholarships, students are asked to complete a FAFSA even though that is not the basis for the scholarship."

    Almost all merit scholarships require an essay. "You should do everything in your power to write the best essay you can," adds Mrs. Murphy. "You then should have it checked by one of the English teachers to make sure you have addressed the topic and used correct grammar. Students should never depend on spell check for correct spelling. You should always have someone check your spelling."

        One of the most well-known of the high-achievement scholarships available is the National Merit Scholarship Corporation award. This scholarship is awarded to students who earn high scores on the NMSQT/PSAT in their junior year. Though a good score does not automatically earn you the scholarship, it does qualify you for it and places you in the next round of selection.

    Talent based scholarships are also available. Beyond the well-known sports scholarships, schools that have a visual art, theatre, or dance programs that require an audition almost always give scholarships to students who perform exceptionally. Certain scholarship companies, such as She’s The First, offer grants to students who write prolific poetry. A simple Google search for "writing scholarships" yields 36,300,000 results.

    Mrs. Murphy keeps a list of scholarships that are applicable to Paint Branch students on hand for students to look through. "The PBHS Educational Foundation Scholarship Program and the Burtonsville Lions Club Scholarship are available specifically for Paint Branch students. Since the applicant pool is so much smaller, students have a much greater chance of winning," she says.

    This list, as well as many of the applications for the scholarships, is available online or in the College Career Center. The list includes scholarships based on achievement, race, gender, and financial need. Not all scholarships are for seniors, so underclassmen are encouraged to apply. "We always have some scholarships that are open to underclassmen. Obviously, the majority are going to be targeting seniors," explains Mrs. Murphy