scholarship essay outline

scholarship essay outline

The Importance of Scholarships in Higher Education

1. Introduction

The rising of college tuition has made it increasingly harder for students to afford an education. Because of this, many students are denied the opportunity to attend college and better their future. While work-study programs do provide a source of income for students that are in financial need, they only provide a portion of the tuition. The failure of working job still leaves the student short on the money they need to provide for a college tuition. The fall back on student loan programs does not meet the need for the result of the repayment for the loans and the interest rates. This is where a scholarship plays its role. A scholarship is a financial award provided to students who are entering or currently enrolled in higher education. Scholarships are a solution to the rising cost in tuition for students. By providing free money that can cover full or a portion of the tuition, students are allowed an opportunity to attend college and the rate of need for the student loans is decreased. Attending college with little or no debt has a positive effect on the future of the students.

2. Financial Benefits of Scholarships

Scholarships are not only given to students who are in great financial need or on the brink of dropping out due to financial circumstances. There are a number of scholarships which are open to all students and can include a cash award. This free money could give a student the chance to attend college who would otherwise not be able to. For example, the state of Michigan gives scholarship money to students who achieve a certain grade point average and score well on a standardized test (Meredith 1). This scholarship ranges from $500 to $16,000 and the student receives more money if they perform better in school or score higher on the test. The student can use the money for tuition, books, room and board, or even a few cold ones on a Friday night. The possibility to receive money will benefit the student by providing them with the opportunity to reduce personal debt incurred from student loans. Current research shows that 60% of students who have debt do not feel that their college education was worth the amount of debt they took (Weiss 1). With an attitude like that, it is possible that college enrollment will decrease. Debt can also have an adverse effect on student academic performance. Results of a telephone survey conducted with 1,000 current and former students by USA Funds, a non-profit federal loan guarantor, suggests that college students are not doing all they can to reduce their debt. Twenty-nine percent of those polled had taken out consumer loans and 9 percent had credit card balances of $3,000 or more. Financial aid administrators report that an increasing number of students are using student loan money to pay off credit cards (McDaniel 1). This situation could result in creditworthy students being denied further student loans because they are delinquent in their debt payment. If student loan default rates increase, it is possible that the federal government will reduce funding for student loans, making it harder to obtain a student loan in the future. So it is evident that scholarships can be very beneficial for students from both the psychological and financial point of view.

3. Academic Achievements and Scholarships

Scholarships are a very important part of a student’s education. A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual student for the purpose of furthering their education. Scholarships are no longer just a bonus; they are vital to many students’ academic success. Sometimes the difference in going to college and getting a degree and not is whether or not a student has a scholarship. With the increase in the costs of education, a scholarship can mean the difference in taking out student loans and being debt-free in the future. This would leave the student in a much better financial position post-graduation. Student loans often become a financial burden before many students even graduate. Providing financial aid for education all the way through scholarships allows students to better their future with less financial burden. There are a variety of different types of scholarships available. Some scholarships are merit-based and others are based on financial need. Many scholarships are geared toward specific groups of people; there are scholarships for women or minority groups. Different qualification requirements most scholarships make it easy for anyone to be eligible for a type of financial aid. Given the variety of scholarships available, there is generally a scholarship for everyone. This makes it easy for all students to benefit from a scholarship.

4. Scholarships and Personal Growth

Undergraduate students who are engaged in learning may have little structured time for study at an advanced level. However, the learning process is continuous, and this is where scholarship can play a key role. High marks in your education degree indicate that a student is purposeful, and scholarship is a means to further that purpose. By creating a criterion of academic achievement, scholarship is an incentive for students to devote a defined amount of time into studies, increase the level of their learning, and to come away with concrete evidence of what they are capable of. In turn, this will result in added knowledge and a better understanding of the subject at hand.

While scholarships are a fantastic way of providing financial aid to students in need, and a way for students with higher academic standing to attend schools that may have been previously out of their reach financially, scholarships are much more than an award of financial aid. Scholars and professors have a different definition of the term scholarship. For them, scholarship is quite broad, defined by the following: the academic study or achievement; learning of a high level. In this sense, scholarship provides what is essentially a foundation for education done at a higher level. All education aims to increase knowledge and to some extent further enlightenment, but higher education, be it undergraduate or graduate studies, attempts to do this at an advanced level in a specific area. Scholarship provides the fuel for this intellectual process.

Mention the word scholarship, and most people automatically think of student financial aid. Sometimes this is the only way a student will be able to complete a higher education degree. In some cases, a scholarship is a one-time financial gift, a “scholarship award”, which must be used for education. Sometimes a scholarship is paid out in installments. The student might get the money directly as a tuition waiver, or it might go to the school. In this case, the student usually gets the money by reimbursement via institutional check at the beginning of a semester. Any way it is paid, there are and will continue to be students in need, and scholarships that are available to help these students.

5. Conclusion

Scholarships are the best way a student can ensure their education is continuing, as it is the bridge connecting the present and the future. If given the right opportunity and the right financial aid, a student might even go on to become a world-renowned doctor or someone who finds the cure for cancer. If this potential talent is lost due to limited finances, it does not bode well for the future. There will be no progress, and the world will stop moving. A scholarship can make a big difference in how much students take out in loans because they are designed to help students further their education. Scholarships of any amount can lessen the financial burden on a student. By providing the opportunity to avoid large student loans, students can graduate and begin their careers without the burden of excessive debt. Often, students are forced to take out loans to pay for college and the work of it all, affecting all of them in a life-changing way. Many students work through college with no success. At times, it is difficult to balance work and not falling behind in classes. This is why by providing scholarships for working students, an easier path to degree completion can be achieved. With a lessened financial burden, students can maintain a more focused coursework. All the students who are willing to apply for a scholarship should show dedication to their college, as nowadays it is a requirement for all students going to have a higher education. It is a great way of showing dedication and standing out from the rest. Scholarships also help in simplifying the process of a student reaching their academic goals. The essence of a scholarship is student and quality education.