There is an opportunity available for high schoolers from any grade — scholarships.

Whether the amount given is $1,000 or $10,000, an organization usually gives these scholarships to help a student pay off college expenses.

Local, state, national, and academic scholarships are available for students. There are even scholarships for students of a specific culture, race, and religion.

These scholarship competitions may ask students to create a collection of artwork, essays, or a community service project.

A certain rubric or criteria is usually provided since students are judged on talent, skill, or creativity. In some cases, the students may be chosen by a lottery.

With the wide availability of different scholarships, do students take this opportunity?

Eltzy Galindo, a WJPS senior, said, “I’m unsure about scholarships, whether I have the time to do them or if I have the chance to get them.”

Sasha Romero, a WJPS alumni from the Class of 2020, said, “I would definitely recommend to everyone in high school to apply to as many scholarships as possible.”

Romero also said, “I applied to the Excelsior [scholarship], and the advantages of applying to these scholarships is that it helps with the costs of college that many people may not be able to afford.”

There are multiple scholarships with specific deadlines all year-round, and there are websites that can match a student with a scholarship based on their interests or background.