LF Educational Consulting scholarship program looks at the student profile and then locates scholarships, so the search is targeted and strategic. This approach saves students time and frustration. They are spending time on scholarship applications that they have a good chance of being awarded.

Scholarships are available for students of nearly every identity, interest area, professional aspiration and race. Most scholarship deadlines are in the spring, with many falling on March 1, so now is the time for high school seniors to search for awards.

Some scholarships, such as the National Merit Scholarship, are available to eligible students across the country. Others are local scholarships, available only to students living in the community. While national scholarships may boast a larger award amount, they are also much more competitive and experts often advise that students apply to both local and national awards.

To learn more about the often overlooked scholarships available in your own backyard, here are four steps your student can take to find and win local scholarships.

Ask Guidance Counselors About Local Scholarships

A student's school can be a wealth of information and a great jumping-off point in the search for local scholarship dollars.

The absolute first place to visit for local scholarships is your school counselor's office or the school's website Many local businesses truly want to help out students in their hometown and will approach the school counselor for getting the word out about their scholarship.

High school guidance counselors sometimes create a space in their office dedicated to scholarships, complete with a list of scholarships and deadlines.

Research Past Local Scholarships

Winning scholarships can take significant research and time.

one trick to doing this efficiently is to research past local scholarships and winners.

Contact the school's guidance office and ask to be emailed the senior awards night program from the previous year. You can get a list in advance of all of the local companies and organizations that are giving away money. Then the next question is who won last year, why did they win and who decides?

Once a student identifies last year's local businesses that may be offering college scholarships, she says it's time to determine who selects the scholarship winner – whether a school staff member or company employee – and reach out to that decision-maker.

 Existing Community Connections

Places of worship, the local chamber of commerce and local businesses are examples of where a student might start in their search for community-based scholarships.

By tapping into organizations and business where students already have connections, experts say, students may increase their chances of getting a scholarship. A parent's employer, for example, may offer an annual college scholarship.

Apply for Local Scholarships Strategically

Students should start with the most-local scholarships – like those open only to students attending a specific high school or in a certain club – before slowly expanding the search and widening the net.

Most public schools have scholarships from booster clubs, sports teams, alums, etc,. Then to look in their immediate local community (Rotary Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, Women's Club), slowly expanding the boundaries, surrounding communities, county, state, etc. The more local the scholarship, the better the percentages are to 'win' the scholarship because there are less students who qualify, and most qualifiers do not apply.

While some experts emphasize local scholarships, they say applying for a mixture of national and local scholarships is the best strategy.

We also tend to tell students to check for scholarships at large national retail chains or other known businesses, but it might make more sense to apply for local businesses (in addition), such as mom and pop restaurants, locally owned auto services or bookstores, local churches and other places or clubs where students have a local connection.

If high school seniors want to graduate, they have to complete a FAFSA in these states now.

According to a federal study released last year, there are many reasons why students don’t complete the FAFSA: a majority of families believe that they can cover the cost of school on their own or that they wouldn’t qualify for financial aid at all. On the converse side, sadly, many students either don’t know about the FAFSA or how to complete it. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and every high school senior that plans to attend college must submit the form in order to qualify for financial aid. Without it, students may get zero financial help, making college unaffordable. In recent years, the federal government has been working to make changes to the form and the process as a whole. It’s oftentimes seen as a daunting form, but technology and simplifying strategies by the U.S. Department of Education have allowed for greater ease and transparency when completing the FAFSA. This in turn is helping to set students and their parents up for success when filling out the form, making it easier to navigate, which will allow more students to qualify and have access to financial aid. However, these changes, for some states, are not enough. They want more students to fill out the FAFSA, more students to qualify for aid and more students to achieve the dream of attending college. As a result, they are making completing the FAFSA mandatory in order to graduate from high school. In 2018, Louisiana became the first state to pass a law requiring students to complete the FAFSA as a prerequisite for graduating from high school. As a result, Louisiana had a 78% FAFSA completion rate, which helped secure more financial aid for students across the state, according to a press release from the Louisiana Department of Education. Last year, Texas and Illinois both passed laws for FAFSA completion, becoming the second and third states to do so, according to CNBC. This is the first year that students from those states will be required to complete the form, which becomes available on October 1. CNBC reports that Michigan, Indiana, California and the District of Columbia are all considering similar laws.

Why are states beginning to require the FAFSA for high school graduation?

Long story short, FAFSA completion rates contribute to a trickle down college success rate. The more students that complete the FAFSA, the more that are awarded financial aid. The more students that are awarded financial aid, the greater their chances of completing college. The more students that complete college, the more economic, career and personal growth.

Does making the FAFSA a requirement really help?

Yes – and no. Louisiana proves that with a requirement in place, more students will fill out the FAFSA. However, Louisiana did more than just make completing the FAFSA a prerequisite for high school graduation. According to Inside Higher Ed, there was a “multipronged approach to FAFSA completion.” An organization worked one-on-one with students and their families to help them with the form. They also left automated phone messages for parents to encourage them to complete the FAFSA. Finally, Louisiana offered vouchers for high school graduation caps and gowns to students that met the requirement. Ultimately, the FASFA completion and requirement went beyond just filling out the FAFSA. Louisiana worked with students to make sense of financial aid packages, which helped students decide on a college that was financially responsible in the long run.

Does every student have to complete the FAFSA?

Absolutely not. These states recognize that not everyone makes the choice to attend college. Many students choose to start their career right away, while others opt for a future in the military. Whatever the case, those students can file a waiver with the help of their high school guidance counselor to be exempt from having to complete the FAFSA. With the waiver, they will still meet all of the requirements for graduating from high school. Given the success in Louisiana last year, more students can expect their states to jump on the FAFSA completion bandwagon. Likewise, Senators in Congress have packaged a streamlined FAFSA application process into the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, as reported by Inside Higher Ed. Whatever comes first, students can anticipate more FAFSA changes soon.

How can students maximize their financial aid packages?

As stated earlier, the FAFSA application becomes available on October 1. Students and their parents should work toward completing the form as soon as possible after its release because many states award financial aid on a first-come, first-serve basis. States also have their own FAFSA deadline – as opposed to the federal deadline on June 30. Students that have questions while filling out the FAFSA should reach out to get help. The U.S. Department of Education has a FAFSA Help Center that answers common questions. FormYourFuture.org also has a list of helpful resources for students as they fill out their application, including a list of local FAFSA help events. Finally, the FAFSA uses data from the prior prior year in order to determine how much a family can pay toward college, which is how financial aid packages are figured. However, families may experience drastic changes to their financial circumstances between the prior prior year and enrollment. If a parent experiences job loss or a family member falls severely ill, those circumstances are big enough to merit a change in the financial aid package. In order to make that happen, students must request a professional judgment from their financial aid office. This will require students to submit evidence of the changes, but the process is worth it. Whether or not states require students to complete the FAFSA in order to graduate, it is imperative that every student fill out the form. Again, it is the only way to qualify for financial aid – whether that be grants, work study or federal student loans. So mark your calendar for October 1, and get ready to submit your FASFA for the 2021 – 22 academic school year. By  Kathryn Knight Randolph

In light of cancellations for many spring and summer ACT and SAT exams because of COVID-19, a number of colleges have decided to shift to a test-optional admissions process for the 2020-21 admissions cycle.

Limited testing availability for both the ACT and SAT this fall, and the decision to not move forward with at-home testing, has forced colleges and universities across the US to suspend the requirement for SAT or ACT scores as part of the admissions process. FairTest.orgis reporting that nearly half of all four-year colleges and universities in the US have gone test-optional for the fall. Now that all Ivy Leagues and Stanford have moved to test-optional for the 2020-21 admissions cycle, students can expect most colleges and universities in the US to do the same.

Currently, over 400 colleges and universities have said that students will not be penalized for the absence of SAT or ACT scores with their applications this fall.

However, some schools have made it clear that they still value these scores in some capacity, so they are encouraging students to submit them if they already have them. Other schools, like Princeton, are giving students more time to get their applications together (including test scores if possible) by eliminating the early application round and accepting applications only in the regular round. US News and World Report have also announced it will rank test-blind colleges, giving more flexibility to schools that have decided not to accept test scores at all this year.

Curious if any of the colleges on your good-fit list are making the move to a test-optional application this 2020-21 admissions cycle. See below:

While there have been significant changes to the college search and application process due to COVID-19, it is possible to feel confident about your applications by doing your research and preparing accordingly. If you are in the midst of your college search and looking for expert guidance, We can offer support and guidance in these challenging times.

It’s almost time to fill out college applications, wait, but even before that, students need to write their supplemental essays and the angst-producing Great American stresser, the Common Application essay. Starting to brainstorm essay topics and create first drafts of essays is an excellent way for rising seniors to spend their unexpected “gift” of time. Using your summer to get ahead with test prep, college essays, and applications, and summer reading will make you feel more confident this fall.

Let’s start the process with a comfortable, yet momentous act: go to www.commonapp.org and set up your account. You can begin your data input anytime and fill in as much as you can. Take notes on information that you need to confirm, such as the number in your high school graduating class, your test scores, and the name of the colleges your parents attended. But it’s really all about the essays.

As you begin to think about your Common App essay, however, be sure to read these prompts carefully and take time to brainstorm how you might answer each question effectively. Before you commit to a specific prompt, consider the key points you want to convey to an admissions committee and how each prompt would allow you to craft a compelling narrative that complements the rest of your application materials.

Common App has announced that the 2020-2021 essay prompts

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.