Every year many scholarships go to waste because students do not take advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of them. Many students do not believe applying for scholarships is worth their time.

?In general students lack the motivation to apply,? Jon Endicott, college counselor, said. ?The greatest challenge is the student who finds the time. I encourage students to take the time to apply.?

According to www.rspfunding.com/finaidinfo.html, 408 students were polled on how they pay for college. Out of those 408 students only 45 received money from the college and 63 received money from other organizations as scholarships.

?Fill scholarship applications out; it?s worth it!? April Fujihara, ?06, said. ?If you calculate all the hours you spend on filling out the applications and the money you receive, you would be amazed.?

Fujihara applied for six scholarships. She feels people improve their chances of paying for college through the application process, but they also have to toot their own horn a little as well.

?Sometimes colleges do not award scholarships to students coming from Christian high schools but sometimes they do,? Fujihara said. ?At Fresno Christian, it is such a small school that it allows me to be involved in many programs where as in huge public schools you can only commit to a few things. I think my involvement and experience looks really good on applications.?

Unlike Fujihara, many students do not feel the need to apply for scholarships because they feel they have enough resources to pay for college.

?I?m just going to a state school because my family can afford that,? Stephanie Morrison, ?06, said. ?There is no need for me to look for scholarships when I can already pay for college. I would rather leave them for the people who can?t.?

Although college and high school counselors encourage student to apply for scholarships, the time commitment per form seems daunting to many.

?Applying is very time consuming,? Endicott said. ?Expect to be discouraged because there are not always instant results. It is worthwhile but difficult to achieve.?

When taking the risk of applying for scholarships and putting time and effort into the forms, it is possible to receive financial aid to help pay for undergraduate education.

For more information on scholarships and the application process, visit www.rspfunding.com, www.fastweb.com and www.collegeboard.com.