COLLEGE & POST-SECONDARY EXPLORATION
Scholarships Are Students’ First Choice for Aid Help: How Counselors Can Deliver
As counselors, you help students prepare for life after high school, a new challenge is emerging: navigating scholarships.
Recent research from Eduventures®, a division of Encoura®, shows that scholarship support is the number one area where high school juniors and seniors want help—even more than FAFSA guidance. This means your role in helping students understand, search for, and manage scholarships is critical.
Why Are Scholarships So Appealing for Students?
It’s no surprise—scholarships don’t need to be repaid and often recognize merit, talent, or life experiences. But beneath this appeal lies a layer of complexity:
- Many different sources: Scholarships may come from colleges, local organizations, state programs, or national competitions.
- Varying requirements: Essays, recommendation letters, portfolios, and eligibility criteria differ widely.
- Confusing fit questions: Students often ask, “Am I even eligible?” or “Will this scholarship work with my other awards?”
Figure 1: What Would Help Students Navigate the Financial Aid Process Better?
Figure 1.
Note: Students were able to make multiple selections, including an option for students to share that they were not planning on applying for financial aid (5% of students). If students shared they were not planning on applying for financial aid, they were unable to select multiple options.
Key Findings
- 63% of students said “Understanding my scholarship options” would help them most.
- FAFSA help ranked much lower, with 39% selecting “Video explaining how to fill out the FAFSA.”
Figure 2: Percent of Students Requesting Scholarship Support by Segment
Figure 2.
Across all student segments presented in Figure 2, the request for scholarship support was the most popular survey response. It shows how navigating scholarships is especially true for “Juniors” in high school (67% vs. 63% overall).
Key Findings
- Across all groups, scholarship support was the most-requested form of aid guidance.
- 67% of juniors requested scholarship help compared to 63% overall.
How You Can Meet the Need
1. Scholarship Search
- Provide curated lists of legitimate opportunities
- Introduce scholarship exploration in junior year, not just senior year.
2. Scholarship Support
- Offer essay-writing workshops and review sessions.
- Teach students how to keep a scholarship tracker for deadlines, documents, and award status.
3. Scholarship Synthesis
- Explain award stacking policies so students aren’t surprised if other aid changes.
- Walk through financial aid letters with students to show where scholarships fit in.
The Bottom Line
Scholarships capture attention and inspire students, but they can also create confusion. Research indicates that students want—and need—counselor support through every phase of the process: identifying opportunities, applying effectively, and interpreting their awards.
While scholarships often take the spotlight, FAFSA remains a cornerstone of college access. Yet, fewer students are asking for FAFSA help, suggesting a gap in awareness rather than a lack of need.
By integrating scholarship and financial aid education into counseling programs, educators can empower students to make informed, confident decisions. It’s not just about securing funding—it’s about helping students understand the full picture of college affordability and setting them up for long-term success.
How Encourage Can Help
Encourage is a free, student-friendly college and career planning tool that simplifies the scholarship search. With access to over 80,000 unique scholarships in one place, students can:
- See personalized matches based on their profile.
- Save scholarships they’re interested in to stay organized.
- Get information to demystify scholarships.
For counselors, Encourage provides an easy way to connect students with legitimate opportunities, reduce search overwhelm, and educate students about scholarships.
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