Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department shares information about the College Board Opportunity Scholarships

The Addison Trail Guidance Department is committed to guiding students through the college application process and helping them find financial support to achieve their post-secondary education goals.

As part of that focus, the department shares information about Opportunity Scholarships, a scholarship program offered by the College Board to members of the class of 2020 and 2021. The program guides students through the college planning process and offers them a chance to earn money for college with each action they complete (there are a total of six actions).

If all six actions are completed, the student also has an opportunity to be eligible for a $40,000 Complete Your Journey scholarship. There are no income or citizenship status requirements. The program will open to members of the class of 2022 in late 2020. For more information and details, go to www.cb.org/opportunity.

Here are the steps to complete:

  • Build your college list: Potential to receive a $500 scholarship
  • Practice for the SAT: Potential to receive a $1,000 scholarship
  • Improve your score: Potential to receive a $2,000 scholarship
  • Strengthen your college list: Potential to receive a $500 scholarship
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form: Potential to receive a $1,000 scholarship
  • Apply to colleges: Potential to receive a $1,000 scholarship

*Complete all six steps to be eligible for a $40,000 Complete Your Journey scholarship.

Other scholarship opportunities
With the cost of college increasing, the Guidance Department provides information about scholarships, which can help relieve the financial burden. There is quite an array of scholarships available, so there is something for everyone. Many scholarships are based on merit, but there also are some based on ethnicity, gender, volunteer work, future education plans, financial status and other factors.

Students can search and apply for scholarships through multiple avenues, including:

  • The financial aid page of the colleges/universities to which they apply
  • Student’s or parent’s employer (many companies offer scholarships for children of their employees)
  • National scholarship search sites such as www.fastweb.com, www.Scholarships.com and www.collegegreenlight.com
  • A large focus at Addison Trail is local scholarships, and students are encouraged to apply for these offerings before national scholarships because of the lower rate of competition. There are many businesses and organizations throughout DuPage County that offer scholarships for students. A monthly Scholarship Bulletin can be viewed on the Guidance Department website at http://dupage88.libguides.com/Guidance, and this list also is included in the monthly newsletter e-mailed to students from Guidance Counselor Ulises Ortiz.

For questions or more information about scholarship opportunities, contact Guidance Counselor Ulises Ortiz at uortiz@dupage88.net or 630-628-3325.