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10th & 11th Guide: Funding Your Future

The good news is, it's never too early to start thinking about scholarships! While many scholarships are geared towards seniors, there are things you can do now as an underclassman to put yourself in a strong position for future funding.

Build a Strong Foundation (Academics & Activities)

Many scholarships consider your overall high school record. Focus on these areas now to enhance your future applications:

  • Maintain Strong Grades: Your academic performance is often a key factor for merit-based scholarships. Keep working hard in your classes!

  • Challenge Yourself: Take rigorous courses like AP, IB, or honors classes if they are available and you're ready for them. This shows colleges and scholarship committees you're committed to academic excellence.

  • Get Involved: Participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, sports, and community service. Leadership roles and consistent involvement demonstrate your interests and commitment.

  • Explore Your Interests: Try different activities to discover what you're passionate about. This can help you identify unique scholarships later on that align with your specific talents or interests.

Start Exploring & Getting Organized

While it's early for applying to most scholarships, you can begin to familiarize yourself with the process and resources.

  • Familiarize Yourself with Naviance: All scholarships sent directly to the Har-Ber High School Counseling Center are posted through Naviance. This will be your primary resource for local and school-specific scholarships in the future, as well as a powerful tool for national searches. You can explore the "Scholarship Search" under "Colleges" to see the types of scholarships available, even if you can't apply for all of them yet.

  • Understand College-Specific Scholarships: Many colleges and universities offer their own scholarships, often based on academic merit, specific majors, talents, or financial need. As you start to research potential colleges, take a look at their financial aid or admissions pages to see what institutional scholarships they offer. This will help you understand what they look for in applicants.

  • Begin a Scholarship "Wish List": As you explore, start a simple document or spreadsheet to note down scholarships you might be interested in for senior year. Include:

    • Scholarship Name & Website (if applicable)

    • General Eligibility (e.g., "for STEM majors," "community service focus")

    • Estimated Deadline (if known, keep in mind these can change year to year)

Scholarships You CAN Apply for as an underclassman!

Yes, there are scholarships available for underclassmen! These often recognize achievements, unique talents, or essays on specific topics. Don't overlook these opportunities:

  • Online Scholarship Search Engines: Many reputable online platforms allow you to create a profile and match you with scholarships you may be eligible for. While most are for seniors, some have broader eligibility:

    • Fastweb: A very popular and comprehensive scholarship database.

    • Scholarship.com: Another large database with a wide range of scholarships.

    • Appily: Offers scholarship matching and college search tools.

    • BigFuture by College Board:  From the creators of the SAT, this site has a robust scholarship search.

    • Niche: Provides a variety of scholarships, including unique and niche opportunities.

  • ​Contest & Essay Scholarships: Keep an eye out for scholarships that involve essays, creative projects, or competitions. These are often open to various grade levels, and might not always be tied to specific academic achievements.

  • Local Organizations & Community Groups: Don't overlook opportunities right here in our community! Some local businesses, civic organizations (like Rotary, Lions Club, Kiwanis), professional associations, religious groups, and parent-teacher organizations often offer scholarships to local students, and some may be open to underclassmen for specific programs or volunteer work.

  • Employer & Parent Organizations: Many employers offer scholarships to children of their employees. Ask your parents if their workplace has such programs. If you or your parents are members of unions, professional organizations, clubs, or associations, check if they offer scholarships. Some of these might have opportunities for underclassmen.

Prepare for Future Applications

Some aspects of scholarship applications require information that you can start gathering now.

  • Resume Building: Start compiling a list of all your extracurricular activities, volunteer work, awards, and any part-time jobs. Include dates of involvement and brief descriptions of your responsibilities and achievements. This will be invaluable when you need to fill out applications quickly in your senior year.

  • Identify Potential Recommenders: Think about teachers, counselors, coaches, or community leaders who know you well and could write strong letters of recommendation for you next year. Build good relationships now!

Standardized Tests (ACT)

Your scores on standardized tests like the ACT  can be a significant factor in many merit-based scholarships.

  • Plan Your Testing: You should have your desired ACT score *before* senior year if possible, as many scholarships and colleges have deadlines in the fall semester of senior year.  Research test dates and register at ACT.org.

  • Consider Taking it Multiple Times: It's common for students to take the ACT more than once. Often, taking the test multiple times can lead to an improved score, which can increase your eligibility for more scholarships and higher funding amounts from colleges. Focus on preparing between attempts to maximize your score.

  • Prepare Effectively: Utilize practice tests, study guides, and test preparation resources to improve your scores.

Employer & Parent Organizations

Understand Financial Aid Basics (for later!)

  • Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA): The FAFSA is a required part of the college process, and awards are based on financial need. Awards come in the form of loans (which must be repaid) and PELL grants (financial awards that do not have to be repaid).

  • Arkansas Department of Education (State Scholarships): These state scholarships, among others, can be found on the Arkansas Department of Education website: sams.adhe.edu.

    • Note: To apply for these state opportunities, you must have already completed your FAFSA.​

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