Though PV offered a record number of over 50 scholarships last year, Pleasant Valley students did not utilize this opportunity to apply for more scholarships.
While students across the US are able to apply for both scholarships within their school and national scholarships offered by various resources, Pleasant Valley holds many opportunities within its own walls. However, in recent years, scholarship applications have declined.
The lack of scholarship application could be due to the fact that students are not made aware of the abundance of scholarships available at Pleasant Valley. Senior Anthony Cox did not recall hearing about scholarships he could apply for in the following year. “We don’t have classes that talk about scholarships for next year,” he said. “The only reason I knew was because of a parent meeting that my mom went to.”
The lack of applications could also be due to the fact that students anticipate receiving scholarship money from colleges as a result of aspects like their GPA, sports performances or involvement in music. While the average student can expect to receive anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 in scholarships for a variety of activities, students at Pleasant Valley still have a large margin for opportunity within their high school.
“I know I’ll get a scholarship for my GPA,” said senior Peyton Wiesbeck. “There’s really no point in applying for more.” However, last year Pleasant Valley had several scholarships for which there were zero applicants, guaranteeing that if even one student had applied, they would have received scholarship money in some form.
Additionally, Pleasant Valley High School attempts to showcase its scholarship opportunities at several parent meetings throughout the school year. While students do not receive information regarding these opportunities in class, their parents get several chances to be made aware of the tools their children can utilize in order to be successful beyond high school.
While students at Pleasant Valley have not utilized their resources fully in years past, with the help of encouragement from staff at meetings throughout the school year, students can become more aware of the opportunities available to them and how they can benefit from them.
