How can I help?

Encouraging qualified residents to apply for scholarships involves a mix of motivation, guidance, and support. Here are some tips for offering all of those.

Educate About Opportunities

Informational Sessions: Host workshops or informational sessions to educate seniors about the availability of scholarships specifically for older adults. You could partner with a counselor at the local high school to provide this.

Success Stories: Share stories of other seniors who have successfully applied for and received scholarships. If you have any personal connections share them!

Simplify the Process

Step-by-Step Guides: Provide clear, step-by-step instructions on how to find and apply for scholarships.

Application Assistance: Offer one-on-one assistance or drop-in sessions to help seniors with the application process. This would be a huge service to your residents. Again, if you have connections to the local high school see if a counselor could come and assist on this.

Highlight the Benefits

Financial Aid: Emphasize the financial benefits of scholarships in reducing the cost of further education or vocational training. There are so many scholarships out there- organizations are willing to give money for people to further their education!

Personal Growth: Discuss the personal and professional growth opportunities that come with further education and this doesn’t have to be college. Trade schools are also excellent choices for continuing education.

Build Confidence

Encouragement: Offer positive reinforcement and remind them that it’s never too late to pursue new opportunities. Check in with residents and see how they are doing on their applications. Remind them about the due date and how you can help them.

Support Networks: Create peer support groups where seniors can share experiences and tips. Have a scholarship application session where they could all come at one time to work on applications. They could brainstorm and encourage each other. Also see if some of the adults on property would be willing to be mentors.

Utilize technology

Online Resources: Teach seniors how to use the internet to search for scholarships and complete applications. Here are some of my recommended sites:

Digital Literacy Workshops: Provide workshops on basic computer skills to make the online application process less daunting. You could partner with your local library or school to offer this workshop.

Regular Communication

Newsletters: Include information about scholarship opportunities in community newsletters or bulletins.

Email/Text Updates: Send regular email or text updates with new scholarship opportunities and deadlines.

Connect with Community Resources

Local Libraries and Community Centers: Partner with local libraries, community centers, and senior organizations to disseminate information and provide application assistance.

Educational Institutions: Collaborate with local colleges and universities that may have specific scholarships for seniors.