Category: Scholarship

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Financial Aid: Making College Dreams Come True

Ahh, college: for many, it’s the starting place of living out the American dream. A place where “adulting” truly begins, goals are achieved, and degrees are earned. A place where many young adults go to to really figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Unfortunately, it’s also, for many, a place where debt is incurred. College dreams can quickly come crashing down as students face the reality of ramen noodles, mac & cheese, and plasma donations. The cost of attending college is no joke. 

It’s no secret that the cost of tuition has increased over the years, sometimes inflating faster and steeper than the cost of living. This means that student debt is rising, and it’s hard to keep up. The average yearly tuition for college in the 1960s hovered around $250 for a public college. Today, yearly tuition for a public college averages over $10,000. Yikes! Talk about an increase!

Even though the price is steep, colleges are still attracting students who are eager to learn and prepare for their future. Of the thousands of students enrolled in colleges across the country, there is a very small percentage that can pay for their tuition, books, fees, and living expenses from their own bank accounts. Because of this, students must rely on outside sources for funding. 

The world of financial aid can be a bit overwhelming to navigate. Today I’ll break it down and explain the different kinds of aid that are available to students who need help paying for college expenses. We’ll group them into two categories: those that require repayment and those that don’t. 

Financial Aid- Repayment Required

Loans: A student loan is money borrowed for the purpose of paying for the costs of attending college. Loans must be repaid, and typically include interest. Most student loans do not require payback to begin until after the student has graduated or otherwise stopped attending the college. Many loans meant for students have an option to do income-based repayment plans, where the monthly payment amount is determined by how much money the student is bringing in each month. 

Some loans will offer loan forgiveness if the student obtains a job in a specific career and maintains employment for a set period of time, while also making payments toward their loan balance during the duration of the years of work set by their loan terms. 

Financial Aid- No Repayment Required

Grants: Grants are most often based on financial need. The most common type of grant is a PELL Grant, offered by the government. Students qualify for this kind of grant if they fill out the necessary forms and are found to have the greatest financial need. There are usually stipulations attached to the grant, such as maintaining a certain GPA, attendance requirements, and so on. Students can apply for federal grants by filling out the FAFSA form that can be found here.

Grants can also come through other government agencies such as Department of Workforce Services, State Offices of Rehabilitation, and Veteran’s Affairs Office of Education and Employment. Funds that come from these agencies are typically reserved for persons with disabilities or some other hardship that would otherwise prevent them from attending school and finding meaningful employment. Funding for tuition through these avenues would need to be obtained via working with a vocational counselor at each specific agency. 

Scholarships: This type of financial aid does not have to be repaid, and is awarded to students based on various things. Scholarships can be given for just about anything, as long as there is a supporting person, group, or company that is awarding the funds. For example, our scholarship, the Honors Graduation Build A Better Future Scholarship is awarded to five outstanding high school seniors who design, plan, and execute a project that betters their community. Other scholarships are awarded for athletic prowess, while others are given for academic achievement. Others are awarded for writing an essay about why the number “5” is the best number, having red hair, writing an essay telling which superhero you’d want to change places with for a day and why, creating an award-winning greeting card design, or even writing an essay that makes the judges laugh. Simply put, there are scholarships for every kind of person out there— you just have to be willing to put in the work to find it!

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If college seems out of reach for you because of your financial situation, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that you qualify for PELL grants, loans, or obscure scholarships. If you are truly committed to making college your reality, don’t be afraid to put in some work and make it happen! You won’t regret it, and the experiences you have and the things you learn will shape you into an amazing person who will do amazing things!  

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2026 Build A Better Future Scholarship Dates

Attention all graduating seniors! Every year, Honors Graduation awards five seniors each with a $10,000 scholarship. Applicants must design and work on a community improvement project, using our checklist as a guide.

In previous years, we have seen some incredible projects, and we’re certain our 2026 applicants will do amazing things as well! If you need some inspiration or want to read more about our previous winners’ projects, you can find all of that by clicking here.

If you would like to read more about our scholarship, you can find all the details here. You can also find all of the application links, FAQs, and other details on this page.

For your reference, the deadlines are as follows:

Optional Strategy Feedback Form- due by March 9, 2026
Final Submission Form- due by April 13, 2026
Winners will be chosen by May 4, 2026

If you are a senior, you know a senior, or you teach/work with seniors, please spread the word! Share this blog post, and follow us on social media for updates and tips!

Facebook: HonorsGradU
Instagram: @honorsgradu

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Japteg Singh-Bamrah

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been spotlighting our 2025 Build A Better Future Scholarship recipients. Each of our winners worked hard to design and execute a project that bettered their community. Their determination, hard work, and perseverance was inspiring. You can read more about each of the projects here. 

Each year, we choose five projects that have been especially inspiring to receive a $10,000 scholarship. On top of that, one of those five projects is chosen as our top project, with the winner receiving an additional $5,000 grant to continue their project. This year’s top winner was Japteg Singh-Bamrah, whose project, The SolarMech Engine, aimed to help rural farmers obtain energy by harvesting the power of the sun, thus improving their livelihood and capacity to continue farming, even when the area’s power is out. 

Japteg is from Punjab, India, and recently moved here to the states. He will be attending Purdue University where he will be studying Robotics Engineering Technology. He loves science, and has been particularly drawn to physics. He finds great joy in building and creating, which he was able to use for his project. He said his favorite snack (and form of self-care) is a hot cup of noodles— which he likes to enjoy while sitting in a cold, dark room with Netflix on. 

The SolarMech Engine was born when Japteg was in 10th grade and was required to do a project that reflected his interests. His initial idea was to do something based around food and cooking, but after he spotted an old toy steam engine sitting on his bedroom shelf on night, his mind began to conjure up a new plan. He said, “If I had to describe it, I’d say the inspiration was like a tornado—many factors swirling together and creating something powerful. Just seeing [the steam engine] reminded me of how fascinated I used to be with moving mechanical parts and engines. That changed everything. I ditched the cooking idea and started researching different kinds of engines instead. As I read more, a new idea took shape in my mind: What if I could build an engine that used solar heat as its only fuel? It seemed like a crazy and ambitious idea at the time, but I felt so drawn to it that I decided to give it everything I had.”

Initially, the SolarMech Engine wasn’t designed with a particular need or demographic in mind; it was designed purely out of innovation and curiosity to see if it would actually work. However, it didn’t stay that way for long. He said, “Things changed when I switched schools after 10th grade… My new school was located in a more rural region, near the foothills of Badhani. That’s when everything started falling into place.
During my daily commute to and from school, I saw so many farmers using handpumps to draw water, old diesel-powered flour mills running in completely unhygienic conditions, and even in our school, the power supply was so unreliable that we had to rely on bulky, polluting diesel generators. I was seeing all of this every day, and it started to bother me more and more. That’s when it hit me—my engine could actually be useful here.
The SolarMech Engine, with its ability to generate both electricity and heat from solar energy, could be a game-changer for these communities. It could reduce their dependence on diesel, provide a cleaner way to run small-scale machines like flour mills, and even help with heating during the harsh winters in that area. And later, we even considered that the same engine could be used for cold storage applications, which would be very helpful for preserving harvested crops.
So yes, the connection to this demographic came after the idea was born, but once I saw the match between the two, I knew I had to pursue it.”

When Japteg first began bringing his idea to life, he didn’t have access to a lab, funding, or other materials he’d need. Rather than give up, he worked with what he did have access to: steel cans, balloons, and bicycle spokes. Japteg eventually realized that if he wanted to continue to push his project forward and create a useable machine, he would need funding and access to materials. His project paused for over a year, until he came across the Jigyasa EPIC Hackathon, which is a national-level innovation challenge put on by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Japteg was surprised when his project was chosen to be in the top 50 projects (out of over 1,500!). This gave him a confidence boost as well as access to the support he’d been needing to continue his project. 

He was paired with Dr. Nasir UI Rasheed at CSIR-IIIM Jammu, and the project took off from there. Now, with access to a research lab, funding from CSIR, as well as equipment needed to experiment with, Japteg was able to really push forward with his idea. About this, he said, “We tried five different engine configurations and three types of solar collector designs, testing them at various altitudes and temperatures. Eventually, we found that a vertical dual-piston, no-valve engine with a hexagonal center-cut collector plate gave the best performance.” In addition to Dr. Rasheed’s mentorship, Japteg’s mother, father, and brother were incredibly helpful and supportive. The project took first place in the Hackathon! You can read more about that here.

As with any project of this scale, there are bound to be setbacks. In addition to the initial lack of access to needed materials and funding, Japteg also experienced difficulty with time management, rejection from an engineering professor, and resistance from his mother when he first began his work. All of these problems were met with determination, and Japteg was able to work through them. 

One of the biggest concerns he faced was the fact that he was moving to the United States— he would need to find new support systems, teammates, and figure out where to gain lab access. Despite this challenge, Japteg is determined to continue his work on the SolarMech Engine while at Purdue. He is hoping to use resources available at the university as well as to gain the support and help of like-minded peers and professors. His goal is to move from a model to a field-deployable machine, and he has every plan to make that happen! 

Since the project is still in the works, it has not yet been deployed on a large scale. However, with the few machines that have been created, Japteg was able to demonstrate his SolarMech Engine to some farmers. Those that were able to see how the machine worked were excited and hopeful that they would soon be able to benefit from Japteg’s innovative idea. 

What an amazing idea that will no doubt change the lives of many, particularly the farmers who will be able to use the SolarMech Engine. We are excited to see the impact of Japteg’s work as he continues to move forward with his project!

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Eva McIver-Jenkins & Ava Gonnella

Back in April, when our Build A Better Future Scholarship Applications were due, I was reading through submissions, finding myself very impressed with the caliber of projects that students had done. There were so many incredible projects submitted, and choosing winners was hard! A couple of projects really stuck out to me and the team, one of which was a project called “Laps for Philly”, and was spearheaded by Eva McIver-Jenkins and Ava Gonnella. 

First, a little about these two brilliant minds! Ava and Eva recently graduated high school in Pennsylvania. This fall, Ava will be attending Fairfield University, where she will be rowing and studying economics. She is the oldest of three, enjoys spending time outside, learning to play the ukulele, and ice cream. Eva will be attending Brown University, where she will be studying biomedical engineering. She has been swimming competitively for 12 years, loves math, and Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream (especially after a long practice).

Ava and Eva were given the opportunity to resurrect a project that had previously attempted to raise funds for swimming lessons at a community pool. The project, called Laps for Philly, was driven by the goal to provide swimming lessons for underprivileged kids. Ava and Eva felt passionate about this project because, as swimmers themselves, they understood just how important water safety is. They both noticed racial and economic disparities in access to swimming. Ava wrote, “I’ve seen firsthand how valuable swimming is—not only for safety but also for confidence, connection, and community. That realization inspired us to launch Laps for Philly, a project rooted in both equity and empowerment.” 

Eva began her swimming journey on a predominantly Black swim team. They practiced in a pool that was lacking in resources. This experience was part of the driving force behind Eva’s desire to provide accessible swimming lessons to children in similar circumstances. She said, “Laps for Philly serves young students in underserved Philadelphia communities who often lack access to affordable swim lessons, safe pool facilities, and consistent aquatic programming. These communities face systemic barriers to swimming access, including financial constraints, facility shortages, and historical underrepresentation in the sport. The project was created in direct response to this need, with the goal of providing swim education, promoting water safety, and building pathways for equitable participation in aquatics.” Ava also felt a pull to help young swimmers have the access they needed to succeed. 

Once they had the idea and goal of their project worked out, they needed to figure out the logistics— funding, locations, access to materials, and so on. They began by researching and learning how other organizations had approached the issue and looked into what resources were already available for them to use. From there, they began to network with their school, community members, coaches, and families. They developed a plan to raise awareness, raise funds, and even built a youth ambassador program. They raised money through a swim-a-thon and other creative events, encouraging community members to participate or donate to the cause. They reached out to their school for help as well, and used social media to spread the word about their cause. 

Eva and Ava didn’t let any roadblocks stop their dream from becoming a reality. Eva wrote, “One of our biggest challenges was finding space for our fundraisers and building partnerships with schools and pools. Coordinating with multiple organizations and aligning schedules took time and patience.” They learned to communicate, lean on each other, and to stay flexible. They also learned to adapt to needs as they changed or came up. These obstacles were learning experiences and eventually led to a stronger system and better leadership. 

Even both girls will be away attending college, Laps for Philly will continue to make an impact on young swimmers. Ava said, “we’ve been intentional about creating a structure that can grow with or without us. We’ve built a team that includes younger ambassadors who will carry on the mission, and we’re working on expanding our board and community roles so leadership is sustainable.” What a brilliant idea to structure the project to be able to continue to grow for years to come! 

The impact that has been seen through this project has been incredible. Ava wrote, “We also saw how the project helped people feel seen and valued, especially when they realized the work was being led by students who truly cared. This project has helped over 50 families learn to swim!” Involving the community is an excellent way to spread awareness and include all kinds of people. Eva wrote, “The community response was overwhelming in the best way. People wanted to help—through donations, volunteering, or signing their children up for swim lessons…. Laps for Philly became a movement that extended beyond our original vision.”

Not only did this project impact their community, both Eva and Ava said the personal impact was also great. They learned how to be leaders, work together, and work through challenges. They found that passion alone was not enough to sustain a project of this magnitude— they also needed community support and structure. Both girls found a sense of purpose through participation in this project, and are better people because of it. 

What an incredible, powerful project! You can tell that both Eva and Ava are passionate about water safety and proper swimming technique. They want to share that knowledge and passion with others who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Their impact has been great, and will continue to be so as their organization keeps growing and changing! Good work, girls!

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Ryleigh Brenamen-Trumbull

Today I’m spotlighting another one of our Build A Better Future Scholarship winners, Ryleigh Brenamen -Trumbull. Ryleigh recently graduated from high school and is currently attending The Ohio State University, where she will be majoring in Marketing and Non-Profit work. She loves being with her family, going to pretty places in nature, and ice cream.

Ryleigh’s project, ALS Awareness Campaign, aimed to raise awareness and support for ALS and ALS research. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive nervous system disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to muscle weakness, decreased or loss of motor control, and paralysis. There is currently not a cure for ALS, but research is being done to better understand this disease and hopefully find a cure.

Ryleigh began her project when her grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. Ryleigh realized that not many people really understood what ALS entails, and she was determined to show her grandmother just how much she cared and how important this cause was to her. Working with her DECA advisor at school, Ryleigh created a plan to advocate for those suffering with this terrible disease. 

Ryleigh conducted research to determine what kind of fundraisers would both engage people and raise the most funds. She hosted several fundraisers, including a Strike-Out ALS bowling tournament, 2 Trivia Nights, a Corn Hole Tournament, an Empathy Dinner, and an Ice Bucket Challenge. Through these events, she educated people about ALS and raised money that was donated directly to Hoenselaar Clinical Trial Program in Detroit, Michigan. Through her fundraising efforts, Ryleigh was able to raise and donate over $29,000 to go toward ALS research! 

Though she has now graduated from high school and moved on to college, she hopes to continue her efforts as much as she can. She writes, “I was accepted into the Advocates for Communities and Education Scholars Program at OSU, so I plan to try to bring this cause to this group to hopefully continue to raise awareness and possibly funds in Columbus. I also would love if my DECA chapter continued the project. Lastly, I am currently working with my family to create a scholarship under my mema’s name that has some kind of special essay based around ALS or other disease related.”

This project has had a significant impact on Ryleigh. She said, “This project had an amazing impact on me and what I want to do with my life. It truly showed me what I’m capable of and how much of an impact I can make at such a young age. It has now changed what I want to dedicate my life to.” She was incredibly lucky to have a great support system that included her mom and dad, step-parents, grandpa, aunts, uncles, friends, her boyfriend, and her DECA advisor. 

What an amazing project for such a critical cause! Through her efforts and donated funds, I’m certain that Ryleigh was able to bless the lives of many who suffer from this terrible disease. We wish her luck as she begins her college experience and as she continues to advocate for ALS awareness and research!

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Maria Avila-Silva

Today I’m spotlighting another one of our incredible Build A Better Future Scholarship awardees, Maria Avila-Silva. Maria’s project, called Pathfinders, was founded with the goal to help immigrant and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students like herself build confidence and find access to the resources needed for post-high school education.

Maria resides in Florida, where she recently graduated from high school. She also completed two semesters of the Innovation Academy Program at the University of Florida. She will be attending Santa Fe College this fall, with plans to major in economics on the pre-med track. Maria and her family immigrated to the United States from Venezuela when she was in middle school, and her favorite treat is Cri-Cri, which is a chocolate bar from Venezuela. 

When Maria and her family moved here to the US, she remembers feeling isolated, alone, and unseen. She didn’t know the language and felt intimidated. Because of her experience, she had the desire to help other immigrant students so they did not feel the same isolation and confusion she did. She told me, “I didn’t want anyone to feel as unseen or unsupported as I once did. I wanted to make sure that every student, no matter where they came from or what their background looked like, could have a fair and equal chance at going to college and pursuing something they love. I knew that without guidance, that dream could be out of reach for many so I became the person I once needed.” Thus, the idea of Pathfinders was born. 

Maria began by speaking with teachers to get their feedback, then researched strategies on how to teach and motivate students. She wanted to create a safe space for the students who would come through her program. While her project didn’t have any large expenses, there were some costs that needed to be covered. Maria wrote, “I… covered the costs myself, from snacks to materials, using money from a part-time job. I wanted students to know someone believed in them enough to invest in them personally.”

Projects like this don’t come without their difficulties. For Maria, that meant trying to balance her project with her own academic responsibilities. She quickly learned strong time management skills, learned to prioritize, plan ahead, and ask for help when it was needed. 

As she learned to balance it all, the project grew and so did its impact. Not only did Pathfinders make a difference for immigrant and ESOL students, the general student body began to take notice, bringing more understanding and respect for the immigrant ESOL students. The students involved with Pathfinders became more confident— asking questions, getting involved, and finding a place in their school community. With Maria’s guidance and help, students in Pathfinders were able to apply for (and some even received) scholarships, apply to college, and find the resources they needed to be successful. This program created a family of students, who came together from different backgrounds, all with a common goal— to feel seen, included, and successful.

Though she is preparing to begin her college courses, Maria plans to maintain contact with her students, and to continue to be available to answer their questions about college, scholarships, and housing, or to simply talk through their concerns. Maria’s goal was to help students find their way and purpose, and in doing so, she also found hers. She said, “I made lifelong friendships and learned the true value of showing up for others. It taught me that action speaks louder than words, and that change doesn’t have to come from a big organization or a massive budget, it can start with one person deciding not to stay silent. It deepened my love for community work and affirmed that my purpose lies in using my voice to empower others. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would, a thousand times over.”

What an amazing project, Maria! I have no doubt you made an incredible and lasting impact on the students you worked with and helped. Thank you for sharing your talents and passion with the students involved in Pathfinders, and for allowing us to get a glimpse into the amazing and powerful change you brought. We wish you the best of luck as you move forward with your college career!

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Fowwaz Moeen

One of our incredible recipients of our 2025 Build A Better Future Scholarship was Fowwaz Moeen, a graduating senior in Texas. His project, Food for Friends, aimed to provide fresh nutritious foods to individuals who are experiencing food insecurity in his area.

First, a little about Fowwaz: This fall, he will be attending UT Austin where he will begin his studies to double major in Computer Science and Physics. In addition to this incredible feat, he is also working toward logging enough flight hours to get his private pilot’s license! He says that dried mangoes are his favorite treat because “they’re sweet enough for late‑night coding sprints, light enough for the cockpit.”

Fowwaz first became aware of the problem of food insecurity in 2022 when Pakistan was hit with monsoon floods, which ultimately led to 1/3 of children facing malnutrition. His research during that time led him to realize that people in his own area were also facing the same problem. He writes, “That overlap of global catastrophe and local need inspired me to found Food for Friends: a student‑run greenhouse and garden that grows nutritious food and donates it to partner food banks serving Houston’s hardest‑hit neighborhoods.”

He began by conducting a needs assessment and figuring out the who, when, where, and what of the project. His high school already had a greenhouse they could use– it needed some major repairs, but they had something to start with. He led a grant application that brought in over $6,500 that was used to cover the greenhouse rebuild and their first 20 raised garden beds.

During this process, Fowwaz had to overcome hurdles and learn how to manage those set backs. The greenhouse repair was nearly finished when Hurricane Beryl ripped through their area, tearing off panels and twisting the structure. Discouraged, but not defeated, they were forced to start over. Thankfully, they had support from their school, which allowed them to purchase a new greenhouse so their work could continue.

Fowwaz teamed up with local gardening experts to learn gardening techniques and plan a proper garden to ensure the most successful harvest. Wanting to make sure that this initiative continued long after he had graduated, he established a leadership team of underclassmen to oversee the weekly operations. The school has also integrated Food for Friends into the middle and high school curriculum– each semester, new classes of students get the chance to take care of the garden beds and harvest the crops. This ongoing project will ensure that many people will benefit from the healthy food that is grown, harvested, and distributed.

Fowwaz also plans to advise remotely and return during college breaks to check in and monitor the project. He also hopes to create a sister garden project at UT Austin and partner with local food banks there.

He has great plans for his project, and for his future! He summed it up best when he wrote, “Whether flying above the clouds or planting seedlings, my aim is the same: to use science and tech to make our shared universe, starting with Earth, more understandable and equitable for everyone.”

Incredible work, Fowwaz! I’m certain this project has been an incredible asset and blessing to the lives of everyone who has been involved in any way, especially to those who have benefited from the harvests. Thank you for sharing your talents and ideas with your community. We are proud to include you on our list of scholarship recipients for our 2025 Build A Better Future Scholarship!