This is the time of year that students at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science join high school students across the U.S. in receiving their acceptance letters from colleges. Along with deciding where they will receive their degrees, students now must figure out how they will pay for their college education. This is where scholarships come into play.

MSMS students attended an informational seminar on Feb. 17 about the MSMS Foundation Scholarship. The seminar was lead by Kassie Brooks, the Director of Operations for the MSMS Foundation. Brooks has been the held this position for almost 18 months.

“It is very rewarding and fulfilling to be a part of the MSMS family,” Brooks said.

Brooks believes that MSMS students should take advantage of the scholarships because any extra finances help.

“Seniors should apply for the scholarships because they will find that even if they receive other types of financial aid, or are awarded other scholarships, it’s very helpful to have extra finances for any unexpected costs that may arise,” she said. “The funds from these scholarships are awarded directly to the student so they may use it where they feel it is most needed.”

Brooks says that the scholarships can cover smaller costs, which is very beneficial to students.

“As the cost for attending college is steadily rising, these scholarships will help to lighten the financial load, and help students and parents cover the cost of any extra items needed to be successful,” Brooks said. “Each scholarship was created in order to help the recipient with costs such as room and board, supplies, textbooks, meals, etc.”

Sasha Edwards, a senior at MSMS, attended the seminar and says she had not heard of the scholarship opportunities prior to the seminar.

“Now that I know about them, I plan on applying to a few of the scholarships the MSMS Foundation offers,” Edwards said. “MSMS should take advantage of these scholarships because these scholarships are designed specifically for MSMS students, so the competition pool is decreased significantly which gives us a better chance of getting it.”

Thanks to the MSMS Foundation, students at MSMS have the opportunity to alleviate some of their college costs.

Below is a list of all of the scholarships the MSMS Foundation offers; click to expand: