UC Davis grants scholarship

By Johnny Li

With the current state of the economy, seniors not only face the challenge of choosing the college that is best fit for them, but also figuring out how they will afford their education. Senior Ven Meyerzon is familiar with this dilemma, as he was accepted into prestigious schools, such as UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley. However, Meyerzon was also awarded the Regents Scholarship at UC Davis, which would amount to about $7,500 a year. This would cover the full tuition, as well as give him benefits such as better housing and dining. Though the decision was difficult, Meyerzon chose to attend UC Davis next fall.

“Some people might think that I should have chosen Cal or L.A., but I’ll still receive a good education and save a lot of money, especially without all the loans,” Meyerzon said.

Despite the increased need for financial aid and scholarships, the number of students at school has stayed consistent. According to Career Specialist Michelene Wittmer, 220 students applied for the Cal Grant this year, which was about the same number as last year. Wittmer aids students in applying for scholarships by going through the different scholarships and applications with students in the Career Center. However, Wittmer recalls many students inquiring about scholarships, but many people never following through with the applications.

“Applying for scholarships is a lot of hard work. A lot of kids think that they cannot win any scholarships because they are not straight A students,” Wittmer said. “Kids don’t want to write essays.”

Wittmer has also added an announcement in the daily bulletin, encouraging students to visit the Career Center and look through the list of scholarships. Scholarship information and applications will also be uploaded onto the school website by next year. Wittmer hopes to see more students apply for scholarships in the future.