When it comes to helping students pursue postsecondary dreams, few things are more rewarding—or more challenging—than increasing student scholarship participation.
For many high school counselors, the barriers aren’t about motivation. Instead, they’re about access, awareness, and time. Students with family support often thrive, while others miss out simply because the process feels confusing or overwhelming.
So how can counselors get students more involved and engaged across the scholarship application process? Whether you’re managing scholarships manually or with a digital platform like AppCentri, these six proven strategies can help increase student scholarship participation and equity across your school.
6 Tips to Increase Student Scholarship Participation
1. Centralize Scholarship Opportunities
When scholarship information is scattered in binders, email threads, or hallway flyers, students lose track. The first step to increasing scholarship participation is to create a single, trusted hub where every opportunity lives.
Gather all local, regional, and national scholarships in one place, noting eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines. Keep it updated and easy to access for both students and families.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri’s centralized scholarship database does this automatically, allowing students to view opportunities tailored to their grade level and eligibility, all in one organized, digital hub.
2. Simplify and Streamline the Application Process
Students often hesitate to apply because the scholarship process feels intimidating or time-consuming. Help them build confidence by breaking it into smaller steps and showing how to reuse materials.
Encourage them to craft a strong base essay and resume that can be customized for multiple scholarships. Many prompts overlap, so repurposing work saves time and builds momentum.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri’s essay management tools let students duplicate and update previous essays easily. Its auto-fill feature uses saved profile information to complete repetitive fields, saving hours of manual work.
3. Communicate Consistently and Send Timely Reminders
Students need frequent reminders, especially during busy seasons. A consistent communication plan ensures they stay aware of deadlines and opportunities.
Use a mix of emails, classroom visits, and text reminders to keep scholarship information visible. Consider adding a “Scholarship of the Week” feature in school announcements and newsletters.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri automates this process with smart deadline reminders and notifications sent directly to students (and parents), so you don’t have to track every date manually.
4. Include Parents and Guardians in the Process
Parent involvement can significantly increase student scholarship participation, but not all families know where to begin. Offering clear access and communication helps level the playing field.
Host a “Scholarship Information Night” or send regular email updates with upcoming deadlines and tips. The more informed parents are, the more support students receive at home.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri makes parent inclusion simple with secure logins that allow families to view deadlines, track progress, and encourage their children along the way.
5. Simplify the Recommendation Process
Letters of recommendation are critical, but are also often a major stressor. Many students wait until the last minute or forget to follow up, leaving teachers scrambling.
Help students identify recommenders early in the year and provide short “brag sheets” to make writing easier. You can also build consistent request procedures to reduce confusion.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri’s personal reference invitations let students request recommendations directly from the platform, with automated notifications for teachers and upload links for quick submission.
6. Make Scholarships Accessible Anytime, Anywhere
Students are busy—balancing sports, work, and family responsibilities. If your scholarship system isn’t mobile-friendly, participation will suffer.
A mobile-first approach allows students to search, apply, and track scholarships from their phones, ensuring every student—regardless of access to a home computer—can participate fully.
The AppCentri Edge: AppCentri’s mobile-friendly interface empowers students to complete applications, upload essays, and check deadlines from any device, at any time.
Real Results: How Wahoo High School Boosted Scholarship Participation
These are challenges John Harris, 9-12 Counselor at Wahoo High School in Nebraska, knows all too well.
“The most obvious gap was between the students whose parents knew how to play the game and those who didn’t. Some kids had fancy resumes and perfect applications. Others turned things in incomplete or in pencil. It really was an uneven playing field,” Harris recalls.
After implementing AppCentri, Harris saw scholarship applications rise from an average of three per student to eight—with top students submitting more than twenty applications. First-generation and less-supported students began applying confidently and competitively.
The results were dramatic:
- Applications skyrocketed from 3 per student to 8 on average
- Equity improved as first-generation students submitted complete, competitive applications
- Donor engagement grew, with some doubling or quadrupling awards
- Counselor time was reclaimed, freeing hours for SEL support and student check-ins
“I’ve had multiple students tell me, ‘There’s no way I would have applied without AppCentri,’” Harris shared. “Even $1,000 makes a huge difference for our kids. AppCentri has made my life simpler and allowed me to focus on what matters most—supporting students.”
AppCentri: Involving Students in Scholarships from Day One
Increasing student scholarship participation isn’t about adding more work. It’s about removing barriers and making the process equitable and engaging for every student.
By organizing opportunities, simplifying applications, and improving communication, counselors can create a system where all students feel capable and supported.
AppCentri helps make that possible with:
- A central hub for all opportunities
- Essay duplication and auto-fill tools
- Automated reminders for students and parents
- Parent and teacher engagement features
- A mobile-friendly experience for students on the go
When counselors have tools that work with them, not against them, students apply more often, donors stay engaged, and scholarship participation rises.
Ready to See AppCentri in Action?
Discover how AppCentri helps schools streamline scholarship management and increase student scholarship participation—without adding extra workload. Schedule a demo and see how AppCentri gets students involved in the scholarship process from start to finish.
