College is not cheap. For the benefit of the students, colleges and universities offer scholarships to make higher education easier on the wallet.

Students can apply for scholarships or grants to lessen their bill by a few hundred or even thousands of dollars. Many scholarships can be renewed each year. Lakeland College is no stranger to the scholarship world.

Some students receive more scholarships than others, and those who receive less may begin to wonder why they must deal with higher tuition.

Lakeland does not take away scholarships due to someone else needing the money more. Lakeland does its best to award scholarships to those who need them. After every year, the financial aid directors sit down and go through a technical process that determines how the scholarships will be dispersed.

Every scholarship is different. Some have criteria attached to them, such as a required talent or major. Others are merit based. If a student changes a major or drops out of a class that they have a talent in, then that can lead to their scholarship being withdrawn. Additionally, most scholarships have a GPA requirement.

Otherwise, scholarships do not change.

“Students are at fault if they lose their scholarships,” said Kari Bitters, senior international business major. “The financial aid office tells you what GPA you need and explains how to keep the scholarship.”

Before the academic year, the financial aid department looks at the scholarships awarded and the tuition prices along with other colleges’ scholarships and tuition. “Scholarships make it easier to purchase necessities,” said Cody Lemke, senior accounting major. “They also make Lakeland affordable, and that’s why I came here.”

The college also provides the same amount of funds for financial need. According to Director of Financial Aid Patty Taylor, if a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) calculation determines that a family contribution is $5,000 for the year and it increases the following year to $7,000, Lakeland will not adjust any institutional funding despite the family’s ability to pay more money to the college.

“Funds are the only things that change,” Taylor said. “Funds will change when a student moves on or off of campus, so we encourage students to check with their financial advisors before they move.”

Taylor encourages students who have questions on their scholarships or funding to visit the financial aid office on the first floor of the William A. Krueger (WAK) building for information on their funding and scholarships. The financial aid office has an open-door policy.