Senior year is a special time in a teenager’s high school career. It’s a culmination of the hard work that has led them to this transitional and memorable time, marking an end to one chapter and a beginning to another—their future.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, senior year has been cut short for many seniors.

It is a year of "lasts"—last basketball game, last robotics competition, last cheer competition ... . In addition to these memorable "lasts," high school seniors are also missing out on many of the traditional celebrations, such as prom, spring break and, now, due to the state requiring students to stay home for the remainder of the school year during the pandemic, their all-night party and a traditional commencement ceremony.

It is all of these "lasts" and earned senior-year events that collaboratively would normally be stored in memory as "senior year"—one of the best times in a person's life—one of the most memorable. This year sure is memorable—but definitely not the way it was planned.

Extra Credit Union is a HUGE supporter of schools and students and pretty much all things education. And we're sorry that your senior year has been hijacked by the coronavirus.

It’s OK to be sad about this. It’s OK to be disappointed. This is also a time, though, that you can do your best to focus on the good … on the things you can control, including planning for your future and how you will be paying for college, trade school or whatever education comes after high school.

Extra Credit Union offers five high school scholarships totaling $5,000 each year. We’ve even extended our deadline to May 29, 2020 to allow a little more time for seniors to apply for the scholarship given the life changes that have come as a result of the pandemic.

We hope you will take the time to apply for our scholarship—it’s a fairly easy application that isn’t too time consuming.

Be sure to check with the college you will be attending in the fall to see if they offer any scholarships.

There are also other scholarships offered by local organizations, such as:

• Michigan Jump Start offers two $500 scholarships to students in grades 6-12. The deadline to apply is April 30.
• The Warren Education Association will award $1,000 scholarships to one graduating senior from each of the district’s high schools. Applications are due May 20, 2020.

You can also check the following websites that have compiled a wide range of scholarships for which you may be eligible:

• Metro Parent
• Scholarships.com
• City of Detroit
• MyCollegeOptions.org
• Michigan.gov (allows you to search for scholarships by local area)

This "extra" time is also a good time to prepare for handling your own finances. If you don't already have a checking and savings account, opening an Extra Credit Union FUTURITY account is a great first step. These are learning accounts that allow teens and young adults ages 16-24 to learn how to manage their accounts, even if they make a few mistakes along the way. 

Our lobby is open by appointment only right now, so call 586-276-3000 or email info@extracreditunion.org to schedule an appointment and open a FUTURITY account. Our knowledgeable Member Service Representatives would be happy to answer any questions and offer a few financial literacy tips.

And be sure to check out the great financial literacy resources on our website such as our financial glossary, financial calculators, blogs and more.

Share: Share on Facebook: A Note to High School Seniors: It's OK to Be Frustrated—But Also Focus on Your Future Share on Twitter: A Note to High School Seniors: It's OK to Be Frustrated—But Also Focus on Your Future