A senior from West Ranch High School is one of 25 students from across the nation to receive the first ever “Complete Your Journey Opportunity Scholarship” from College Board, officials announced Monday.

On Monday, officials announced that 25 student winners from across the country earned a $40,000 scholarship for completing all six college planning steps laid out in the College Board Opportunity Scholarships program. 

One of those students is West Ranch senior David Horta, one of more than 500,000 students from all 50 states who have joined the College Board Opportunity Scholarships program since it launched in December 2018.

“To those students who may have counted themselves out of scholarship opportunities, this program is for you,” said College Board CEO David Coleman in a statement Monday. “There is so much more talent out there than we can see. We want all students to see themselves as scholars, no matter where they began.”

The 25 winners of the $40,000 “Complete Your Journey” scholarship completed six college planning steps:

1. Build Your College List: Students get started by exploring colleges they’re interested in (700 Build Your College List scholarships, each worth $500)
2. Practice for the SAT: Students use Official SAT® Practice on Khan Academy® (1,500 Practice for the SAT scholarships, each worth $1,000)
3. Improve Your Score: Students show how practice pays off by improving their scores (150 Improve Your Score scholarships, each worth $2,000)
4. Strengthen Your College List: Students make sure their list has a mix of reach, match, and safety schools (300 Strengthen Your College List scholarships, each worth $500)
5. Complete the FAFSA: Students fill out the free government form to apply for financial aid (800 Complete the FAFSA® scholarships, each worth $1,000)
6. Apply to Colleges: Students apply to the colleges they want to attend (500 Apply to Colleges scholarships, each worth $1,000) 

“College planning does not need to be daunting,” Coleman said. “These 25 students took one simple step, and then another, until they reached their goals. We encourage the class of 2021 to follow their lead.” 

In addition to the 25 “Complete Your Journey winners, nearly 4,000 students from 48 states, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, earned $3.6 million in smaller scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2,000. 

“Research shows that completing specific steps helps clarify the complex college planning process, especially for low-income and first-generation students,” reads a statement issued by College Board Monday.

Students from the class of 2021 who opt into the College Board Opportunity Scholarships program now and get started by completing the first step in the six-step planning process by July 31 will be eligible for the next $40,000 Complete Your Journey scholarship, according to officials. 

To learn more about this year’s recipients and how juniors can get started earning scholarships, click here.

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