What Arizona college scholarships are available for high school seniors?

I'm a high school senior in Arizona and starting to look for scholarships to help pay for college. Are there particular scholarships I should be aware of that are specific to Arizona students?

Definitely, there are several state-specific scholarships available to help Arizona students defray college costs. Here are a few that you might want to consider:

1. The Arizona Community Foundation offers multiple scholarship programs each year. They consider factors like field of study, school attended, and even personal hobbies.

2. The Flinn Scholarship is quite competitive and prestigious. It covers tuition, fees, room and board, and at least two study-abroad programs. The criteria include being a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, a minimum 3.5 GPA, ranking in the top 5% of your class, and leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities.

3. The Dorrance Scholarship awards up to $12,000 per year to first-generation college students who are Arizona high school graduates. This needs-based scholarship also considers academic performance and leadership potential.

4. The Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AzLEAP) offers need-based grants to Arizona residents with a family income of less than $40,000 per year who are enrolled at least half-time.

5. The Arizona Elk Society offers the Walt Nicoson Memorial Scholarship to high school seniors in Arizona who plan to major in a field related to wildlife, conservation, or environmental sciences.

6. The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars Program provides tuition assistance to Maricopa County Community College students who are also Arizona high school graduates.

Before starting your applications, make sure to check the individual eligibility criteria and deadlines for each scholarship. Remember that even smaller scholarships can add up, helping you reduce your out-of-pocket college costs.