Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application is for students who are interested in getting grants, scholarships or loans to help pay for college. Filling out the FAFSA is essential for students going to college and need financial assistance. To learn more about the financial aid process, click the links below:

• How Financial Aid Works
• Types of Financial Aid
• Financial Aid Eligibility
• Financial Aid Estimator
• Applying for Financial Aid through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) 

Students can also visit the Federal Student Aid YouTube channel to watch helpful videos on the financial aid process. 

The senior class of 2026 will complete the 2026-27 FAFSA form, which opens on October 1, 2025. 

 

Scholarships:

• The University of Kansas Health System Healthcare Career Scholarship - Healthcare Career Scholarship for seniors who will attend college in the fall planning to pursue a career in healthcare
  • Online application - please submit your application through the Wufoo platform here
    • Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2026

 

**Remainder of local scholarships will be posted in February 2026. Local scholarships to be posted are below:

• Jess Johnson Career & Technical Education Scholarship
• Brandmeyer Scholarship 
• Vernco Roofing Scholarship

• McCarthy Auto Group Scholarship

• Cat Boosters Scholarship

• DTA (De Soto Teacher's Association) Scholarship
• Vision Care Scholarship
• J. Trenton Hughes Scholarship 
• De Soto Alumni/VFW Scholarship 
• Casey Blake Johnson Running Scholarship 

Outside Scholarships 

We have moved all outside scholarships to Xello! Login to your Xello account and on the left side of your screen under Quick Links, select College Planning. In the box labeled Scholarships click where it says # Matches.

Scholarships will be added to Xello throughout the school year, so check often for additional scholarships to be added. 

Scholarship Search Tips