POLSON — It’s never too early to start planning for life after high school. For many students, that means college preparations can start as early as freshman year. At least that’s the message staff at Salish Kootenai College’s recruiting office want to share with Lake County’s youth.

This month, several members of the college’s recruiting office have teamed up with other organizations to visit local high schools and provide students with important college information. The fair traveled to Arlee, Two Eagle River and St. Ignatius before stopping by Polson High School last Thursday afternoon. Tables with representatives explaining the Upward Bound program, Individual Indian Money (IIM) and various SKC departments gave students the opportunity to ask questions and talk about what they need to do to be successful in the future. Recruiter Merrie Lewis said there are 1.5 million scholarships available for prospective college students nationwide this year. Last year, there were 600,000 scholarships worth $1 billion.

“So much of that money is being sent back because people are not applying for them,” she said. “We tell kids to apply, apply, apply… set up a cheat sheet and when a scholarship comes up, cut, paste and out the window. Be prepared.”

Fiduciary trust officer, Deb DuMontier, with the U.S. Department of Interior Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) said that the rules surrounding Native American students’ Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts can be confusing for even the most informed student.

“I like to do the outreach face-to-face because it is a little bit different than it’s been in years past,” she said, adding that even her own son has had trouble understanding his account, and she works for OST.

Upward Bound employee Joanne Morrow said she is constantly impressed with what her program’s students have been able to accomplish. Designed to help first generation college students achieve, Morrow said Lake County’s Upward Bound program has produced 12 Gates Millennium Scholars and students have attended prestigious universities from Stanford to Dartmouth, coast to coast.

“It’s a very small and intensive program,” she said. “Students get a lot of individual help so they are successful.”

While students can enter Upward Bound as early as the eighth grade for academic help, once they reach the senior year, the program switches focus to helping them work through the rigors of the college application process. Juniors and seniors can even take basic courses at SKC.

“They can kick out four classes and those credits can transfer to anywhere they want to go,” she said. “We see the college dreams come true at any level.”