SU student strikes gold

For eighteen-year-old Shyla Price, life after high school was uncertain. Knowing her parents could not afford college tuition, the then high school junior set out to find college funding on her own.
“I went to the Internet and typed in words like ‘minority scholarships’ on Google.com and found a lot of scholarships to apply for. I arranged them by deadline and started to work on them,” said Price, a marketing major from Thibodaux. By the time Price entered Xavier University —now a Southern student-she had amassed $100,000.
Featured in magazines like “Teen People” and “Seventeen,” this valedictorian from Thibodaux High School is not just a scholarship maverick, but also a published author.
Price’s self-published book, “The Scholarship Search, A Guide to Winning Free Money for College and More,” is a guide for any student seeking advice on ways to find money for college and is available for purchase at iUniverse.com, Bookamillion.com and BarnsandNoble.com.
“The idea came mostly from my mother,” Price said. “She thought it would be a great idea to share my knowledge with other students.”
Hiring the public relations firm Ja~Meche, Price set out to inform parents and students that there are other ways to finance college than getting into a lot of debt.
“My goal is to provide students with the necessary tools to make their dreams of attending college possible,” Price said.
Choosing self-publishing over the conventional publishing houses, Price said she was allowed more convenience and control over her book.
Price’s website, www.shaylaprice.com, offers scholarship advice, cover letter and resume critiques and on-line tutoring. She is also sponsoring a $100 essay scholarship contest.
Although Price is still a college student, she has plans for the future.
“Since I have become a published author, I want to go to law school or get my MBA,” she said.
To learn more about Price or her book, visit her website or send an e-mail to [email protected].