Photo by Shermeee used under a Creative Commons license.

It was refreshing, if only for one moment, to read this morning’s news and find a story that actually made this curmudgeonly writer smile: the Washington Times picked up the AP report from a surprise ceremony last night at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts where nine D.C. high school seniors were awarded full scholarships — valued around $200,000 — to attend George Washington University this fall.

Bring on the temporary booster shot of happy!

Shawn Wilkins, 47, of Southeast, brought about 10 family members and friends, who cheered as her daughter, Malissa, 17, walked across the stage when her name was announced.

Mrs. Wilkins was laid off in January 2008 from her position at a clinic call center, and has yet to find a permanent job. She also has a son working three jobs as he tries to finish college. Her husband is trying to keep them afloat.

“We can be at ease, and she’s going to have a successful future,” Ms. Wilkins said of her daughter. “I hope she gets everything she deserves, because she’s worked tirelessly.”

G.W. hands out the scholarships every year based on financial need and the student’s academic and extracurricular achievements — as an organization with a near-billion-dollar endowment, though, why stop at nine? We’re enthralled for the recipients of this year’s scholarships, but not many folks are getting free rides on one of the most expensive undergraduate tuitions in the country. (Eds. Note: in 2009, the second-most expensive.) In D.C. — and the country as a whole — the availability of financial aid is increasing, but hardly at the rising rate of tuition costs and hardly at the stagnation in the growth of household income. (Sigh. So much for vanquishing the doom and gloom.)

That said, what if you’re a DCist reader planning on heading to or sending someone to school this year, and you’re mystified about where to start? Well, it’s the thick of the financial aid season, so jump in. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — a leaping point to determining your eligibility for most federal, state, and school-based aid — is a good place to begin. You can fill out your FAFSA online; the sooner, the better. We’d also recommend checking out the Department of Education’s financial aid center as a primer, and then expanding your search using websites like FinAid.