MUSTANG MESSAGES November Newsletter
Now is the time for your senior to be applying for college admission to attend post-secondary school next fall. Most colleges like students to apply for admission as early as possible so that other arrangements, such as financial aid, housing, etc. can be worked out more easily. If your student has narrowed the college choices down to two or three schools, I would encourage your child to apply to each school. I also encourage both you and your senior to visit each of these campuses. Then you can see first-hand the advantages and disadvantages of each campus.
There is a great deal of information on colleges in Nebraska available to view in the guidance office.
If you would like to look over this information, just call (756-6611) or stop in. Most colleges also have websites that provide useful information and I can help you obtain addresses.
Chris Sluka
Guidance Counselor
IMPORTANT NOVEMBER DATES Fri., Nov. 7 December ACT Reg. Deadline Tues., Nov. 11 TVC Vocal Clinic @ Bruning Mon., Nov. 17 Financial Aid Night @ HS, 6:00 Mon., Nov. 17 1st winter sports practice Thurs. Nov. 20 All-School Play at High School Wed., Nov. 26 1:00 dismissal
Thurs. Nov.27 Thanksgiving-No School Fri., Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Break-No School
COLLEGE REPS AT SL Mon., Nov. 3 Midland Lutheran, 1:30 Tues., Nov. 4 Wayne State, 8:30 Tues., Nov. 4 Doane College, 9:15 Thurs. Nov. 6 U. S. Army, 1:30
Wed., Nov. 12 Nebraska Wesleyan U., 11:30 Wed., Nov. 19 Concordia U., 1:30
A TROUBLING TREND
Some of you may have received postcards in the mail inviting you to participate in a nationwide scholarship search. For a modest fee, these agencies “guarantee” that your student will receive a scholarship through their search. The old saying “if it’s too good to be true…” usually holds true. Many of these organizations do not hold true to their promise of awarding scholarships and then fail to give refunds. You are strongly urged not to pay for this service. The Kearney EducationQuest office provides a free scholarship search. EducationQuest does not guarantee a student any scholarships, but it does provide the student with a list of awards the student is eligible to apply for. The internet sources below are also excellent ways to find information about scholarships. FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM TO BE HELD
Silver Lake High School and EducationQuest Foundation will host a financial aid program in Roseland on Monday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the distance learning room. SL, Kenesaw, and Doniphan-Trumbull will all receive the program via distance learning. The program will run just over an hour and will be led by a representative from EducationQuest. Parents, seniors and juniors are welcome to attend. Parents who have not been involved in the college financial aid process before are encouraged to attend.
GET ON THE NET FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
EducationQuest recommends several web sites for conducting scholarship searches. These include:
EducationQuest www.educationquest.org
FASTAID www.Fastaid.com
FASTWEB www.fastweb.com
SRN Scholarships www.scholarships.com College Board www.collegeboard.org
A REMINDER FROM THE SENIOR SPONSOR Please remember to bring pictures for various needs by December 15. These pictures must be turned in:
5 Senior pictures
2 baby or young pictures 1 elementary picture photographer release form
Also group pictures of seniors (when little, sports teams, etc) are acceptable. Please submit pictures to Mrs. Hinrichs.
RETAKING THE ACT AND OTHER INFO Statistics given at a recent ACT workshop revealed the following information: 13 % of students score a 27 or higher on the ACT, 42 % score 22 or higher, and 27% score 17 or below. In terms of retaking the ACT, the following information was presented:
15 % who re-tested improved 3 or more points, 18 % who re-tested improved 2 points,
24 % who re-tested improved 1 point, 22 % earned the same score, and 21 % had scores decrease.
FINANCIAL AID BITS AND PIECES • This year’s PELL grant max is $4800. • Most colleges award PELL eligible
recipients between $500 and $1500 • Parents with an adjusted gross income of
$20,000 or less, who are not required to file a 1040 tax form have an automatic zero estimated family contribution and will be eligible for a maximum PELL award • Students and parents may now obtain
a PIN number for filing the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) by logging on to www.pin.ed.gov or
www.fafsa.ed.gov. The PIN number will be mailed within 7-10 days of request or emailed within 3 days. • The federal government is strongly
encouraging parents to file the FAFSA electronically.
• Plan to have the FAFSA filed by March 1 to able to obtain the most funds possible.
TYPES OF UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES A little terminology may be helpful during the upcoming months. First of all, an undergraduate is a college student who has not yet earned a degree. A graduate student already has a bachelor’s degree and is working towards a masters or doctorate degree.
There are two major types of undergraduate degrees. An Associate degree is a degree awarded to a student who has completed a two-year program. A student may earn an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS). A bachelor or baccalaureate degree is a degree awarded to a student who has completed a four-year college course of study. The most common types of bachelor degree programs include the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Sciences (BS).
NOVEMBER CHECKLIST During the month of November, seniors should be doing the following tasks: -applying for admission to colleges, -making college visits,
-applying for scholarships,
-registering for the December ACT (if applicable),
-prepare resumes/essays for future needs.
Happy
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
Scholarship: U.S. Bank’s Internet Scholarship ProgramRequirements: Open to seniors planning to attend two or four year colleges full-time next fall. Recipients are selected through a random drawing process. Students can apply online at usbank.com/studentbanking.
Amount: $1000
Deadline: Applications accepted only through February, 2009
Scholarship: ASAP/Union Bank/Lincoln Journal Star “We Have Money to Learn” Scholarship
Requirements: Senior must be in the top 1/3 of class or have an ACT score of 20 or higher. Apply online at www.asapubt.com.
Amount: $500
Deadline: March 15, 2009
Scholarship: KFC Colonel’s Scholarship
Requirements: Senior with a GPA of C+ or higher who will pursue a bachelor’s degree at a public, in-state college/university. Students are to apply online at www.kfcscholars.org.
Amount: $5000 (renewable up to $20,000) Deadline: February 10, 2009
Scholarship: UNK-Honors Program–Omaha World Herald/Kearney Hub Scholarship
Requirements: Senior who will attend UNK, have a minimum score of 28 on the ACT and be in the top 10% of class. Apply online at www.unk.edu/acad/honors.
Amount: Full tuition, room & board, fees and books at UNK. Deadline: December 1, 2008
Scholarship: Peter Kiewit Foundation Legacy Scholarship
Requirements: Nebraska senior who plans to attend any four-year college in Nebraska, ranks in the top 20% of graduating class, has taken the ACT and is able to demonstrate financial need. Financial need and academic ability are the top selection criteria.
Amount: $7500 (renewable up to four years). Deadline: January 7, 2009
Scholarship: Nebraska Machine (NMC) Diesel Technology Sponsorship
Requirements: Senior who plans to major in diesel technology at Central Community College-Hastings. Applicant must have desire to work for NMC upon college graduation. Student must tour CCC-Hastings campus and take the required testing.
Amount: Tuition, books, fees, along with tools and tool box. Approximate total value is $14,000. Deadline: February 13, 2009
Scholarship: Nebraska Machine (NMC) Caterpillar Scholarship
Requirements: Senior who plans to major in diesel technology at CCC-Hastings. Amount: $1000
Scholarship: Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees Scholarship
Requirements: Senior who plans to attend Wayne State, Chadron State or Peru State and who has scored at least a 25 on the ACT.
Amount: Full tuition, renewable for four years. Approximate value is $13,200 over 4 years. Deadline: January 15, 2009
Scholarship: American Legion Auxiliary Scholarships
Requirements: A number of scholarships are available to children and grandchildren of veterans and Legion Auxiliary members.
Amount: up to $1000
Deadline: Most deadlines are on or about March 1, 2009. See Mr. Sluka to view the packet. Scholarship: Toyota Community Scholars Award
Requirements: Senior with a “B” or better average who has been actively involved in a service organization or project that has a positive impact on the school/community. Student must attend a 4-year college or university.
Amount: $2500 to $5000 a year for four years Deadline: December 1, 2008
Scholarship: McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial Scholarship
Requirements: Senior who owns and operates own business, hired at least one employee, and will attend a 4-year college somewhere in the United States. Apply online at mckelveyfoundation.org.
Amount: Up to $10,000 per year for four years Deadline: January 25, 2009
