Guidance Office News

 

Financial Aid Information

 

Did you know that college websites have a Net Price Calculator on which you could estimate the cost of attendance to an institution? When viewing a college’s webpage, you may enter “Net Price Calculator” into the page’s search engine to find this information. Some colleges also offer their own estimated cost calculators.

 

Several important financial aid websites:

 -          FAFSA – to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

 -          Financial Aid Estimator – to forecast how much financial aid you may receive

 -          www.pheaa.org or www.aessuccess.org – PA financial aid agency website

 -          www.studentaid.ed.gov – In-depth information on federal student aid programs

 -          www.youtube.com/collegedotgov - more than 60 videos

 -          College Scorecard – find the right fit

 

Remember to check your college’s FAFSA filing date! These dates are as early as February 15! You MUST file your FAFSA by the date set by your college. Call your college’s financial aid office for information.

 

NCAA:

 

For more information or help, please contact your guidance counselor, Mrs. Thieser. 

Student-athletes who plan to play a college athletic at the Division I or II levels must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. To do so, visit: www.eligibilitycenter.org. We advise completing this as soon as students express any interest in college athletics at the Division I or II levels.  There are academic requirements that students must meet in order to meet eligibility through the NCAA, and that information may be found on the website above or on the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete.

 

USEFUL WEBSITES: 

 

•  Information on skilled trade careers/training: http://www.explorethetrades.org/.

•  Great site for information on careers in teaching, scholarships, and teacher preparation: https://www.teach.org/.
•  Great site for college search, financial aid, career exploration, and more: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
•  Information for post-secondary planning and financial aid: https://www.pheaa.org/college-planning/education-planner/
•  College search tools, scholarship searches, pages of articles about choosing a college, getting into the college you want, how   to pay for it, and much more. Also a discussion community related to college admissions: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/.
•  Explore Advanced Placement (AP) information and courses: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/.
•  Assess career interests, college information, career acquisition and more: www.pacareerzone.org.
• O*Net has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, students, and more: http://www.onetonline.org/.
•  The Bureau of Labor Statistics website. The profiles featured here cover hundreds of occupations and describe What They Do, Work Environment, How to Become One, Pay, and more. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm
•   US News and World Report College Information: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
•   US News and World Report Education information section: http://www.usnews.com/education.
•   The purpose of this website is to provide youth, young adults, parents, and professionals with secondary transition resources to facilitate a young person’s progress toward the attainment of post-secondary goals related to education, employment, and community living. : http://www.secondarytransition.org/
•   College and Career Planning: https://www.collegecareerlife.net/
•   Interest and Career Exploration: http://www.mynextmove.org/
•   Learn about Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities: www.passhe.edu
•   Information on financial aid, interest surveys, and more: www.educationplanner.org
•   For free SAT prep and practice, visit: http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/ for practice tests, question of the day, SAT Skills       Insight, and more
•   Great website for information on college majors: http://collegemajors101.com
•   Information for the union building trades’ apprenticeship programs: www.buildersguild.org
•  For help with college searching and scholarships, please visit: www.questbridge.org.  
•  www.studentaid.ed.gov/collprep is the College Preparation Checklist.  This explains how to prepare academically and financially for college through “to do” lists aimed at elementary and secondary school students and their parents, as well as adult students.
•   Young men who are 18 years of age or will soon turn 18 must remember to register with Selective Service.  This is a requirement for financial aid.  Registration can be done online at: www.sss.gov.