Scholarships, Financial Aid, & College Planning

Overview of Financial Aid

• The FAFSA– Every student must complete: necessary for grants, loans, AND scholarships– Opens October 1 – It is always free to complete– Needed for college, technical school, trade school, community college

• Scholarships– There are a lot of unused scholarship dollars every year in Collier County– Scholarships are available for a variety of different things- some are for

academic achievement, others are for sports, and you can even get scholarships for being affected by a medical condition or for being a certain height.

– Scholarships exist for just about anything

Resources for Completing the FAFSA

FSW holds a FREE FAFSA completion workshop the second Tuesday of every month from 2-

5pm in Building M at the Collier Campus. You do not have to be going to FSW next year to

attend.

Resources for Completing the FAFSA

We will be holding a FAFSA event during the school day in early February. See your

counselor to sign up. FSW will be present at the workshop to answer all of your FAFSA

questions.Parents are welcome to attend as well, if

available!

What to Do Senior Year

– Fill out the FAFSA ASAP! It is best to fill it out by October 31.

– What types of colleges are affordable for you and your family?

– Who is paying for college? How are you paying? Discuss with your family.

– Pay attention to application deadlines and begin applying.– To request transcripts, fill out a form on the counter in the

counseling department.– Request recommendation letters at least two weeks in

advance (if needed).– Start applying for scholarships. Use sites such as

https://www.swflscholarships.org/, www.raise.me, https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/life/college/100-college-scholarships/ and www.fastweb.com.

Senior Year Continued– Pay attention to deadlines.– Don’t slack off. Your transcripts get sent again at

the end of your senior year, and you could lose acceptance to a college or have a scholarship retracted.

– March/April- Look out for your acceptance letters and financial aid offers. Compare financial aid packages and visit your final choices. Bring your financial aid award letter to your counselor if you need help!

– May 1: final date for commitment and deposit.

Grants, Scholarships, & Loans

• Grants do not need to be paid back. Grants are often need-based.

• Scholarships do not need to be paid back. Usually merit-based. Can be based on grades, extracurricular involvement, special talents, etc.

• Loans do need to be paid back.

The FAFSA

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid• Always complete the FAFSA! • A few colleges also require the College

Scholarship Service Profile application, available through the College Board.

• Notified during the spring of senior year.• Ask college financial aid offices for help.

Award Letters

• Look carefully at award letters.• They may include grants, scholarships, and loans.

Some students don’t realize that loans are listed.• Look beyond the sticker price.• Bring your award letter to your counselor if

you need help figuring it out.

Myths About Paying for College

• Students should find the college that most interests them before they think about financial aid.

• Lots of scholarship money goes unused every year, but it is very difficult to find this money.

• Only wealthy families can afford college.• There is enough financial aid that all qualified

students can attend their college of choice.• The best colleges are the most expensive.• You can borrow an unlimited amount of money to

use towards college tuition.

But I Want to Attend the Best School Possible…

• It is possible to attend a great school that is a good fit financially, academically, and personally, without taking on unmanageabledebt.

Affordability

• More than 30% of students are borrowing well beyond the maximum amount offered through Direct Federal Loans ($27,000).

• Based on a 6% interest rate and a ten-year monthly repayment plan:– $30,000 = $333 per month– $40,000 = $444 per month– $50,000 = $555 per month

• Students with unreasonable debt may find themselves having to put off purchasing a home or car, or marrying.

Affordability

• About 86% of college/university students commute to school; some live off campus, but many live at home.

• 4/10 students begin their college education at a community college.

College Categories• Flagship state schools (in state): University of FL

– Participates in DI athletics. Greater enrollment, more stringent admission requirements.• Non-flagship state schools (in state): Florida Atlantic University, FGCU, Florida State,

etc.– Many have admission requirements similar to flagship school, but some have lower

admission standards. Fewer students.• Flagship state schools (out of state)• Non-flagship state schools (out of state)

– Some attempt to attract students from out of state.• Highly selective private schools: Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Pepperdine, University of

Chicago– Most don’t give much money in merit awards, but some a high amount of assistance for

families with need. Some attempt to meet 100% of assessed need.• Midsize private schools: University of Tampa

– Often offer excellent merit scholarships & need-based grants• Traditional private schools: Stetson, Florida Christian College

– Known to offer excellent merit scholarships.• Community college and/or commuting options: FSW, Lorenzo

Affordability

• Determine which categories are affordable.• Use net price calculators to figure out an

estimated net price of a college.• Don’t count a category out until you choose at

least 2-3 schools from each category and use the schools’ net price calculators.

• Once you figure out the categories that are not affordable, you can focus applying to your favorite schools in the more affordable categories.

How to Save Money in College• Apply for scholarships!• Graduate in 4 years. Or consider 3 years.• Take Dual Enrollment, AP, or AICE classes in High School if you

meet eligibility requirements.• Become a Resident Assistant.• Rent or buy used textbooks.• Consider the cost of graduate school.• Think about post-graduation plans early on.

After Affordability is Assessed…

• Find private scholarships. Database on the website: https://www.swflscholarships.org/

• On or after October 1 of senior year, file the FAFSA.

• If there is a difference in the net price of two similar colleges, some schools can find additional scholarships to lower the net price. Show them the award letters you have received & ask if there are additional programs that you may have missed.

Scholarships

• Your ACT/SAT score & GPA are factors for academic scholarships.

• Athletic scholarships: Student must take specific classes in high school & have certain grades to be eligible to play at NCAA colleges.

• Ask about requirements for renewal.• Search for private scholarships in this order:

workplace, local, regional, national.

Why is it useful to apply for scholarships?

Minimum wage in Florida is currently $8.25 per hour. If you work 15 hours per week, your

paycheck may be around $123 before taxes & deductions are taken out.

A $1,000 scholarship is worth more than 2 months of work if you work 15 hours a week at

minimum wage!

Scholarships• Pay attention to scholarship deadlines. Make

sure you complete the entire application and submit by the deadline.

• The order of priorities in general during senior year is:

1. Look at college applications and scholarships and see what is required.

2. Begin collecting required material.3. Finish FAFSA by October 31.4. Finish college applications in November. Pay attention to

application deadlines. Some are as early as November 1.5. Apply to scholarships throughout the year as they become due.

Scholarships

• Pay attention to scholarship deadlines.• Make sure you complete the ENTIRE application.• Most scholarship applications are due directly to the

organization giving the scholarship.• Colleges have their own individual scholarships.

Check your colleges’ financial aid websites to apply for their own scholarships.

• If you have specific questions about your financial aid, contact your college.

The Scholarship Bulletin BoardThe counseling department has a scholarship board in the hallway. Check

this for scholarship information and deadlines.

The Counter in the Counseling Lobby

Check here for transcript request forms, community service preapproval forms, and SAT/ACT dates & information, etc….

The Scholarship Website/ Resources

The Scholarship Website/Financial Aid Resources

The Scholarship Website

Scholarship Website

Scholarships Available at FSW

Bright Futures & State Scholarships• Bright Futures

– Must complete all regular graduation requirements plus 2 years of the same foreign language

– State scholarship program. There are very specific requirements for each type of scholarship.

• Florida Academic Scholars Award= full scholarship• Florida Medallion Scholars Award= partial scholarship

• Students need to apply at www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org– Must be completed before August 31 of senior year of high school– The vast majority of seniors have already completed this application,

because counselors went into classrooms to help students fill it out.• For more info:

– https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPBFMAIN/SAPBFMAIN

Florida Academic Scholars Award

• Requirements (must meet all requirements):– 3.5 weighted GPA (in core/college prep classes)– 1290 SAT (excludes writing) or 29 ACT – 100 community service hours

• Hours must be preapproved by filling out the preapproval form on the counter in the counseling department lobby

Florida Medallion Scholars Award

• Requirements (must meet all):– 3.0 weighted GPA (in core/college prep classes)– 1170 SAT (excludes writing) or 26 ACT – 75 community service hours

• Must be preapproved

Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award

• Requirements (must meet all):– 3.0 weighted GPA in 16 credits required for

graduation & 3.5 unweighted GPA in 3 credit Career & Tech program

– SAT or ACT or PERT scores:• SAT: 24 on Reading & 25 on Writing, and 24 on Math • ACT: 17 on English, 19 on Reading, and 19 on Math• PERT: 106 on Reading, 103 on Writing, and 114 on

Math

– 30 community service hours

The Founders Fund Scholarship

• 25 scholarships awarded: $2,500• Overview of requirements

– 3.0 GPA requirement– SAT of 920 or ACT of 19– Income Requirement– Letters of recommendation required– Emphasis placed on participation in extra-curricular activities &

community involvement

• Online application:– https://www.swflscholarships.org/finder/search/scholarship/?id=57

Dick DeVoe Buick- CadilacScholarship

• Overview of requirements– $12,000 total scholarship value– 3.0 GPA requirement– 100 community service hours– SAT of 980 or ACT of 21– Essay & Letters of Recommendation– Must be attending a 4 year public university

• February 28 deadline• View application here:

https://www.swflscholarships.org/finder/search/results

Naples Junior Women’s Club• 5 awards at $1,500 each, 1 award at $2,500• Overview:

– 3.0 GPA– Community service hours– Recommendation letters– Essay– Usually due in the spring, but check website for

updates. Application not available yet.• https://www.cfcollier.org/wp-

content/uploads/2013/06/Naples-Junior-Womans-Club-Scholarship-Criteria.pdf

Schulze Family Foundation• 46 renewable $5,000 scholarships• Not as much focus on financial need, there just

needs to be some financial need on the FAFSA• Application period is Jan 2-March 1• Overview:

– Academic achievement and activity in extracurricular & community involvement are taken into consideration

– 3.3 GPA– 22 ACT or 1110 SAT – Not receiving the Pell grant– Will enroll in a 4 year college

• https://www.schulzefamilyfoundation.org/what_we_support/our_focus_areas/education/schulze_family_foundation_college_scholarships/

“Don’t believe that the only school worth attending is one that would not admit you.

Recognize that your own motivation, ambition, and talents, will determine your success more

than the college name on your diploma.” –Alan Krueger