STUDENT SERVICES NEWS
October 11, 2021
Class of 2022,
Now that we have made it past our first major transcript deadline, it is time to turn our attention to Financial Aid. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened on October 1 for the 2022-2023 school year. Below I have some helpful resources to support the financial aid process:
1. The most reliable and comprehensive website is studentaid.gov. There is an extensive amount of information, resources, guides, and videos for parents to understand the process.
2. Maryland Higher Education Commission is the website for financial aid for Maryland residents. MHEC has information on sentatorial scholarships, the academic common market, grants, and the promise scholarship.
3. All college and universities are required to have a net price calculator on their websites. Net price calculators are available on a college’s or university’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
4. We are hosting a financial aid workshop on October 27th as one of our March to the Future Events. Come hear from a Financial Aid expert.
5. Check out the US Department of Education College Affordability and Transparency Center. This website has a wealth of information including college financing templates, state spending charts, college financing plans.
6. As you are exploring colleges, always check out their scholarship and financial aid page. Investigate if a) the college meets 100% of need b) if you have to apply separately for scholarships or if your application serves as the scholarship application as well c) you qualify for any special or unique scholarships that the college is offering
7. Learn about Jeff Selingo's Buyers and Sellers and how this idea impacts how you receive financial aid.
8. Know the deadlines to complete the FAFSA. For most colleges in Maryland, they require a completed submission by February 15 or March 1. Deadlines should be posted on the college website.
9. Ask questions!!! Financial Aid counselors at our local colleges and universities are available to help as are school counselors.
Seniors- College Essay Writing Workshops
Need help developing ideas for creative college admissions essays? Interested in having someone read over your rough draft essays? Student Services is offering another Essay Writing Workshop soon. You can register for this event through your STUDENT Naviance account. From the homepage click the Colleges tab, click College Visits, scroll down to locate your event date, and click Register Now to register.
Tuesday, October 12th, 2:10pm in the Media Center
Featuring reps from: Stevenson, University of Maryland - College Park, Saint Mary's College, Towson, Springfield, UMBC
Coppin.png
Open House Oct 16 | 9a.m. - 12p.m.
2500 West North Avenue Baltimore, MD 21216
Coppin State University invites you to Transform your life! Experience everything Coppin during a free interactive, self-guided open house tour of the campus.
You will meet:
Coppin Students & Professors
Admissions & Financial Aid Representatives
Explore:
Undergraduate and Graduate Majors
Housing/Campus Life
Student Support Services
Recreational Sports & Activities
Don’t miss:
Food Truck Festival (Lunch Included)
20% Off Bookstore Purchases
Raffles
Registration Required.
Open House Registration
Esther Productions, Inc is hosting it's 3rd Annual Discovering Me.. Without You Essay Contest.
Esther Productions, Inc. is a Washington, DC-based national nonprofit organization. Founded in 2004, is dedicated to using a variety of vehicles—traditional and nontraditional—to develop communities throughout the United States and Europe. Esther Productions, Inc is hosting it's 3rd Annual Discovering Me.. Without You Essay Contest from September 1, 2021 - October 31, 2021. It is designed for teens ages 14 - 17.
CASH PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED:
Ist Place--- $1,000
2nd Place-- $500
3rd Place-- $200
Honorable Mention--$50
Top essays will be published in a book to be released Spring 2022
The entries will be judged by a team of successful professional leaders.
CONTEST RULES:
Essays must have a cover page with the author’s name, age, home address, email address and name of school.
Essays must also have a title of the essay on all pages; the author's name may not appear on any page other than the cover page.
Essays must be original and use proper citation(s); they cannot contain the words of another person without giving that individual credit within the text of the essay.
Essays must be between 750 words and 1500 words;
Essays must be written in English--the writer should indicate at submission if English is not her native language.
Essays must be typed with 12- point font, doubled spaced, printed only on one side of the paper; essays may be submitted electronically either as a doc. or pdf file
For more information about the contest, visit http://www.estherproductionsinc.com/contest
Ms. Afrika Abney msafrikaabney.weebly.com
Parents- Don't forget about the Wednesday county workshop opportunities open to all families. Below are the next two in the series. To preview all scheduled workshops in the March to the Future/Post Secondary Planning series, click here.
March to the Future
Wednesday, October 13th 7pm
Zoom Link
Rethinking Post High School: Options Beyond a 4-year Degree
As the cost of college continues to increase and the economy changes, students are looking for ways to avoid debt and find successful careers. Jill Altshuler, Instructional Team Leader at Reservoir High School, will provide an overview of the different career opportunities that don’t require a four-year degree. The goal is the arm students with information on the many career opportunities available and push students to rethink how they explore post high school education. After the presentation, HCPSS graduates who chose an alternative path will share how they discovered their path, what they learned and what advice they have to offer! All students grades 9-12 are encouraged to attend to learn about the various career opportunities.
Looking Ahead:
March to the Future
Disability Services in College
Wednesday, October 20th 7pm
Zoom Link
Colleges and universities have vastly different systems for implementing accommodations. Students with a 504 or IEP are encouraged to attend this session to learn how to identify colleges having strong disability programs and learn how to navigate disability services in college. All students in grades 10-12 who have a 504, IEP or documented disability are encouraged to attend.