Scholarship/Financial Aid Information High School Seniors
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Scholarship/Financial Aid Information High School Seniors Activity Description: This protocol describes the counselor’s role in facilitating the scholarship and financial aid process in high school. It is important to have a process that ensures counselors are knowledgeable of scholarships (both local and national) and the financial aid process. This protocol outlines how counselors will maintain scholarship and financial aid information and a process for facilitating, promoting, and providing scholarship and financial aid information for students. It also outlines how to coordinate information and activities to promote and/or educate students and parents. The protocol also provides best practices for coordinating student and parent workshops/seminars and for disseminating and distributing financial aid and scholarship information. This protocol provides best practices for working with a school/community committee to assist with coordinating the process of providing scholarships and creating a consolidated process for applying for local scholarships and provides guidelines for training staff and teachers to support the scholarships and financial aid process. School Counselor Performance Standard 2: Program Delivery: The professional school counselor facilitates delivery of the WV Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program for all students. Function 2F – STUDENT SUPPORTS: The professional school counselor assists in developing comprehensive student supports within the school and community to support academic, career, and personal/social development of all students. GOAL: The school counselor facilitates a systemic approach to the scholarship and financial aid process for all students in a knowledgeable, succinct, and deliberate manner. Rationale: Many students rely on financial aid and scholarships to fund post‐secondary options in order to attain their goals and aspirations. It is important that every senior complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and that students are knowledgeable about applying for scholarship and are guided through a process of identifying potential scholarships throughout high school. Multiple scholarship opportunities exist for students and in today’s economy it is essential that there is a deliberate process in place that ensures opportunities for all students to research and apply for financial aid and scholarships. It is important for the school counselor to have a deliberate process in place that allows students to access information and apply for scholarships and financial aid. Materials: CR = Counselor Resource CR1: Links to WV Post‐Secondary website (financial aid/scholarship links) 2. CR 2: Counselor Timeline for Senior Scholarships and Financial Aid 3. School’s list of local, state, and national scholarships 4. “FAFSA on the Web Worksheet” (www.fafsa.ed.gov) 1. 1 Lead Developer: Pier Bocchini, Parkersburg South High School; Approved by State Protocol Committee – June 2010 (Revised by Barbara Ashcraft, WVDE Coordinator – Office of School Improvement – October 2010) 5. “Federal Student Aid at a Glance,” handouts from http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp 6. www.cfwv.com (Promotional materials with information on how to access) 7. Academic Common Market (http://www.sreb.org/programs/acm/acmindex.aspx); any other appropriate materials 8. American Education Service – AES Mentor ‐ http://www.aesmentor.org 9. Sample scholarship calendar (for students) 10. Promise Scholarship Information Procedures: 1. Create scholarship/financial aid packet for all students (Senior Checklist, Promise Scholarship, local, state national scholarship information, and school process for applying for scholarships and post‐secondary programs, www.cfwv.com promotional materials information, American Education Service – AES Mentor ‐ http://www.aesmentor.org free brochures, etc.) 2. Conduct senior class meetings a. Distribute packets b. Discuss scholarship information (where information will be located, etc.), c. Distribute and scholarship/financial aid timeline that will guide parents through the application process. d. Distribute school/community specific scholarship information e. provide information on relevant websites where students may begin searching for scholarships. f. Provide handouts on websites for WV Colleges and Universities. g. Distribute any other information deemed necessary for your particular school (school awards, senior awards process/assemblies). 4. During individual senior conference review financial aid and scholarship resources. 5. Take students to computer lab a. Register for an account on www.cfwv.com (if they don’t have one) b. show students how to complete application for PRO c. Complete “FAFSA on the Web Worksheet” (www.fafsa.ed.gov) d. (December) ‐ apply for and receive PIN for FAFSA 6. November ‐ Contact financial aid director from college and/or WVHEPC to set up date to talk to parents/students concerning FAFSA (financial aid evening workshop) and provide technical assistance. 7. November ‐ Contact WVHEPC to set up date and assist parents/students to complete FAFSA on the web and all that applies – afternoon through evening (optional) 2 Lead Developer: Pier Bocchini, Parkersburg South High School; Approved by State Protocol Committee – June 2010 (Revised by Barbara Ashcraft, WVDE Coordinator – Office of School Improvement – October 2010) 8. December – January: Hold financial aid workshop for students. 9. Post scholarship opportunities in daily bulletin, announcements, senior teacher classrooms, on Internet, and in counseling office 10. Create school scholarship committee to devise a plan for creating and disseminating school‐specific scholarships in which the school chooses recipients to encourage high levels of performance (math, science, art, etc.) This committee will seek community sponsors for these awards. 11. Create community scholarship committee to devise a plan for disseminating and promoting new community‐specific scholarships and to create a stream‐lined consolidated process that allows students to easily apply for scholarships (consolidated application packet with one deadline). NEXT STEPS… 12. Create a process in the school to educate students, faculty and parents concerning financial aid and scholarship information. a. Promise Scholarship requirements b. Qualifications for scholarships (academic merit, curriculum specific, technology, skills, volunteerism, etc.) c. resources for discovery: websites to help students begin exploring and learning about financial aid and scholarships d. Process for goal setting for attaining scholarships for post‐secondary choices. 13. Collaborate with middle school counselors to educate them to work with students concerning financial aid and scholarship information. a. Promise Scholarship requirements b. Qualifications for scholarships (academic merit, curriculum specific, technology, skills, volunteerism, etc.) c. resources for discovery: websites to help students begin exploring and learning about financial aid and scholarships d. Process for goal setting for attaining scholarships for post‐secondary choices. Resources Available to Include in Financial Aid packet: “FAFSA On The Web Worksheet” – www.fafsa.gov “West Virginia’s Guide to Student Aid” by American Education Services “Do You Need Money For College?” by Federal Student Aid Information Center “Save Your Money, Save Your Identity” by Federal Student Aid Information Center “How To Get Money for College” by Woodburn Press Links: FAFSA Application: www.fafsa.ed.gov 3 Lead Developer: Pier Bocchini, Parkersburg South High School; Approved by State Protocol Committee – June 2010 (Revised by Barbara Ashcraft, WVDE Coordinator – Office of School Improvement – October 2010) More Links: West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship application: http://www.cfwv.com/applications/west_virginia_financial_aid/apply.html? West Virginia Higher Ed. Policy Commission: http://wvhepcnew.wvnet.edu/ Scholarships.com: http://www.scholarships.com/ Fastweb: http://www.fastweb.com/ Academic Common Market: (http://www.sreb.org/programs/acm/acmindex.aspx Local Foundations: Beckley Area Foundation Link: http://www.beckleyareafoundation.com/id21.html Greater Kanawha Foundation: http://www.tgkvf.org/ Parkersburg Area Community Foundation: http://www.pacfwv.com/ 4 Lead Developer: Pier Bocchini, Parkersburg South High School; Approved by State Protocol Committee – June 2010 (Revised by Barbara Ashcraft, WVDE Coordinator – Office of School Improvement – October 2010)
