East Lawrence High School
55 County Road 370
Trinity, AL 35673
(256) 905-2430
Counselor – Leisa Turner
lturner@lawrenceal.org
Office: (256) 905-2430 ext. 14
Registrar – Amanda Letson
aletson@lawrenceal.org
Office: (256) 905-2430 ext. 15
Guidance Office Fax # (256) 905-2478
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Each student can be excused for up to 2 days
(1st Semester only).
Students must pick up a college visit form from
Mrs. Sizemore for the absence to be EXCUSED.
The college representative must complete and sign the
form while the student is touring that day.
Students must turn in the completed form to Mrs. Morris
in the front office the next school day.
Students must schedule a tour with the college. Many
colleges on give tours on certain days of the week. It is
the student’s responsibility to schedule a campus visit if
they choose to.
Students will not be able to use a college day in the
second semester.
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September
Finalize Resume & ask 3 People for a letter of
recommendation. (make copies to keep on file)
Apply to colleges and complete scholarship
applications
Register for the ACT
October
 Search for scholarships online
 Fill out scholarships from Counselor
 Schedule College Visits
 Order Senior Graduation Supplies
 Continue to keep grades up
 Take ACT –Test Date October 27, 2012
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November
 Search for scholarships online
 Fill out scholarships from Counselor
 Schedule College Visits
 Retake ACT in December (8th)
Application & Scholarship Deadlines for UNA,
UAB, JSU, Alabama, Auburn, UAH is
December 1st.
December
 Continue Scholarship Search
Get Transcript copies to mail our over Holidays
January
 Continue Scholarship Search
 Get Income Taxes completed ASAP
 Income Taxes must be filed with FAFSA to be
eligible for Pell Grants and Loans before March
1st deadline
 www.fafsa.ed.gov to request a PIN number for
student and separate PIN number for parents
to use when electronically signing the FAFSA
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February
Continue scholarship search
(there will still be several left to apply for)
Start looking at dorms, housing arrangements, and
meal plans for colleges if you will be living on
campus
March
 You should start receiving scholarship offers and
acceptance letters from March-May
 Keep grades up
 Pass Graduation Exams (none of this matters if you don’t graduate)
 You generally have until May 1st to decide about
accepting scholarships if you ask for an extension.
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April
 Most scholarship awards are out by the end of April or the
first week of May.
 You need to look at how much money you are receiving
from each school and make a decision on where you want to
attend college.
 Apply for housing of your choice
 Colleges should send info about orientation/registration to
you directly.
 Keep grades up
May
 Turn in a copy of all scholarship awards you are offered to
the counselor’s office BEFORE Awards Day. Even if you are
not attending college there we still need a copy of your
award letter.
 Tell us where to send your final transcript to after
graduation
 NOW REST and enjoy your summer 
 And Parents – Pass the tissue – Your baby has graduated!!
ACT Registration – www.actstudent.org
ELHS school code – 012-659
Pell Grants/Student Loans
www.fafsa.ed.gov
Scholarship Search
www.fastweb.com www.schoolsoup.com
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There are free waivers available for the ACT if you
are a junior or senior and have not already used
one. You must meet one of the following to
qualify:
Family receives public assistance
Student is a ward of the state or resides in a foster home or is
homeless
Student receive free or reduced lunch
Meets the following income guidelines
 2 person family – maximum income of
 3 person family – maximum income of
 4 person family – maximum income of
 5 person family – maximum income of
 6 person family – maximum income of
$27,214
$34,281
$41,348
$48, 415
$55,482
 After the fee waiver is filled out, make a copy before you
mail it and the copy can be sent to Alabama Colleges in lieu
of an application fee.
ACT T est Date
Regul ar Deadl i ne
Lat e Fee Requir ed
September 8, 2012
August 17, 2012
August 18 -2 4 , 2 0 12
Sept ember 2 2 -
October 27, 2012 September 21, 2012
Oct ober 5 , 2 0 12
December 8, 2012 November 2, 2012 November 3 -16 , 2 0 12
Febr uar y 9, 2013
Januar y 11, 2013
Jan uary 12 -18 , 2 0 13
Apr i l 13, 2013
Mar ch 8, 2013
March 9 -2 2 , 2 0 13
June 8, 2013
May 3, 2013
May 4 -17 , 2 0 13
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The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the only way to apply for federal
student aid. The schools you list on your application will use FAFSA information to evaluate your
financial need and determine how much federal aid you are eligible to receive. Many states and
colleges also use information from your FAFSA to provide their own financial aid.
Each January, the FAFSA is available for the upcoming school year. It is best to fill it out as early as
you can because some aid is first come, first served.
When you complete the FAFSA, you’ll need to provide personal and tax information. If you’ve filed
your taxes already, you may be able to automatically retrieve the information from the IRS. If you
haven’t, just estimate your tax information and update it later.
Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. Make sure to fill out and submit the FAFSA each year
you are in college.
After you submit your FAFSA, you’ll receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR summarizes
the information in your FAFSA. Review it and make corrections if needed.
Your FAFSA helps your school determine the types of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.
Types of Federal Student Aid
As the largest provider of financial aid, the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student
Aid provides grants, loans, and work-study funds.
Grants: Grants are free money that do not have to be repaid.
Loans: Student loans are real loans (like a car or home loan) that need to be repaid with interest.
Work-Study: A work-study job gives you the opportunity to earn money to help pay your educational
expenses.
Award
Your award letter explains the combination of federal grants, loans, and work-study a college is
offering you. The offer might also contain state and institutional aid. If you receive award letters from
multiple colleges or career schools, you should compare them and decide which school works best for
you.
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Glossary
State Aid
Financial aid from a student's state of legal residence.
Financial Aid Office
The office at a college or career school that is responsible for preparing and communicating information on financial
aid. This office helps students apply for and receive student loans, grant...
FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Financial Need
The difference between the cost of attendance (COA) at a school and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). While
COA varies from school to school, your EFC does not change based on the school...
Student Aid Report (SAR)
A summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA. You receive this report (often called the SAR) via e-mail a
few days after your FAFSA has been processed or by mail within 7-10 days ...
Work-Study
A federal student aid program that provides part-time employment while you are enrolled in school to help pay your
education expenses.
Interest
A loan expense charged for the use of borrowed money. Interest is paid by a borrower to a lender. The expense is
calculated as a percentage of the unpaid principal amount of the loan.
Award Letter
An offer from a college or career school that states the type and amount of financial aid the school is willing to provide if
you accept admission and register to take classes at that school.
Loan Servicer
A company that collects payments on a loan, responds to customer service inquiries, and performs other administrative
tasks associated with maintaining a loan on behalf of a lender. If you're...
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You can fill out the June 12- July 1 FAFSA for the
Jump Start Program for the summer term of 2013.
If you qualify for a Pell Grant you get classes for
free and if you don’t qualify they will give you one
free class just for trying.
This FAFSA will only be good for the summer 2013
(which will require your 2011 tax documents)
You must still complete a FAFSA for the 2013/14
school year. (which needs to be done ASAP when you get your
2012 taxes complete)
Young Men must register with the Selective Service to be eligible for
any Federal Assistance for College. You can register at age 17 but
must be registered by the age of 18.
The FAFSA will ask if you have registered with the Selective Service.
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We will post scholarship info on the school webpage:
Guidance – Forms Section
Mrs. Sizemore will also have some available to pick
up in her classroom as we receive them.
GET online and search for scholarships. You can
Google specific or general scholarships.
i.e. Scholarships for: American Indian women majoring in chemistry,
Nursing students, Females majoring in engineering…
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You can create an account at www.fastweb.com and
it will help find scholarships.
The Decatur Daily has a section for scholarships
during certain times of the year.
We do not receive scholarship announcements very
much. So, please help your student search the web
for scholarships often.
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Read the applications, turn in exactly what
they ask for, and turn them in ON TIME!
You will need letters of recommendation for
most everything.
Students need to find 3 teachers, friends,
previous employers, or church members to
write a letter of recommendation for
scholarships. Keep copies so they can reuse
them!
Most teachers need a 2 WEEK NOTICE before
you need it. They need a copy of your resume
so they can write the letter of recommendation.
Financial Aid Web Resources
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www.fafsa.ed.gov official website to apply for financial aid
www.finaid.org : explanations of different types of financial aid,
glossary of terms, calculators for estimating college costs and
financial aid.
www.studentaid.ed.gov : site for U.S. Department of Education;
has resources and suggestions for every step of the process,
downloadable federal student aid publications, links to
information about financial aid programs in each state.
www.nasfaa.org/ParentsStudents : Web site for the National
Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, features online financial aid brochures (some in Spanish), worksheets, and
checklists.
www.fastweb.com : Searchable database of more than 600,000
scholarships
www.scholarships.com: searchable database of scholarships
college-financial-aid-advice.com provides scholarship listings
www.alstudentaid.com provides college / financial information
for Ala. colleges
*Never pay for scholarship searches! All these are free resources.
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A high school student who plans on playing a sport or hopes to receive an athletic scholarship at a
Division I or II college must meet specific academic requirements as set forth by the NCAA.
A student must have at least a 2.0 GPA in 14 core academic courses and the required SAT or ACT
score. To initiate the eligibility process, athletes must complete the NCAA Clearinghouse Student
Release Form at the end of their junior year. Additionally, students should have their SAT or ACT
test scores forwarded directly to the Clearinghouse (this is Code 9999 on the ACT score recipient
list).
To register with the NCAA Clearinghouse, fill out the online form at www.eligibilitycenter.org.
There is a fee associated with registering with NCAA, but fee waivers are allowed for students who
are on free or reduced lunch or who are in Upward Bound or Talent Search. Please notify the
Guidance Office if you have indicated a need for a fee waiver on your NCAA registration.
For questions about whether your transcript, student release form, etc. were received, or about when
you will be cleared, call the automated system at 877-861-3003. You will need your Personal
Identification Number (PIN) and Social Security Number.
If you’ve misplaced your PIN number or if you need other information, you may contact the
Clearinghouse at:
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Customer Service:
24-hour Voice Response:
Fax:
Mail:
877-262-1492
877-861-3003
319-337-1556
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Office Hours:
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(NCAA Guidelines - Taken from www.eligibilitycenter.org)
Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse
2255 N. Dubuque Road
P.O. Box 4044
Iowa City, IA 52243-4044
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Scholarship
Description
$$
Deadline
Contact
Better Business Bureau
Torch 2012
Leadership, Community
Service, Academics,
Essay
$1,000
September 28
northalabama.bbb.org/scholarship
*for juniors and seniors
Wendy’s High School
Heisman
Student athlete with at
least a B average
varies
October 2
www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com
Horatio Alger
Perseverance through
adversity, need, GPA
2.0+
$5,000 to $20,000
Oct 25
horatioalger.org/scholarships
*Mrs. Martin must certify all applicants
Coca-Cola Scholars
Leadership, Need, 3.0
GPA
Up to $20,000
Oct 31
www.coca-colascholars.org
Prudential Spirit of
Community
Significant volunteer /
$1000
comm service (Grades 5-12) and a trip to DC
TBA
www.prudential.com/spirit.
Auburn College of
of Agriculture
Plan to study Ag at
varies
January 2012,
but admitted by
Dec.
www.ag.auburn.edu
Click Future Students, then
Scholarships….
AnyCollege.com
drawing)
4 drawing periods
$1500
Sept 30, Dec 31,
Mar 31, June 30
Anycollege.com—
you can sign up during each drawing
period
Scholarship
AnyCollege.com
Description
4 drawing periods
$$
$1,500
Deadline
Sept 30, Dec 31, Mar 31, Anycollege.com—
June 30
drawing)
Scholarship points
drawing
Contact
you can sign up during
each drawing period
Monthly drawings
$10,000 drawings
Megan Meier Foundation 2.5 GPA; rec letter; essay Not listed
(bullying
awareness/prevention
Sept 13 for this month’s Scholarshippoints.com
drawing
16-Nov
www.meganmeierfoundati
on.org
Have a wonderful evening!