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WATKINS MILL HIGH SCHOOL

COLLEGE/CAREER CENTER NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2013

IMPORTANT DATES February 10

February 13

February 22 February 28

April 17

College Goal Maryland FREE help with the FAFSA NAACP/MCPS HBCU College Fair ASVAB at WMHS College Goal Maryland FREE help with the FAFSA Juniors to Mont. Co. College Fair

MC ? Takoma Park 2:00 ? 4:00 p.m. Kennedy H.S. 6 ? 8:00 p.m. 7:30 a.m. ? Media Center MC ? Germantown 4:00 ? 6:00 p.m. Fairgrounds 9:30 a.m. ? 11:30 a.m.

Attention Seniors:

FAFSA

Watkins Mill recommends that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form be completed for all seniors planning to attend college or a career school regardless of family income. Many families mistakenly think they may not qualify for this type of aid based on their income and assets. However, if you choose not to apply for need-based financial aid, you may be closing the door on opportunities that could help you pay for college. There are other sources of financial assistanceavailable regardless of your need, but most require that you first file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The completed FAFSA should be submitted as soon as possible but before March 1, 2013 to be considered for need-based aid fromboth the federal government and the state of Maryland. Some colleges request that the FAFSA be submitted before March 1st, so be sure to adhere to your colleges' financial aid deadlines.

Word of caution: There are many sites which charge a fee for filling out the FAFSA formsuch as . The real site is fafsa.. There is no charge for applying for federal student aid.

Understanding Federal Aid After you'vecompleted the FAFSA, you'll receive a confirmation e-mail letting you know your application has been processed and providing you a link to your Student Aid Report, or SAR. It is important to check the SAR to see if there are any errors. Any errors should be corrected as soon as possible and resubmitted. You'll also be able to view your Expected Family Contibution (EFC), the number that determines your eligibility for federal grants. Fromthere, your information is also sent to the school or schools you indicated on your FAFSA, and they will be who you'll deal with for the rest of the process of applying for and receiving your federal aid.

Behindthe Scenes

When you submit your FAFSA form, the government decides exactly how much aid you qualify for and then determines where the aid will come from. Typically, the aid is drawn from a combination of assistance programs and expects that either the students or the parents also havethe option of taking out a student

loan. A typical financial aid packagemay be comprised of a Pell grant, a state need-based grant, a SEOG, FWS, (Federal Work Study), a direct loan and a Perkins Loan. Students are not obligated to return the money received in the formof grants, however, any funds supplied by loans must be repaid.

There is FREE help available:

College Goal Maryland - February 10 from 2:00 ? 4:00 p.m. at the Montgomery College

Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Student Services Center. (Snow Date 2/17) & February 28 from 4:00 ? 6:00 p.m. (Snow date: 3/7) at Montgomery College Germantown, High Technology and Science Center (HT Building) Financial aid advisors fromthe state of Maryland will be present to help you complete theFAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a FREE event. Bring proof of 2012 income such as estimated federal tax returns and W-2 forms or year-end pay stubs for the student and the parent(s). Bilingual advisors will be present. For more information visit the following website:

Online at fafsa. "Help" buttons on every page of the onlineapplication will take you to additional help. You can also click the "Live Help" button to chat with a customer service representative directly online between the hours of 8 am and midnight EST. For additional help, go to studentaid. to find the online version of Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid. This guide covers a range of topics. You can also get FREEhelp by phonetoll-free between the hours of 8 am and midnight EST by calling 1 800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

Another option for free FAFSA Help:

Contact Ms. Diana Benson fromMontgomery College at either (240) 567-5642 or diana.benson@montgomerycollege.edu

Get an idea of how much federal aid you might receive by using the FAFSA forecaster tool at fafs a4cas ter. .

FAFSA Tips Check out this list of helpful tips fromthe Federal Government.

Selective Service

Male students who are 18 years of age must register by law with Selective Service onlineat within 30 days of their birthday. By not registering, men risk their eligibility for future college loans andgrants, job training, employment, and U.S. citizenshipfor immigrants. Immigrant students without a social security number must register at the Post Office using a paper form.

MARYLAND GUARANTEED ACCESS GRANT - Deadline: March 1, 2013- Seniors who have significant financial need should apply for this Maryland grant that may cover up to $15,500 in college tuition. Income limits are posted on theMHEC website: (A family of four must have income below $29,965). Student must enroll in a 2 or 4 yr college in Maryland, minimum cumulative high school GPA requirement is 2.5 and a completed FAFSA form(fafsa. ) in addition to the Guaranteed Access Grant application must be submitted by March 1, 2013. Students will have to log on to MDCAPS at , createa student account, activatethat account and then log in to complete the application. An official HS transcript (through the Fall semester of their senior year) and a guidance counselor certification formmust also be submitted to make the application complete. Students should see Ms. Jimenezin the Counseling Office to request the transcript and the completion of the

counselor certification form. Watkins Mill will then mail out the official transcript and certification formto the MHEC.

More than 35 schools have replaced loans with scholarships, grants andpaid work-study positions in an effort to recruit high-achieving, economically disadvantaged students and to increase economic -and, indirectly, racial -- diversity. Some of the schools that have replaced loans with grants include: Colby, Amherst, Vanderbilt, Harvard, Bowdoin, Wellesley, and Vassar. Go to

to see the complete list.

Colleges With Free Tuition!! More than a dozen colleges offer free tuition to all students. The colleges don't charge any tuition, but most do charge for roomand board and there are other incidental expenses (e.g., books, supplies and equipment, transportation, health insurance, personal expenses), so loans are still required, just not as frequently or as much. Many of these colleges require all students to work. Several of these colleges are located in rural and remote areas.

These colleges include Alice Lloyd College (KY), Barclay College (KS), Berea College (KY), College of the Ozarks (MO), Cooper Union (NY), Curtis Instituteof Music (PA), Deep Springs College (CA), Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (MA), Saint Louis Christian College (MO), Webb Institute (NY), William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY (NY) and Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades (PA).

The various Armed Forces colleges, including the US Military Academy (West Point, NY), US Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) and US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY), do not chargeany tuition.

The Central ScholarshipBureau is a privately funded, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to post-secondary education to students fromMaryland. CSB offers interest-freeloans and competitive scholarships andgrants to qualified students to helpmeet the costs of college, professional or vocational training. There are no application fees or loan fees. Loans are interest free for the life of the loan. Applicants must be permanent residents of the State of Maryland, but may attend any accredited U.S. college, university or vocational school. They must be full-time students in good academic standing, meet CSB income guidelines and have completed the FAFSA. For more details go to . Deadline to submit the online application is April 1.

INTERNET SOURCES FOR FINANCIAL AID Word of caution: do not pay for scholarships or scholarship searches!

Consult theWatkins Mill College/Career Center webpage, for links to financial aid information and scholarship databases. You can also search for further scholarship and financial aid information at the MCPS College/Career Center website at mcp s .k12.md .u s /curricu lum/careercenter

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Many local and national scholarship opportunities are posted on the Watkins Mill College/Career Center webpage and links to theapplication form& eligibility criteria are included when offered. Go to , click on "Career Center." Some

scholarship forms are not available onlinebut can be found in the College/Career Center scholarship bin. See Mrs. Prochnow for assistance.

Minority ScholarshipInformation A list of scholarships that target minority students has been posted on the Watkins Mill H.S. webpage for your convenience. To view the document online, go to: and click on "Career Center." Look on the left side for "Scholarships for Minority Students."

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS:

BERNIE SCHOLARSHIP This scholarship is for high school seniors who live in HOC housing with a family income of less than $60,000/yr. Eligible students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and reside in Montgomery County. Scholarship applications are available in the Career Center and two recommendations must be provided along with the completed application. Award amount: $1,000 ? 1,500. For more information:

. Deadline: April 8, 2013

NAACP SCHOLARSHIP The Montgomery County branch of the NAACP is offering $1000 scholarships to high school seniors who have at least a 3.0 cum weighted GPA. Students must participate in extracurricular activities, faith-based, religious-based, or volunteer activities. Students must write a 300 word essay on "Reaffirming America's Promise" and also write a three to 4 paragraph narrative about the applicant. An official transcript and two letters of recommendation, one of which must be fromthe school counselor, must also accompany the application. Students also need to submit a wallet-sized photograph which can be emailed to Judy_Docca@ Applications can be found in the College/Career Center and if turned in to Mrs. Prochnow by Feb. 19, she will turn in to the organization by the official Feb. 22 deadline.

DELEGATE & SENATORIAL LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIPS ? Both Delegate Kirill Reznik and Senator King offer $1000 scholarships to students who live in District 39. To locate your state legislative district, go to

Senator King offers scholarships to seniors who plan to enroll in a 2 or 4 yr public or private college or university in Maryland. Student/parent must completethe FAFSA by 3/1/13 and complete the one page scholarship application for the senator and return it with the SAR (Student Aid Report) fromthe FAFSA to Mrs. Prochnow. Senator King's scholarships are automatically renewable each year for a total of $4000.

Delegate Reznik offers scholarships to seniors who will attend 2 or 4 year public colleges/universities in Maryland. Submitting a FAFSA is not a requirement for DelegateReznik, although students must be U.S. citizens/perm. residents. The student must complete the one page scholarship application fromthe Delegate and return it to Mrs. Prochnow. Delegate Reznik's scholarships are for one year but can be renewed for additional years if students reapply.

Applications for both Senator King's and DelegateReznik's scholarships will be available around midMarch and will be in the College/Career Center with the deadline TBD. Scholarship winners will be announced at the Awards Night Ceremony on May 23, 2013.

Senator Forehand has started accepting Senatorial Scholarship applications for the 2013-2014 academic year from students residing in District 17. To locate your state legislativedistrict, go to

Students can refer to Senator Forehand's website, , for the application and list of

items that need to be submitted. The Senatorial Scholarship application and required accompanying items need to be received in Senator Forehand's Annapolis office by May 3, 2013.

Each year, The WATKINS MILL PTSA/BoosterCluboffers a SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM to seniors at WMHS. Students complete oneapplication to be considered for many different scholarships. Applications will be made available later this spring and will be in the College/Career Center. Students must be PTSA/Booster Club members to complete the scholarship application. Membership is $5. Membership forms can be found on theWMHS homepage.

SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS -- be on the lookout!

Have you received a telephonecall or letter offering assistancein finding scholarship money? Often it involves a "free" meeting with a financial aid consultant. BEWARE! Many times these services cost between $500-$1,000 for scholarship searches that you can do on line yourself for free. Here are some traps to avoid: "You've been selected" by a 'national foundation' to receivea scholarship..." or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered. "The Scholarship will cost some money." "We'll do all the work." "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship." "You can't get this information anywhere else." "Thescholarship is guaranteed or your money back." REMEMBER: no one can guaranteeyou a scholarship! Students must apply for scholarships themselves. No one elsecan enter competitions or write essays for you. Never give out your credit card or bank account information unless you have initiated the contact. For more info. or to report a scam, contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP or .

MONTGOMERY COLLEGE DEADLINES

Seniors planning to attend Montgomery College next fall can apply for admission online at montgomerycollege.edu/apply . Students who apply BEFORE MARCH 1 will have the $25 application fee waived. Make sure to select "MCPS high school senior"when asked "Application Type" (Step 2). Save yourself some money ? and apply before March 1.

ASVAB (ARMED SERVICES VOCATIONAL APTITUDE BATTERY)

The ASVAB is a career exploration test administered free to interested tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students. Watkins Mill H.S. will offer the ASVAB on February 22 at 7:30 a.m. The test will be given in the WMHS College/Career Center. The test helps identify the student's interests and aptitude in the following areas: verbal, math, science & technical skills. When theindividual scores are interpreted, students learn how their interests & skills relate to the demands of more than 400 occupations, helping themto identify suitable career options. The ASVAB is an excellent career exploration tool and we encourage students to take it to determine their strengths. Taking theASVAB in no way involves a commitment to the military. MCPS policy: ASVAB results are released only to the student and not to thearmed services. Should a student wish to use his/her ASVAB results as part of an enlistment conversation with a military recruiter, he/she can provide his/her scores to the recruiter. Participants will receive their scores on March 7 at 9:00 a.m. in the WMHS Media Center. Students must have signed parental permission to take the ASVAB. Forms can be found on the Career Center webpage, or see Mrs. Prochnow in the College/Career Center.

COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTS

JUNIORS ? TAKE THE SAT or ACT second semester

The test dates listed below are recommended for college bound juniors. Students should consider taking a prep class and/or practicing online for free to prepare for these tests in advance.

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