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SENIORS and Parents: Its FAFSA Time-

January 1st 2012 is the first day that you can fill out the FAFSA (Free Application For Student Aid) found at fafsa.ed.gov. This form allows the government to determine how much financial need the student and their family has by determining their EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) or how much the government determines a family is able to contribute to their child's education. The cost of attendance of the school (total cost per year including tuition, fees, room and board (if applicable), estimated books and travel costs) - EFC = Need, financial aid is used to fill this need. The Federal and State governments uses this information to give out grants (money you don't have to pay back) . The government then sends its results to the individual colleges the student has indicated their interest in on the FAFSA and the colleges themselves give out additional grants, scholarships and then fill the rest of with federally backed loans (money you do have to pay back). Each school will send a student their own financial aid summary shortly after your FAFSA is processed and then a family can see how much each college will actually cost them and compare the colleges they are considering.

The FAFSA uses income tax information to determine all of this, you can use your completed 2011 taxes or estimates based on last years taxes and this year's gross income. You will also need a PIN number for both the student and one parent, this will serve as your electronic signature, you can apply for one online at pin.ed.gov.  You must  have this form submitted by MARCH 1st, and at some colleges the deadline is even earlier so it is important to start this process as close to January 1st as possible!

FAFSA Worksheet- the worksheet walks you through all the questions that the FAFSA may ask you, if you can fill this out you can fill out the FAFSA. For a list of documents and information that you will have to gather in order to fill out the FAFSA, click here

Federal and State Student Aid Programs- These two charts show a complete listing of the aid programs available through the State of Michigan and the Federal government, this covers every source of aid but scholarships and college-specific aid

College Goal Sunday- MCC will be hosting College Goal Sunday on February 12th, from 2-4pm, this nation wide programs offers FREE expert assistance in filling out your FAFSA. This is a great opportunity for those who have never filed before, or if you just want to make sure you got everything right.

College Search!

The Michigan College Access Portal is a free site where students and parents can search for colleges in Michigan. You can search colleges by major, location, cost, ect. Also there is financial aid information, scholarship searches, and interest quizzes that will help you pick the college that is right for you.

ACT TESTS

Juniors- The MME is less than a month away, it is time to start studying for the ACT!!! Practice will help refresh your memory about what you learned last tri in your ACT Prep class. The sites below can be very helpful. Starting Feb. 21st there will be after school ACT study sessions in the Library from 2:45 to 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the test. We will do timed practice and go over the questions together, specifically focusing on the Science section, which you did not cover in your Prep class.

Seniors- if you are unhappy with your ACT score or you want a better chance at scholarships, retake the ACT. Its $34 and it is given multiple times a year. Give it a chance, most students get a better score the second time around.

http://www.actstudent.org/ - sign up here!

For more information on standardize testing in general and its affect on college admissions, click here

Want to study for the ACT?

 Here are a few sites that are great for preparing for the ACT, and you should prepare, it's a very important test for your future.

This site has free practice questions. If you get the answer wrong the first time, it explains the rules that relate to the question and allows you to try again. Its a great way to practice your skills.

This has 4 full ACT section tests for each section, including the writing section, that are timed and scored. It's a great way to make sure you have the timing figured out. When you register, use your student number as your username.

Scholarship Search!

It is never too early or too late to start searching for scholarships. Here are a few sites that can help.

This website is a free search engine for scholarships. Just fill out the profile with your interests and accomplishments and they will help you find scholarships you might qualify for.

 http://www.cffmc.org/receive/scholarship  

The local community foundation has a bunch of great scholarships and its only for Muskegon County. Check it out!

http://www.gerberfoundation.org/

The Gerber Foundation Merit Scholarship is a $2,300 scholarship available to graduating seniors from Muskegon and Newago counties. Students must have a 3.7 GPA or BELOW to qualify.

 For a quick list of local scholarships, click here

 If you want to check out grants available specifically for your major, click here