DestinationCollege2018
Crosby Scholars Senior Newsletter, December 2017
Our Mission
We will assist public middle and high school students in Forsyth County in preparing themselves for successful college enrollment.
Our Vision
We seek to ensure that every public school student in Forsyth County has the opportunity to attend college.
Important Dates:
December 2: Jaycee's Holiday Parade
December 2: SAT Test Date
December 7: CSA #17B Scholarships: Seeking Additional Funding For Your Education WEBINARDecember 9: ACT Test Date
December 12: CSA #18 Taking a Gap Year WEBINAR
December 23-January 2: Crosby Scholars Office Closed
January 1: Winston-Salem Foundation Scholarship Applications Open
Don’t Let Senior-itis de-rail your plans!
Offers of admission are conditional upon review of your final transcript. Keep performing at the same competitive level throughout the school year so your grades do not drop. Many colleges will review both your mid-year grades and final transcript and may revoke your offer of admission if you have performed below the college’s acceptable standards. So, keep working hard through your final exams!
Do Something a Little Extra for Someone
The Holiday Season is the perfect time to spread joy and serve in the community! Submit your form as soon as you volunteer for two hours, but no later than January 31, 2018. You can upload your form to the documents page of your Crosby Scholars Student Portal or take a picture of your form and e-mail it to the Senior Program. View the volunteer opportunities highlighted on our website. Check your Crosby Scholars Student Portal to confirm your community service status! As of November 27, only 484 seniors have submitted a form!
The December Timeline for Success is Posted in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal!
The Winston-Salem Foundation Offers Scholarships
The Winston-Salem Foundation's Student Aid program - the online scholarship application process opens up soon! Check out their website to learn more about the many student aid opportunities that the Foundation offers. The one-stop application process will open online on January 1, and most applications for merit-based scholarships have an April 1 deadline. You'll also find information about scholarships administered by independent committees. It’s never too early to start looking and applying for scholarships!
DREAMer's Roadmap
Dreamer's Roadmap is a national non-profit mobile application that helps undocumented students find scholarships for college. The app was started by Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, a first-generation, undocumented student. She graduated with a two year degree and decided she wanted to create a resource to help undocumented students find the funding they needed to achieve their dreams of attending college.
Espinoza Salamanca was recently featured in Forbes, She Has A Dream: College Scholarships For Undocumented Students.
The DREAMer's Roadmap website has more about the organization, app, and scholarship postings.
Don't Leave Free Federal Grant Money on the Table
Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA can seem intimidating, confusing or even just too time-consuming. However, the advantages of powering through and submitting a FAFSA far outweigh the temporary frustration or anxiety felt during the process. Recent studies show that the High School Class of 2017 left as much as $2.3 Billion in free Federal Grant money unclaimed due to not filling out a FAFSA, or incorrectly submitting the form. Many parents mistakenly believe they make too much money and therefore will not qualify for Federal Aid, and so they choose not to submit a FAFSA. While some families are correct in assuming that they are not Pell eligible, many others are and would have qualified for at least some Pell Grant funding if they had submitted a FAFSA.
In the 2016-17 academic year 1,234,249 high school graduates did not fill out the FAFSA. Of these grads, 648,191 of them would have been Pell eligible. By submitting the FAFSA, these graduates could have earned Pell Grant money. Skipping the FAFSA not only means that you could be missing out on free Federal Grant money, but that you may need to make up those costs by spending savings or increasing student loan debt through high interest private loans.
Do not assume you are not eligible for free Federal Grant money. Submit the FAFSA as early as possible to understand your eligibility for Federal Student Aid.
Common FAFSA Mistakes
- Not Completing the FAFSA
- Not Using the Correct Website (use https://fafsa.gov/)
- Not Getting an FSA ID ahead of Time (username & password you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education websites)
- Waiting to Fill Out FAFSA After Filing Taxes - Now that you're required to use 2016 tax information, you have no excuse to wait.
- Not Filing by Deadline (check all school deadlines HERE)
- Not Using Your FSA ID to Start the FAFSA - a lot of your information will be automatically loaded into your application
- Not Reading Definitions Carefully -- don't rush through Household size or Legal Guardianship (include yourself in number of Family Members in College)
- Inputting Incorrect Info -- confusing student/parent info, entering wrong name, entering wrong SSN, amount of income tax
- Not Reporting Parent Info (Who's My Parent Chart)
- Listing only ONE College (List them ALL) - You can list up to 10 colleges.
- Not Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool -- It's available NOW!
- Not Signing the FAFSA
Senior in the Spotlight
It’s the most important year of your high school career! We’d love to hear about any exciting news or great accomplishments you’ve achieved this year. Share your accomplishments with us at seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org and we’ll give you a shout-out on our social media outlets! (Parents: you can share your senior's accomplishments with us!)
#CrosbySrSpotlight
Earn a CSA Credit from Home!
CFNC's Financial Basics for High School and Beyond can be completed as a CSA credit. You must submit your scores by January 7, 2018. This online opportunity will allow you to earn one CSA credit. You are welcome to complete all modules; however, you must complete six (6) of the following approved modules to receive credit for one senior academy. A scholar who completes 12 modules will NOT earn two academy credits.
Choices About Money
Managing Financial Accounts
Education and Financial Success
Protecting Your Financial Identity
Earning a Living
Recognizing Financial Problems
Smart Spending
Renting an Apartment
Borrowing and Credit
Planning for Your Financial Future
Financial Services
Protecting Your Success With Insurance
Pay attention to this list as CFNC does offer modules that are not approved for academy credit. You must achieve a score of 80% or better on each module to count that module toward your academy credit. The instructions on how to apply for academy credit are outlined in your Crosby Scholars student portal. Students who complete the course (all 15 modules) will be automatically entered in CFNC's $500 college scholarship drawing. Visit cfnc.org for details about their scholarship.
CSA #7 is one of the final opportunities remaining to earn one CSA credit. All seniors must earn two CSA credits to fulfill the requirement.
Six Myths About Choosing a College Major - NY Times
Feeling pressure to choose a major on your college applications? Unsure which major will be best for your future? A recent issue of the NY Times - Education Life shared an article about college major myths. According to the Education Department, "30% of students switch majors at least once."
Myth 1: For the big money, STEM always delivers
- It is true that computer science and engineering top all pay rankings, but what if you don't make it to the top of the pay scale? According to the article, "the top quarter of earners who majored in English make more over their lifetimes than the bottom quarter of chemical engineers."
Myth 2: Women want to have it all.
- Women tend to choose majors that segregate them into the lower paying fields, such as education and social services. If the proportion of women in fields where men dominate increased by 10%, the gender pay gap would decrease significantly.
Myth 3: Choice of major matters more than choice of college.
- It's all about networking, these days, jobs are often acquired by knowing the right people to help you get there.
Myth 4: Liberal arts majors are unemployable.
- The competencies that liberal arts majors require, writing, synthesizing information, and problem solving are sought out by many employers. Jobs that require both soft skills and thinking skills have seen the largest growth in employment and pay in the last three decades.
Myth 5: It’s important to choose a major early.
- If you have the option to start college undeclared, it's the best way to explore options for majors and "shop around" to find the best fit for your passions and interests.
Myth 6: You need a major.
- "Majors tend to lag behind the changes in the workplace." While it isn't as widespread, some colleges offer the opportunity to create your own major.
Read the full article here: Six Myths About Choosing a College Major
Don't Be Dismissed
Review the list of Program requirements posted in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal, then compare that list to what you have accomplished (also posted in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal) to confirm what you have left to do!
Conference Notes
There are no official conference notes due in December; however, if you are behind on your notes this is the time to get caught up! Conference Notes 1-3 must be submitted before winter break! Contact your Crosby Scholars Senior Advisor to complete your notes! Your advisor’s e-mail address is listed in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal. When conference notes are past due, they are posted as an alert in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal. Contact the Senior Program if you have a question about your conference notes status.
Parents can monitor their senior’s Crosby Scholars Student Portal, view announcements and events, and confirm if their senior has fulfilled each program requirement by logging in to their Crosby Scholars Parent Portal. If you need assistance accessing your Parent Portal, email seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.or or call our office at 336.725.5371.
Only students who complete the Crosby Scholars Senior Program are eligible to apply for Last Dollar Grants and Crosby scholarships.
Crosby Scholars Community Partnership
Email: seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org
Website: crosbyscholars.org
Location: 2701 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
Phone: 336-725-5371
Facebook: facebook.com/CrosbyScholars
Twitter: @Crosby_Sr2018