Central Catholic College Counseling
Class of 2021 - January 2021
Request a College Counseling Meeting with Mrs. Martin
College Counseling Meeting Request Form - Here
Class of 2021 To Do List - January 2020
Check Application Portals - Early Action application admission decisions will be coming soon. Check your emails and application portals! You might have good news in your in box!
Financial Aid and Scholarship Awards - Check application portals for financial aid and scholarship awards! Most schools will post awards online prior to mailing award letters.
Update Naviance with Admission Decisions - We love to hear how you did! Email me or update the admission decision for each college in your Naviance list.
College Applications! - Do you have a January or February deadline? Check that you have letters of recommendation in process (if needed)!
Application Submission - Remember that you need to submit your application by the deadline! I will send letters of recommendation and transcripts (they are not entered into your Common App and they do not have to be sent all together). Because you matched your Common App and Naviance, colleges will match all documents with your application using your Common App id number.
Student Loans -- see below for valuable information about student loan debt.
FAFSA - If you haven't already -- Complete the FAFSA! See below for tips. This is required for all federal and state financial aid, federal student and parent loans, and most scholarships --including OSAC scholarships!
CSS Profile - Do you need to complete this financial aid form in addition to FAFSA? Some schools require it -- check your school's financial aid websites. See below for resources.
Scholarships - Get serious about looking for and applying to scholarships! Check out the scholarships and scholarship search engines listed below!
OSAC Scholarship - If you apply to just one scholarship, this should be it! See below for details and instructions on how to apply.
OSAC Scholarship Application! Early Deadline - Feb 15, 5pm
- OSAC awards more than $10 million in scholarships annually. There are over 600 scholarship possibilities! You don't need to be a merit scholar or a student with financial need to be eligible.
- Must be an Oregon resident - If you only apply to one outside scholarship, apply to OSAC!
- APPLY - HERE.
- Early Bird Deadine - February 15, 5pm PST. Error-free applications will be entered into a drawing for one of several $1,000 Early Bird scholarships.
FINAL DEADLINE March 1, 5pm PST.
FAFSA is required for all scholarships!
Oregon Promise - Community College Scholarship
- Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps cover tuition at any Oregon community college.
- In this panemic environment it might be good to have a backup plan! Easy application!
Who is Eligible?
- Complete the Oregon Promise application by June 1!
- File a FAFSA or ORSAA application and list one Oregon community college.
- Be a recent high school graduate with a 2.5 GPA or above.
Scholarship Searches - Where to start!
- Oregon Gear Up - HERE
- University of Portland’s Outside Scholarship List - HERE
- Beaverton School District Scholarship List - HERE
- Scholars App - HERE
- The WashBoard (WA residents) - HERE.
- Student Scholars - HERE
Network
- Do you belong to a church group or a local chapter of some national club?
- Are either of your parents a member of a union or civic groups?
- Does either of them work for a large corporation? Many of these types of organizations offer scholarships to members and their children.
- Check out the PTA, Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce, churches, foundations and others in your town, which often offer scholarships based on a variety of factors. There’s often less competition for these, since they have to be awarded locally.
SCHOLARSHIPS
MORE SCHOLARSHIPS
- Loprinzi Scholarship - any high school senior can apply. Criteria – the candidate is a good student, community minded and involved, an athlete and has financial need. Three $8000 awards and $1000 awarded to school finalist. Deadline is March 1.
- Renaissance Scholarship - High-achieving, first-generation students with financial need. Download Renaissance Scholars promotional materials here. Due Feb 1.
- Mente Summit -$1,000 scholarship for Latinx males who live in Oregon. Due Jan 31
- The Renaissance Foundation -Up to $4,000 annually, renewable for four years, for first-generation college students in Oregon with a 3.0 GPA and financial need. Due Feb 1
- Ron Brown Scholar Program-$10,000 scholarships, renewable for four years, for African-American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society.
Due Jan 9 - APIA Scholarship-Up to $20,000 in scholarships for Asian and/or Pacific Islander students with a 2.7 GPA or higher who will be the first in their families to attend college.
Due Jan14 - Volunteers of America Oregon - Al Forthan Scholarship-Up to $10,000 for high school seniors in Oregon who have been impacted by addiction and poverty.Due February 1
- CASA of Oregon - Sister Adele Scholarship-Up to $2,500 for Oregon students of farmworker families.Due February 5
- Portland State University Music Scholarship - Due Jan 31.
- The Jackie Robinson Foundation provides four-year scholarships of $30,000 and extensive support services, including career guidance and internship placement, to highly motivated African American students. Due 5:00pm ET, February1
- Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund - Scholarships for Hispanic students in Oregon with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Due January 31.
- Portland Future First Citizen Scholarship and Award - in recognition of a currently enrolled Portland metropolitan area high school senior who has made an extraordinary commitment to improving their community through volunteer work. $5,000 scholarship. Due 5:00pm January 31.
- Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship - Full tuition and fees as well as a stipend for students interested in serving as a Naval Reserve Officer. Due December 31.
- Foot Locker Scholar Athletes - $20,000 for excellence in school, on a sports team, and in the community. Due January 8.
- College Savings Plan Diversity in Leadership Scholarship -Up to $25,000 to support underrepresented and diverse students pursue higher education in Oregon. Due March 1.
- Black United Fund of Oregon: ACCESS Scholarships - $10,000 to full unmet need at Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, or Reed College. $10,000 - $15,000 renewable scholarships are also available at Linfield University, University of Portland, and Willamette University. Due: March 1.
- The Ford Family Foundation: Ford Scholars Program - 90% of unmet college costs including tuition, fees, room, board, personal costs. Includes academic, emotional and professional guidance and leadership development. Residents of Oregon who plan to enroll full time in the fall in Oregon. Due March 1.
- Oregon Chafee Education and Training Grant - Up to $2,500 to current or former foster care youth for postsecondary education or training. Due March 1
- Pride Foundation - 60 scholarships with one application to current and future leaders in the LGBTQ+ community facing significant barriers and from or studying in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Due January 8
- WSU Vancouver Offers In-state Tuition to Students from 3 Oregon Counties - Students who are residents of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties can take advantage of the PDX Tuition Advantage in spring and fall 2021.
- University of Oregon Scholarships - freshman merit scholarships. All scholarships for fall 2021 applicants are test-blind, meaning UO will not look at or use test scores whatsoever in the awarding process, even if they are submitted. Students should plan to submit the 2021-2022 FAFSA by March 1 at the latest.
- Oregon State University Scholarships - HERE
- Montana State University Scholarships - HERE
Scholarships Awarded by the College or University
Check each school on your list's Financial Aid and Scholarship webpages! Are there any additional applications needed (besides the admission applicaion)? Are there any scholarships that fit your profile and need an additional application?
4 Sources of Student Financial Aid
- Institutional Aid - This varies by college. The admission application might not automatically trigger consideration for institutional aid. Always read the college's materials to find out about the aid offered and if additional forms or applications are needed for consideration. When in doubt, contact the college's financial aid office. The FAFSA is often required to be eligible.
- State Aid - State-supported financial aid varies by state. In some states, grants cover tuition only and are based on financial need. Some state scholarships are based solely on merit and are measured by academic achievement. Others are designed to support students interested in certain professions to help fill a shortage within the state. Some states also have loan and work programs. The FAFSA is often required to be eligible.
- Federal Aid - Federal aid is the largest source of money for students who can demonstrate that they have financial need. The federal government has also committed a great deal of money in the form of non need-based assistance. The FAFSA is required!
- Private Aid - Private aid typically is awarded by sources other than colleges and the federal government. Filing a FAFSA is often required to be eligible for consideration. See below for scholarships, scholarship search engines, etc.
Complete Your FAFSA Now!
Here's how to start!
- Student - Create an FSA ID - HERE. FSA ID's are needed to sign and submitt your FAFSA.
- One Parent must also create an FSA ID - HERE
- Use 2019 tax return data!
- Complete the FAFSA for the 2021-2022 school year.
- Add all the colleges you are applying to! If you add colleges to your list after you have completed the FAFSA -- just edit it and add!
- Use your legal name!
College and Career News
OREGON
Portland Community College Preview Days - A virtual event for high school students to participate in a brief introduction to PCC's programs and services.
January 13 and February 17, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
What are Degree Partnership Programs? - Also known as dual enrollment or co-admission, most of Oregon's public universities have programs that allow you to take classes and access services at a community college, too.
Willamette University to Decrease Tuition by About 20% - The private university in Salem is cutting the undergraduate tuition by nearly 10 grand — lowering the cost from $53,300 to $43,500.
Net Price Calculators - How much will a college really cost?
Search for Net Price Calculators on each college's financial aid page or search HERE
What is a Net Price Calculator?
Net price calculators are available on a college’s or university’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
What does Net Price mean?
Net Price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year AFTER subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. Scholarships and grants are forms of financial aid that a student does not have to pay back.
Complete a NETPRICE CALCULATOR for each school on your list! Students and parents will need to work together to provide the required information.