Senior Weekly Update 12-4-23
Weekly Update 12/4/23
Acceptances & Scholarship Copies
Tis the Season...Not the Holiday season, College Acceptance season. As the acceptances and scholarship offers start to roll in, make sure you are sending/bringing in copies to Ms. Long. You can bring the hard copies in and I can make a copy, you can forward me the email (glong@ccboe.com) or print out the email and bring to me.
At this time the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is scheduled to open on December 31, 2023.
What You Need To Know Now
The 2024–25 FAFSA form will expand eligibility for federal student aid.
610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants due to updates to student aid calculations.
Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to get an early estimate of what your federal student aid could be after submitting the new form.
The 2024–25 FAFSA form will offer a new, streamlined user experience for students and their families.
Applicants will be able to skip as many as 26 FAFSA questions, depending on their individual circumstances. Some applicants will need to complete as few as 18 questions, taking less than 10 minutes.
Watch the “2024–25 FAFSA FAQs” playlist to better understand what’s changed on the new form.
What You Can Do Now
Didn’t submit a 2023–24 FAFSA form? Make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form when it’s available.
Find out if your parent(s) or spouse will need to be contributors (contribute their info on your FAFSA form).
If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account when the 2024–25 form goes live.
Watch the “Preparing for the FAFSA Form” playlist to understand what information and documents you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Charles County Scholarship Fund Opens 1/8/24
The Charles County Scholarship Fund Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Charles County high school seniors. The following county groups – the Charles County Commissioners, Charles County Public Schools (CCPS), the College of Southern Maryland and the Charles County Chamber of Commerce – are always represented on the Scholarship Fund Board. All other members of the Board are selected from the community at large.
How To Apply
Please have the following documents ready to UPLOAD when you apply. The application will open January 8, 2024 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2024.
- Academic Letter of Recommendation – The letter of recommendation must be from a teacher, school counselor or other school administrator.
- Personal Letter of Recommendation – Must be from someone who knows you well. (Not a parent or other family member)
- Personal Statement Essay – Your essay is a statement regarding your academic and career objectives, goals, and aspirations. Your student statement is very important, and the Scholarship Committee relies heavily on this statement. Please include the following: What are your educational and career goals? Why have you chosen these goals? How do you envision making a contribution to your community after you complete your education? What impact on your community do you hope to achieve once you graduate from college?
- Resume – The resume must include: 1. Work Experience 2. Extracurricular activities 3. Community Service activities during high school 4. Leadership positions and 5. School and Community honors and awards.
- If you want to be considered for need-based scholarships, you will need to provide a copy of your 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Student Aid Report (SAR). (Confirmation page will be available to you once you complete the FAFSA). All information supplied will be treated as confidential.
FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) FORM - All scholarship applications must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2024.
- Late applications will not be accepted.
- Seniors should see their school counselor or their school’s College and Career Advisor if they have any questions/concerns.
- Please ensure you have all required documents ready to upload to the application prior to starting to complete the form.
Transcript Requests
December Scholarship Information
December Deadlines
- **Science Ambassador Scholarship - Deadline 12/13**
- **Burger King Scholarship - Deadline 12/15**
- **Charles County Arts Alliance Scholarship - Deadline 12/15**
- **Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship - Deadline 12/15**
- Sean Carroll's Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship - Deadline 12/15
- **Equitable Excellence Scholarship - Deadline 12/18**
- Arthur M. & Berdena King Eagle Scout Scholarship - Deadline 12/31
- Scalacube Gaming Scholarship - Deadline 12/31
- AIAA Lockheed Martin Marilyn Hewson Scholarship - Deadline 12/31
- **College Raptor Scholarship - Deadline 12/31**
These programs and scholarships are provided as a courtesy for informational purposes. Charles County Public School does not endorse or sponsor these programs and/or scholarships.
**Science Ambassador Scholarship**
Eligible: 12th grade females
Criteria: Must study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) field during your entire undergraduate years, 3-minute video
Award: FULL-TUITION
Deadline: 12/13; Visit https://www.scienceambassadorscholarship.org/
**Burger King Scholarship**
Eligible: Senior
Criteria: Plan to enroll full time and attend a 2 or 4 year college or trade school; demonstrate strength in activities, U.S. citizen
Award: up to $50,000
Deadline: 12/15 or first 50,000 applications; https://burgerking.scholarsapply.org/
**Charles County Arts Alliance Scholarship**
Eligible: Seniors
Criteria: 3.0+ GPA, pursuing an arts-related major at a four-year college/university, resume, essay, letters of recommendation, transcript
Award: $1,500 (One Student from each high school in Charles County will be selected to receive this scholarship!!!)
Deadline: 12/15 (by 12:00 pm); https://www.charlescountyarts.org/program/scholarships/
**Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship**
Eligible: Seniors currently enrolled or completed a class in computer science, engineering or robotics
Criteria: Plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering (software, computer, mechanical, electrical) robotics or other computer science related field at an accredited 4-year college or from a 2-year college with intent of transfer to 4-year college; financial need
Award: Up to $40,000
Deadline: 12/15; https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com/
Sean Carroll's Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship
Eligible: Seniors
Criteria: Open to all students who have a deep curiosity in studying the universe for its own sake-whether that be pursuing studies in physics, philosophy, biology, mathematics, literature or any other field that seeks better understanding of our existence - and will seek to lift up those from underrepresented communities in those fields, and first-generation college students.
Award: $10,000
Deadline: 12/15; Please visit https://bold.org/scholarships/mindscape/#ref=best-scholarships for more information
**Equitable Excellence Scholarship**
Eligible: Senior
Criteria: Plan to enroll full time and attend a 2 or 4 year college; demonstrate strength in managing challenges and share wisdom with others, U.S. citizen or legal resident. Demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in school, community, or work activities; Work experience; unusual personal or family circumstances; essay "Share how you plan to demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in school, community, or work activities. Please be specific about how you intend to continue your positive journey with assistance from the scholarship."
Award: $5,000 (100) renewable up to four years); $2,500 (100) one-time awards
Deadline: 12/18; Visit https://equitable.com/foundation/equitable-excellence-scholarship
Arthur M. & Berdena King Eagle Scout Scholarship
Eligible: Under 19
Criteria: Be an Eagle Scout who is registered in an active unit and has not reached their 19th birthday
Award: $10,000 (3), $6,000 (1), $4,000 (1)
Deadline: 12/31; Please visit https://www.sar.org/arthur-m-berdena-king-eagle-scout-contest/ for more information
Scalacube Gaming Scholarship
Eligible: High School
Criteria: 3.0 minimum GPA, must be a Minecraft player or previous youth ambassador, 500 minimum essay
Award: $2,000
Deadline: 12/31; Please visit https://studentscholarships.org/scholarship/23983/scalacube-gaming-scholarship for more information
AIAA Lockheed Martin Marilyn Hewson Scholarship
Eligible: Senior
Criteria: Female, pursuing an aerospace STEM major in one of the following majors: Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics. Minimum 2.5 GPA, demonstrate financial need.
Award: $10,000
Deadline: 12/31; Visit https://www.aiaa.org/get-involved/k-12-students/scholarships/aiaa-lockheed-martin-marillyn-hewson-scholarship for more information
These programs and scholarships are provided as a courtesy for informational purposes. Charles County Public School does not endorse or sponsor these programs and/or scholarships.
January Scholarship Information
- United States JCI Foundation Scholarship - Deadline 1/19/24
- National Eagle Scout Association Scholarships - Deadline 1/31/24
These programs and scholarships are provided as a courtesy for informational purposes. Charles County Public School does not endorse or sponsor these programs and/or scholarships.
United States JCI Foundation Scholarships
Eligible: Seniors
Criteria: Plan to continue your education at an accredited post-secondary college, university or vocational school
Award: $1,500 (20)
Deadline: 1/19; Please visit https://www.usjcisenate.org/index.php/scholarship-program for more information
National Eagle Scout Association Scholarships
Eligible: Seniors
Criteria: Member of the National Eagle Scout Association
Award: $10,000 (32)
Deadline: 1/31; Please visit https://nesa.org/scholarships/ for more information
These programs and scholarships are provided as a courtesy for informational purposes. Charles County Public School does not endorse or sponsor these programs and/or scholarships.