AVID Newsletter
Fall 2019
SAVE THESE DATES!
- AVID Freshmen and Sophomore Parents Night: October 17th at 6:30pm
- Anticipating College Night for Freshmen through Juniors: November 7th at 7 pm
- AVID Winter Family Night: December 11th at 6:30 pm
Letter from the Director
Dear AVID families,
The AVID students and families have had a great start to the 2019-2020 school year. All of our AVID classes already attended at least one field trip to help them learn more about the skills necessary to be successful in college. Our Freshmen visited Camp Duncan to work on their leadership and team building skills through a high ropes course. Or Sophomore, Juniors and Seniors visited various college campuses in Illinois and Wisconsin including Elmhurst College, Carthage College, and Northeastern Illinois University.
We also have lots going on inside MHS to make our students not just college eligible, but also college ready. Our AVID counselors visited each grade level to work with them on building college knowledge including a session with our Freshmen AVID students about how to calculate their GPA, why it is important, and how it will impact their college admissions. In addition, Mundelein's College and Career Center's Annual College Week is this week! During the week there are numerous activities to help all students including a college representative panel and free application day for seniors in an effort to help students learn more about different colleges and the parts of the application process
Finally, we have our first parent meeting of the year on October 17th for our Freshmen and Sophomore families in the Mundelein Cafeteria. Come learn more about the factors you student needs to be college ready and how you can help them achieve this goal at home. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
Sincerely,
Melissa Schaefer
Illinois State University College Visit
Elmhurst College Visit
Carthage College Visit
Camp Duncan
FAQ: Financial Aid Questions (and answers)
What are the different types of financial aid?
Financial aid packages are made up of a mix of grants, scholarships, student loans, and work-study options. Grants and scholarships are free money. You will have to pay back student loans —with interest.
The federal work-study program is only available to students with a certain amount of financial need. It allows you to work part time on campus and earn money each semester. If you’re interested in being considered for work study, make sure to indicate that on the FAFSA.
How much financial aid will I get?
The amount of financial aid you’ll receive largely depends on the college. Some colleges meet full financial need for all accepted students. Other colleges might not meet your full financial need.
Remember that financial aid includes federal student loans — up to $31,000 for dependent undergraduate students. So even if your financial aid award meets your full financial need, you might take on significant debt to pay for school.
To estimate your financial aid package, check out the FAFSA4caster tool. This tool gives you a sense of how much it will cost to attend each school on your list.
What is a Parent PLUS loan? How do I qualify?
· Parent PLUS Loans: These federal student loans for parents are financed and disbursed by the U.S. Department of Education.
To qualify for a Parent PLUS Loan, you’ll need to meet certain eligibility requirements:
· Complete and file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Based on the information you provide on the FAFSA, your need for aid will be evaluated.
· Not have an adverse credit history. Unlike federal student loans offered directly to students, Parent PLUS Loans take the borrower’s credit history and score into account. See a full explanation of what the Federal Student Aid Office views as adverse credit.
· Be the parent or guardian of a dependent college student. This dependent can be a biological child, adoptive child, or possibly a stepchild under 24 who is currently enrolled in college at least half time.
· Have a need for a Parent PLUS Loan. You can borrow Parent PLUS Loans only for college costs that aren’t covered after all other student aid is applied.
Your child’s financial aid award letter might list Parent PLUS Loans as part of the financial aid package along with instructions on how to apply for Parent PLUS Loans. If not, you can contact their college’s financial aid office to find out how they handle Parent PLUS Loans, whether you’re eligible for Parent PLUS Loans, and how much you can borrow.
When do I get my financial aid package?
College financial aid offices determine your financial aid package. Many regular decision colleges send out admissions decisions in March or April of your senior year in high school. Financial aid packages often come at the same time or shortly after.
Meet an AVID Senior!!
Name: Stephanie Gutierrez
College Major: Business- Management and Entrepreneurship
Dream Job: Have my own non- profit organization that gives back to the community.
Favorite AVID memory: Our overnight trip to Indiana, everyone bonded and learned more about one another.
Best advice for AVID students: Despite, the amount of work we are given it's not busy work it's meant to help us some way or form. For example, Cornell notes aren't just to have notes for a class it's more of understanding a concept and do repetitions to not forget the information. Everything we are given is for a reason to help us prepare for college. If you want something, you have to learn to work hard for it, it will definitely pay off later