Nolan Catholic College Counseling
Class of 2023 - August 2022
SENIOR TO DO LIST, January 2023
- 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 inbox!
- 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.
- College Applications! - Do you have a Regular Application deadline of January 1 or January 15? Check Naviance for regular application deadlines. Follow the steps listed below to request a transcript.
- Admitted! We love to hear about your accomplishments! Please let us know about college admissions decisions by completing a Senior Survey Also stop by the Guidance Center so we can cheer you on!
- 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!
- CSS Profile - Do you need to complete this financial aid form too? 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! See the list of Texas Scholarships HERE and check out the scholarships and scholarship search engines listed below!
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
Senior Survey! College Acceptance and Scholarship Awards!
Help us celebrate your accomplishments!
- As you are accepted into schools and/or receive notification of awards/scholarships, please update us using the link below.
- Please submit 1 survey response per college acceptance or recognition. We’re excited to share your achievements!
- Senior College Acceptance and Scholarship Awards HERE
Winter and Spring Applications...After You Submit An Application...
- Request a Transcript be sent to each school you apply to!
- Transcripts are only official if sent by Nolan Catholic!
Naviance>Colleges Applying to> Request Transcripts (upper right corner)
FINANCIAL AID
FAFSA - It's Not Too Late to Apply for Financial Aid
The most vital step in applying for federal grants, work-study, and loans for college is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
Take these steps to apply for federal student aid.
- Student and one parent each need to create an FSA ID - HERE
- Get Prepared - Gather the documents you’ll need.
- Complete FAFSA® Form - Apply early to maximize your aid.
- Review Student Aid Report - Make corrections, if necessary.
- Respond to Aid Offer- Accept the aid you want.
- Receive Aid - Get your aid from your school.
- Renew Your FAFSA® Form - Reapply each year.
CSS Profile - Financial Aid Form Required by Some Colleges & Scholarships
The following colleges, universities, and scholarship programs use CSS Profile and/or IDOC as part of their financial aid process for some or all of their financial aid applicants in the populations listed below. Please check schools’ websites or contact the institution for more information.
See Participating Institutions and Programs HERE
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.
COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES
Scholarship search engines
- Texas Scholarship List
- Going Merry - It’s free! Going Merry has thousands of national, regional, and local scholarships. To sign up, go to: https://app.goingmerry.com/sign-up#students
- Access Scholarships
- CollegeBoard, BigFuture - Complete the college planning steps on the BigFuture dashboard! Participating Juniors will be automatically entered into drawings (.pdf/403 KB) for $500 scholarships plus two $40,000 awards every month.
Scholarships Awarded By A College Or University
Check the Financial Aid and Scholarship webpages of each college you're applying to! Are there any additional applications needed (besides the admissions application)? Are there any scholarships that fit your profile and need an additional application?
Complete a Net Price Calculator for every college on your list! A Net Price Calculator is available on every college's website and is an easy tool to use to estimate how much each college might give you in scholarship money!
Other Scholarships
- The Cardinal Newman Society’s 7th annual Essay Scholarship Contest, due Feb 20.
- 25 Scholarships for Seniors
- StudentScholarships.org
- Texas Veterans Hazlewood Act - HERE
- Foot Locker Scholar Athletes, $25,000s, Up to 20 recipients, Deadline: Jan 30 2023
- Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise, $35,000 award, Up to 60 recipients, Deadline: Jan 12 2023
- Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program, $35,000 award, Up to 60 recipients, Deadline: Jan 12 2023
- Nationwide Future Leaders Scholarship, $12,000 award, Up to 5 recipients, Deadline: Jan 31 2023
- The Dream Opportunity Scholarship, Up to $80,000, Multiple recipients, Deadline: Jan 31 2023
- Chevron Executive Leadership Council Scholarship, $20,000, Up to 5 recipients, Deadline: Jan 31 20