Bryan High School Counseling
December Newsletter
December “To Do” List
Complete these tasks during December to stay on the right college-planning track.
- December 11th is the last day of the semester and your final opportunity to raise your Grade Point Average (GPA) before graduating. A strong GPA increases your opportunity for scholarships. Study for your finals, turn in missing work, and complete final projects to finish the semester strong!
- If you haven’t already, submit college applications and the FAFSA.
- The FAFSA is a summative grade in your Personal Finance Class! Classroom lessons are this week.
- Continue to apply for scholarships.
- Follow EducationQuest on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a chance to win a $500 scholarship.
Cap and Gown
There is still time! Follow the instruction below to order your cap and gown
What to expect after you submit your FAFSA
The FAFSA opened October 1, so many of you have already completed and submitted your form.
Here’s what happens next:
Expect a Student Aid Report (SAR) via an email link. The SAR tells you that your FAFSA was processed and lets you know if you need to take further action.
Watch for verification requests. The college(s) you listed on your FAFSA might request verification of your FAFSA information. If so, send the required documents to the colleges’ financial aid office. The college will not process your financial aid until they receive the documents.
Watch for financial aid award notifications. The colleges you listed on your FAFSA – and were accepted to – will send you financial aid award notifications detailing the types and amounts of aid they’re offering based on your financial need.
Haven’t completed your FAFSA yet?
No problem! You and a parent can complete the form at studentaid.gov. Before you start, create a Student Aid Account (FSA ID) for you and one for a parent. You’ll need them to access and sign the FAFSA.
For free help with the FAFSA, watch these brief FAFSA Demo videos, use our FAFSA Tools, or call the EducationQuest location nearest to you to make a virtual appointment:
Omaha – 402.391.4033 or 888.357.6300
Contact your school counselor for help:
Teunnia Archie (C, D, E, F) teunnia.archie@ops.org
Tash Cruz (AG academy, X, Y, Z) tashia.cruz@ops.org
Mark Nissen (G, H, I) mark.nissen@ops.org
Kathy McNally (L, M) kathleen.mcnally@ops.org
Sheila Lahmann (K, P, Q, R) sheila.lahmann@ops.org
Allison Kaipust (N, S, T, U, V) allison.kaipust@ops.org
Gabrielle Rickley (TDL, J, O, W) gabrielle.rickley@ops.org
Jeanne Simmons (A) jeannem.simmons@ops.org
Winning the scholarship game
Follow these tips to increase your chances of earning scholarships:
Don’t ever pay for scholarship searches! Use free resources such as ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest.org with over 2,000 Nebraska-based scholarships. You’ll also find a list of free national sites that we recommend such as Chegg, College Board, and Fastweb.
The counseling department sends out a monthly hot list
Focus on local and college-based scholarships because you're more likely to earn them.
Update your activities, honors, community service, and paid jobs using the Activities Resume at EducationQuest.org.
Earn the best possible ACT/SAT scores by taking the ACT multiple times for scholarship eligibility. Next test, February 6, 2021, Deadline is January 8.
Use quality references such as a teacher, coach, or counselor. Encourage them to write specific examples of your leadership skills. Give them a specific deadline, and a copy of your Activities Resume.
Tailor your essay to the scholarship. Ask an English teacher to read your essay and offer advice on making a big impact. Your essay will need to stand out from other applications.
UNL Application help
https://mediahub.unl.edu/channels/39525?orderby=title_a_z&order=ASC
Scholarship Opportunities
New Opportunities
BRYAN HIGH SCHOLARSHIP
Please follow this form link to complete Due January 15th
America's Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, sponsored by Bayer Fund, is offering more than $500,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and college students pursuing an ag-related field of study. Students can apply for a $1,500 scholarship now through January 14, 2021.
https://www.americasfarmers.com/grow-ag-leaders/
Below are Help Guides for the Smith Diversity Scholarship (Due December 15) and Buffett (Due February 1)
Bellevue University
Bellevue University’s Early Bird Fall Scholarship Application Cycle is now open until December 4th at noon CST! The scholarships available to graduating seniors give them the opportunity to design their future and achieve their goals.
I know your students may have questions about how to pay for college so please have them contact me for instructions on how to access the application. I’m available Monday – Friday from 8 – 5pm. Students can reach me directly at hhack@bellevue.edu and 402.557.7459!
91.4% - the percentage of freshmen applicants received at least one scholarship in 2019/20.
$6,721 – the average amount awarded to freshmen in 2019/20 academic year.
UNL Teacher Academy
The Teacher Scholars Academy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is accepting applications for the third cohort. The UNL Teacher Scholars Academy is designed for incoming first-year college students who are interested in becoming teachers and leaders in tomorrow’s classrooms. Scholars live together in their first year in a University Housing residence hall, and have the opportunity to live in an upper-class community in their second year. Scholars also take shared courses as a cohort including an Academy-specific seminar in the first semester. Additionally, Scholars engage in service in surrounding communities, engage with UNL Faculty and take part in a peer education program. The Academy seeks to bring a big campus into a small community of individuals with similar passions to live, learn and support each other.
Applications are open now through February 1, 2021. Students must first apply to UNL prior to applying for the Academy, and the application link is found on a student’s MyRed account under ‘undergraduate applications.’ The application consists of a 5-7 minute video essay, submitted privately via YouTube, and a resume. Prompts can be found on our flyers and our website: https://cehs.unl.edu/cehs/teacher-scholars-academy/. Please note that showing a student working with minors in videos is not recommended. The search committee will be reviewing the content and the student’s abilities to articulate their experience, and how those experiences influence their goals for becoming an educator. We are not reviewing based on video quality. After February 1, applications will be reviewed and finalists will be invited to a virtual interview in late February or early March. Please note there is no high school GPA or an ACT requirement – we want to see the students’ abilities in connecting with other individuals and how they will make an impact in education.
If a student is accepted into the Academy, students will receive up to 120 credit hours of in-state tuition and up to $8,000 annually for room and board, books and fees.
Metropolitan Community College Scholarship
All students apply once per year through one application and will be considered for each eligible scholarship during every scholarship period. Scholarships may be awarded based on financial need, academic progress, program of study or a combination of these factors.
Over 118 SCHOLARSHIPS