College and Aid

College and Aid

College-bound students who seek admission to any Illinois community college, or state university should follow the suggested college bound plan:

4 years Math, 4(+) years English, 3 years Social Studies, 3 years Science, 2/4 years of Foreign Language, and electives in fine arts are beneficial (band, chorus, art).

Many selective colleges require more than the above, as requirements are subject to change depending on the desired college of choice.

Meeting the MHS graduation requirements does not satisfy entrance requirements to all colleges and universities.

For application purposes colleges require that a minimum of a "C" letter grade be earned for core high school courses (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, & fine arts).

Senior year time line:

• October - submit college applications (preferably on-line) and request that a high school transcript be sent from MHS via Parchment
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• November & December - become familiar with available scholarships - college-specific, local, & national (find help below)
• March & April - decide on a college based on the student aid packages offered by each college or university
• May 1st - deadline to commit to most colleges - tuition deposit required
• Seniors going to Sauk Valley Community College should apply by February, take the appropriate placement tests, and register for classes as early as possible
• Students who wish to transfer from one college to another college will be accepted based on the grade point average and coursework from the first college. High school transcripts and ACT scores will not be considered.
• For information about transfering college credits go to this site:
• www.itransfer.org
  • Here are some sites to go to if you are shopping for a college (and ways to pay for it):
    • www.collegezone.com
    • www.fastweb.com
  • www.CollegeAnswer.com (for students)
  • www.ParentAnswerService.com (for parents)
  • www.scholarships.com
  • www.eduregistry.org
  • www.collegequestions.org
  • www.affordablecollegesonline.org/graduating-debt-free/
  • www.affordablecollegesonline.org/financial-aid/financial-aid-for-online-colleges/
  • The College Board at www.collegeboard.org. The CB links you to colleges for basic info as well as to apply on-line.

Student Guide to Funding Your Education at www.studentaid.ed.gov. This site links to information about all federal aid programs, including links to the FAFSA and PIN sites listed separately.

Careers and Colleges at www.careersandcolleges.com. It can help you find your college major, information about careers, colleges to

attend, and the means of financing college.

Fastaid - private sector scholarships: www.fastaid.com.

GoCollege - Go to www.gocollege.com for scholarship searches and to fill out a profile that matches you to colleges.

Midwestern Higher Education Compact- is a tuition reduction program that helps students attend participating out-of-state college and universities.

Visit http://msep.mhec.org for more information.

ANYCOLLEGE.NET is a search engine for locating colleges of interest to the individual student. With AnyCollege.Net you can sort schools by program, state, school type, sports, and by school name. You can even fill out a simple scholarship form for $1000.

The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has added a scholarship directory of over 350 scholarships to its website at

www.cfgrb.org. Check it out.

• FINANCIAL AID
• SENIORS: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER OCTOBER 1ST:
• FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is THE financial aid form that MUST be completed by all college students. It is the basis for decisions about all forms of federal and state monies. Seniors should be working with their parents to get this completed as soon as possible after October 1. The application will ask for information from the 1040 income tax form. Note: Always list an Illinois college first among your choices to automatically apply for state grants.
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission at www.collegezone.com- ISAC branches into several categories. The site gives information on selecting a college, academic preparation, college information, financing college including getting financial aid. This specific location allows you to do an early profile of financial need. This should be done during the fall of your senior year.
• "Financial Aid For College Education" - A short PowerPoint presentation providing a general overview of financial aid is available for viewing on the web! The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) produced this short program to walk students and parents through the basic process of obtaining money for college. See the ISAC website at www.collegezone.com
• Fastweb at www.fastweb.com. The screen that appears starts you on a search for scholarships for which you qualify based on your answers. You need an e-mail address for return info.
• Students.gov is the national access for a variety of government programs including -- but not limited to -- planning your education and financing college, military service and benefits, filing taxes online, registering to vote, career development, and more.
• The Student Financial Aid Information Toll-Free Hotline is 1-800-4FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Hours are 8 a.m. to midnight (Eastern time) seven days a week. They can help with questions about the financial aid process, particularly the student aid report.
• For tips on college, an on-line financial aid award analyzer, and scholarship searching, go to www.wiredscholar.com.

Students are also reminded to ask college reps about scholarships, grants, and employment opportunities available on their campuses.