SCHOLARSHIP CORNER
LET'S GET STARTED
Whether you're a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, there are scholarships available to help fund your future. Being prepared early on is the key to your success.
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Step 1: Complete the I AM OLYMPIC Profile Form. This form allows the counseling team to qualify you for scholarships that are not publicly posted and provides us the ability to search for specific scholarships tailored to your specific educational and career goals.
Step 2: Complete a Letter of Recommendation. Identify and ask at least two (2) persons (counselor, teachers, coaches, or employer) if they would be willing to provide you with a letter of recommendation for college. Download the Letter of Recommendation Form below, complete the form, saving a copy for yourself, and providing your forms to the individuals you requested. The form provides you an with an opportunity to outline your interests, hobbies, goals, and to "brag" about your accomplishments.
Step 3: Complete your Senior High & Beyond Portfolio by booking an appointment with Mrs. Bach or Mrs. Bartleson in the Career Center (CTE). This platform is where you will be able to keep track of awards/achievements, your resume, and cover letters. This step is a graduation requirement.
Step 4: Consider writing a 300-500-word Biography. Some colleges require that you submit a biography. You have already started this process by completing your letter of recommendation form. Use the information in your form to help write your biography keep it updated and handy. Remember to save all of your essays!
Step 5: Complete your FAFSA/WASFA Application. Book and appointment with the OHS FAFSA Outreach Advisor to help you and/or your family to complete the application process. The Advisor is located in the OHS Library on Tuesday & Thursday's during school hours. Evening hours are also available.
Step 6: SURF & APPLY. There are many ways to discover scholarships. The Scholarship Bulletin below will list the currently available local scholarships. Other resources and search sites are available to help you locate scholarship monies. Book and appointment with the our Scholarship Advisor for more ways to search.
Seniors, remember to use your personal email address on FAFSA/WAFSA scholarship and admission forms.
*Links to all the documents mentioned can be found below*
RESOURCES TO GET YOU READY
SCHOLARSHIP FINDING SOURCES
Looking for scholarships? theWashBoard.org makes it simple.
We connect Washington students of all types with Washington scholarship providers….for FREE.
Whether you’ll be attending in state or out, you save time by entering your profile once and letting us find the scholarship opportunities that fit.
Scholarship-Catalog.pdf
MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) provides academic preparation for community college students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields and are interested in transferring to 4 year institutions.
Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to scholarships and financial aid tools. Our goal is to help you find scholarships to make school more affordable.
NEARBY STATE INSTITUTIONS
Check out the comprehensive list of institutions, including filtered information by school type, location, admission criteria, and student body population on the Idaho College Directory Here. and Art Institutions Here.
--------------------------------------------------------- Although some colleges and universities made the decision to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024, some may require scores to participate in specific programs or attend altogether. Always check with your institution when completing your college applications to ensure you have met all the necessary requirements.
OLYMPIC COLLEGE
Serving the Kitsap Peninsula and surrounding counties, Olympic College’s multiple campuses and programs offer students many choices to further their education and career paths.
Military Programs Email welcome@olympic.edu
High School Completion Phone 360-475-7279
Degree Programs Location Bldg. 4, Rm. 105
The high cost of college forces many students to give up on their dreams. That’s why OC has partnered with donors to create the OC Promise, a scholarship program that covers the gap between financial aid and the first year of tuition and fees at Olympic College. The program also provides support services to help Promise scholars succeed.
COLLEGE BOUND SCHOLARSHIP
In 2007 the Washington State Legislature established the College Bound Scholarship. This program was created to provide state financial aid to low-income students who may not consider college a possibility due to the cost. The scholarship covers tuition (at comparable public college rates), some fees, and a small book allowance.
Eligibility for the scholarship is a two-part process. Students in 7th or 8th grade whose family meets the income requirements must submit and complete an application by June 30 of the student’s 8th grade year. Then students must meet the College Bound Pledge requirements and income-eligibility as determined by the student’s financial aid application (FAFSA or WASFA) in their senior year of high school.
Foster youth in grades 7–12 (up to age 21) who have not graduated from high school are automatically enrolled. They are considered to have a complete application for the College Bound Scholarship via a data exchange between the Washington Student Achievement Council and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
College Bound - Ready, Set, Grad
Get information, sign the pledge & apply for your scholarship here
FINANCIAL AID
OHS FAFSA OUTREACH TEAM
FAFSA opens December 31st and Olympic High School has teamed with Olympic College to provide students and families personal assistance with filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) applications. Appointments are available throughout the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Meet the team and book your appointments below.
FAFSA Completion Portal How To Video
What to do after filling out the FAFSA Video
*Remember to use your personal email address when completing these forms.
Dear Education Partner,
Big changes are coming to financial aid applications this year. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) would like to team up with you to help students and families navigate these changes.
Firstly, the 2024-25 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will not be available until December 2023. The WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) will also be delayed until the FAFSA opens. Applications usually open October 1 of a student’s senior year, so this is a major shift in the college planning process.
The good news is that this delay is due to positive changes in the financial aid application process:
The FAFSA form will be shorter and less complex.
More students will be eligible for federal Pell Grants, and the average Pell award will be larger.
We are asking for your help over the next several months in communicating to your community. School counselors and other advocates should adjust financial aid outreach messaging and timelines to address the changes. WSAC will offer training for your staff. We have helpful resources and outreach materials for you to share.
The U.S. Department of Education has not yet announced the exact date applications will open. We will make sure to let you know as soon as that information is available. Until then, we recommend delaying any financial aid filing events held by your school or organization—although there will be other ways to prepare students during the fall. We’ll be in touch with suggestions on that front.
Please stay tuned! We will update you as we learn more, and frankly, we will likely overcommunicate. Thank you for your partnership and for your expertise in helping families through this transition. And thank you most of all for the important work you do every day supporting students and families.
All Our Best,
The WSAC Team
Graduate Strong & Washington College Access Network (WCAN)
INTERNSHIPS, SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES, & SUMMER PROGRAMS
High School Internship Opportunities with SEE
The Systems Education Experiences (SEE) program at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle will be offering three distinct opportunities during the current and upcoming academic year and the summer of 2023. In all experiences, high school students will learn about systems biology and apply their learning to a research project. Students will learn lab and computer-based skills. Students will also learn about various professional paths, develop a web page that describes their experiences, learn STEM leadership skills, and may assist in the optimization of labs for high school classrooms.
10th or 11th Graders
Various dates
beginning in
spring 2023
Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassadorship (STiSA): All applicants who complete a full application will be accepted into STiSA. Participants will first be invited to attend a 2-hour, virtual workshop: "Systems are Everywhere." Students will learn about systems modeling & how systems thinking is used in research & careers. After attending this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to attend new virtual micro-courses on special topics such as systems medicine, environmental stewardship & community action projects. Students will also be invited to join a Slack channel to collaborate & learn about future opportunities.
Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education (C.A.S.H.E.) Conference Application is Open!
On behalf of the student led C.A.S.H.E. conference at Washington State University we are reaching out to request your assistance in sharing this wonderful and unique leadership opportunity with your high school students.United Together. Stronger Forever.The Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education (C.A.S.H.E.) conference, hosted by MECHA de WSU, is intended to foster and address the needs of higher education among the Hispanic community while cultivating leadership development. This three-day, two-night conference is geared towards high school juniors and seniors of Chicanx/Latinx background. We are an inclusive conference and encourage all high school students (of all identities and standings) to apply.Check out highlights from a previous C.A.S.H.E. conference video to get a sneak peek of what to expect.Conference Details
- Date: November 10-12, 2023
- Location: WSU Pullman campus
- Cost: $75 (Teachers/Counselors can apply for fee waivers on behalf of the student)
- Transportation: Transportation from several pick-up locations within the state of Washington will be provided
- Application Deadline: Apply by November 4, 2023 (Students are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Apply early!)
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Essay Contest
The 2023/24 Elizabeth Ellington chapter is participating in the national DAR Patriots of the American Revolution High School Essay Contest open to high school students grades 9-12. The Elizabeth Ellington Chapter represents the whole Kitsap Peninsula down to Mason County, and we would love to have students from your high school participate in this contest.
Job Corps Jackson-Pearce Forestry Services
At Jackson-Pierce Forestry Services is committed to providing young individuals with valuable experiences and opportunities to develop their skills and interests. We are currently seeking motivated and enthusiastic youth who are interested in joining Job Corps.
DAR Essay Contest Info
Essays are due back to this e-mail no later than December 4th, 2023. The chapter winner will win a $50 cash prize, medal, and certificate. The essay will then be submitted to our society's state chair to be judged against other chapter winning essays and potentially win another cash prize. Please see the attached poster and form for more information about the essay contest. Please forward these forms to your American History and English teachers and post them on your scholarship boards.
Forestry Service Opportunity
Interested individuals must not have any criminal history. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at Evans.Jarod@jobcorps.org.
TESTING
Note: In May 2020, many colleges and universities made the decision to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024 and some eliminated them altogether. However, test-optional can mean different things at different schools. Check with your institution when completing your college applications to ensure you have met all the necessary requirements.