Scholarships and Financial Aid

FAFSA

All students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) starting October 1. In order to receive government financial aid, the FAFSA must be filed. It must also be renewed each year that the student is attending college. Parent tax information for the previous tax year is needed to accurately complete the FAFSA. www.fafsa.ed.gov 

About 1/3 of students are randomly selected for verification on the FAFSA. Don't panic! 

Use this poster to determine if you are eligible to file the FAFSA: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/eligibility.png 

Use this site to determine who your parent is on the FAFSA: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info 

FAFSA Tips for Immigrant Families: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FTO_wjAgHScsBHwtT6vFDOjEiDMB9NCaXP3Vf10tb54/edit?usp=sharing 

NC RDS

Students attending a college or university in North Carolina will also need to complete the North Carolina Residency Determination application. This needs to be completed prior to the college applications (your applications will ask for the number provided by RDS). www.cfnc.org 

Student citizens with undocumented parents are eligible for in-state tuition. Students will need to appeal and prove parents' NC residency, NOT citizenship. Please contact your counselor or Mr. Salt if you need help.

RDS Student Help Line: 844-319-3640

RDS Student Help Email: rdsinfo@ncresidency.org 

Scholarships

Scholarships are listed in Naviance in the Colleges section.

CFNC is another great resource for scholarship information. CFNC Scholarship List

Maldef Scholarship Resource Guide is a free, informative resource guide for students, parents, and educators with an extensive list of scholarships, including many that do not inquire about immigration status. Maldef Scholarship Resource Guide

Please remember- your counselor can help you find the tools for a successful scholarship search, but it is each student's responsibility to put in the time and the work to find which scholarships work for them individually.