Senior Nest

The most important way families can help students in their college process is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA is a federal form completed by students and families before they attend college. Additionally, completing the FAFSA is a graduation requirement in the state of Louisiana. By completing the FAFSA, scholars qualify to receive thousands of dollars in Federal grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid, along with Federal Student Loans. This year, the FAFSA will open in December.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the College and Career team, and we will reach back out shortly with more information.

Sincerely, 

Ms. J - jekunseitan@collegiateacademies.org 

We are excited about the 2024-2025 school year and hope you are too! As your senior year continues, we want you to know we are here to make this a memorable year. Senior activities are decided long before the event dates, and to get items before the event dates, we need all payments in a timely fashion. 

Please click HERE to make your cashless payment. 

Note: Senior activities are a privilege. Seniors who misbehave (i.e., fighting, repeated misbehavior, or violating school rules) or fail to complete the requirements to graduate will have their senior events taken away, and their budget money will NOT be refunded. NO EXCEPTIONS! 

For any senior budget questions, please contact Ms. Cion (cconerly@collegiateacademies.org)

How do you choose a college? How does a college choose you? Click HERE to learn more. 

You do not have to pay for any of your college applications. 

*Southeastern Louisiana University will not accept waivers. You will need to fill out 

their specific waiver request form.*

Complete ALL steps below when sending a fee waiver:

1. Open the fee waiver with OrbitNote. If you do not see OrbitNote, you'll need to click on "Connect more apps" and add Orbit Note.

2. Sign in with your Gmail account. In OrbitNote, click on "Create a Copy" and save the copy to your computer. 

3. Click on the "T" icon, and then click on each space you need to type. You should add the name of the college/university, your name, signature, and address. For your signature, just type your name again.

4. At the top right or bottom right of your screen, you'll see a down arrow. Click on it to download the document to your computer.

5. Save the PDF to your computer with the following title: your last name + school name + "Fee Waiver". Example: Ekunseitan ULL Fee Waiver

6. Find the correct admissions email to send your waiver to by Googling "school name + admissions email". 

7. In your email (titled Your Name + Fee Waiver), compose the following message:

Hello,

My name is ________________, and I recently submitted an application for Fall 2025. I have attached my fee waiver below. 

Thank you,

Your Name

• Some schools will ask you to upload the fee waiver to your application instead of emailing it. In that case, complete steps 1 and 2 before uploading. 

Click HERE to search for scholarships by GPA, deadline month, and keywords. 

Click HERE to see the TOPS award amount for each school in Louisiana.

Click HERE to see the list of schools nationwide that provide full financial need.

Note: Some schools on the list have this phrase: "May include federal student loans in financial aid package." This phrase means that those schools may require students to take out all available federal aid, including federal loans. before covering the rest of the fees. Federal loans are capped at $5,500/year, which amounts to $22,000 after four years.  

The CSS Profile is an online application used by some colleges and universities to gather detailed information about a family’s financial situation, helping them decide how much financial aid to offer. Schools use it, along with other forms like the FAFSA, to create a financial aid package that can include grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. 

Click HERE to see if any colleges/universities you've applied to will require the CSS Profile.

Helpful Videos:

1. How to Start Your Fall 2025 CSS Profile 

2. How to Answer Asset Questions 

3. How to Submit the CSS Profile

If the videos above do not answer your question as you are working on the CSS Profile, please reach out.

-Ms. J

President's Excellence Scholarship

The President's Excellence scholarship is awarded to enrolling Freshmen with a composite score of 28 or above on the ACT or its equivalence on the SAT (reading and math only) and a 3.25 or better high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale upon graduation. This scholarship is renewable each year expanding a period of eight (8) semesters providing the student maintains a 3.5 or above cumulative GPA. This scholarship covers up to $18,000 per year. The recipient of this scholarship must be a first-time freshman. All U.S. and eligible Non U.S. citizens scholarship recipients are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov to be considered for Federal Pell Grant, and other Federal and/or State Aid. If, after filing the FAFSA, you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, we will use this aid as part of your scholarship package (Example: Pell eligibility $3000 – Your scholarship award will be adjusted to $15,000). If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to submit a final transcript reflecting the qualification as stated above no later than 15 days after high school graduation. Failure to submit final transcript and/or meet qualification will render scholarship null and void.

Provost Scholar Scholarship

The Provost Scholar scholarship is awarded to enrolling Freshmen with a composite score of 24-27 on the ACT or its equivalence on the SAT (reading and math only) and a 3.0 or better high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale upon graduation. This scholarship is renewable each year expanding a period of eight (8) semesters providing the student maintains a 3.25 or above cumulative GPA. This scholarship covers up to $15,000 per year. The recipient of this scholarship must be a first-time freshman. All U.S. and eligible Non U.S. citizens scholarship recipients are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov to be considered for Federal Pell Grant, and other Federal and/or State Aid. If, after filing the FAFSA, you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, we will use this aid as part of your scholarship package (Example: Pell eligibility $3000 – Your scholarship award will be $12,000). If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to submit a final transcript reflecting the qualification as stated above no later than 15 days after high school graduation. Failure to submit final transcript and/or meet qualification will render scholarship null and void.

University Scholar Scholarship

The University Scholar scholarship is awarded to students with 22 or 23 on the ACT or its equivalence on the SAT (reading and math only) and a 3.0 or better high school grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale upon graduation. This scholarship covers $10,000 per year. This scholarship is renewable each year expanding a period of eight (8) semesters providing the student maintains a 3.0 or above cumulative GPA. The recipient of this scholarship must be a first-time freshman. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to submit a final transcript reflecting the qualification as stated above no later than 15 days after high school graduation. Failure to submit final transcript and/or meet qualification will render scholarship null and void. 

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member schools include public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). If you are applying to an HBCU, check out their many scholarships!

Presidential Diversity Ambassadors Scholarship

The Presidential Diversity Ambassadors scholarship is awarded to enrolling Freshmen non-African American students with 22 or 23 on the ACT or its equivalence on the SAT (reading and math only) and a 3.0 or better high school grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale upon graduation. This scholarship is renewable each year expanding a period of eight (8) semesters. This scholarship covers up to $10,000 per year. The recipient of this scholarship must be a first-time freshman. All U.S. and eligible Non U.S. citizens scholarship recipients are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov to be considered for Federal Pell Grant, and other Federal and/or State Aid. If, after filing the FAFSA, you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, we will use this aid as part of your scholarship package. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to submit a final transcript no later than 15 days after high school graduation. Failure to submit final transcript and/or meet qualification will render scholarship null and void.

Diversity Scholarship

The Diversity scholarship is awarded to enrolling Freshmen non-African American students with an 18 or above on the ACT or its equivalence on the SAT (reading and math only) and a 3.0 or better high school grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale upon graduation. This one-time scholarship covers up to $5,000 in the academic year of award. The recipient of this scholarship must be a first-time freshman. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to submit a final transcript no later than 15 days after high school graduation. Failure to submit final transcript and/or meet qualification will render scholarship null and void.

Regents  GPA Requirement: 3.75 - 4.0  ACT Requirement: 30 - 36   Award Amount Up to $14,000

Presidents Transformation  3.5 - 3.74  ACT Requirement: 26 - 29  Award Amount Up to $10,000

Tiger Genesis  3.0 - 3.49  ACT Requirement: 19 - 25  Award Amount Up to $7,000

Tiger Opportunity 2.75 - 2.99  ACT Requirement:  17 - 18  Award Amount Up to $4,000

Presidential Scholarship – Full Tuition

 • Requirements: 3.6 GPA unweighted on a 4.0 scale with a 25 ACT composite or a 1200 SAT combined score.

 • Renewal Criteria: Recipient must maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA and have earned a minimum of 24 credit hours at the end of each academic year.

Dean’s Scholarship - $10,000.00

 • Requirements: 3.0 GPA with a 21 ACT composite score or a 1060 SAT combined score.

 • Renewal Criteria: Recipient must maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA and have earned a minimum of 24 credit hours at the end of each academic year.

Merit Scholarship - $8,000

 • Requirements: 2.8 GPA with a 19 ACT composite score or a 990 SAT combined score.

 • Renewal Criteria: Recipient must maintain a cumulative 2.75 GPA and have earned a minimum of 24 credit hours at the end of each academic year.

DU Grant I - $6,000

 • Requirements: 2.5 GPA with an 18 ACT composite score or a 960 SAT combined score.

 • Renewal Criteria: Recipient must maintain a cumulative 2.75 GPA and have earned a minimum of 24 credit hours at the end of each academic year. 

Presidential Academic Scholarship

Requirements: Incoming Freshman, College Preparatory Curriculum GPA of 3.50 (as calculated by Undergraduate Admissions); ACT score of 28 or above or the SAT score of 1300 and above.

Covers: Full Tuition, Room and Board, Fees (mailbox, student activity, capital improvement, and non-resident state fees) and $750 per semester for books (campus only). The scholarship may be renewed for 3 years if an institutional GPA of 3.5 and 30 credit hours are maintained each academic year.

Provost Academic Scholarship

Requirements: Incoming Freshmen, College Preparatory Curriculum GPA of 3.25 (as calculated by Undergraduate Admissions); ACT score of 25-27 or SAT score of 1200-1290.

Covers: Full Tuition, Room and Board (campus charges only). The scholarship may be renewed for 3 years if an institutional GPA of 3.25 and 30 credit hours are maintained each academic year. This scholarship does not cover non-resident or other fees.

Heritage Academic Scholarship

Requirements: Incoming Freshmen, College Preparatory Curriculum GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by Undergraduate Admissions); ACT score of 23-24, or SAT score of 1130-1190.

Covers: Tuition only. The scholarship may be renewed for 3 years if an institutional GPA of 3.0 and 30 credit hours are maintained each academic year. This scholarship does not cover non-resident or other fees.

Medallion Academic Scholarship

Requirements: College Preparatory Curriculum GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by Undergraduate Admissions); ACT score of 21-22, or SAT score of 1060-1120.

Covers: $1,000 per academic year. The scholarship may be renewed for 3 years if an institutional GPA of 3.00 and 30 credit hours are maintained each academic year. This scholarship does not cover non-resident or other fees.

TheDream.US scholarships are for highly motivated undocumented students who want to get a college education but are unable to afford the cost because they have no access to federal aid, limited access to state aid, and they sometimes face paying out-of-state tuition. 

• This scholarship is for students pursuing a career in the skilled trades, public safety or supply chain.

• A $2000 scholarship is awarded for tuition, fees, books and equipment.

• Scholarship recipients receive tools after graduation.

Criteria:

• Culinary Arts major.

• Have at least a 2.75 GPA as a first-time, former, or current DCC student.

• Include a 500 - 800 word essay describing “A memorable food experience you have had, such as a delicious meal you experienced, the 1st meal you prepared, a family food tradition, etc. and tell us why you are deserving of this $1500 scholarship?”   

• Financial need (as determined by DCC Financial Aid Office).

Criteria:

• Hospitality Management major.

• Have at least a 2.75 GPA as a first-time, former, or current DCC student.

• Include a 500 – 800 word essay that describes, “What stimulated your interest in hospitality and what attributes do you possess that you feel would enhance your career?”

• Financial need (as determined by DCC Financial Aid Office).

HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) are great options to consider when applying to colleges. 

List of HBCU-specific scholarships

List of HBCUs and Application Info 

Links to all HBCU websites

HBCU Common App (Note: This option allows you to apply to multiple HBCUs with one application for a $20 fee. A fee waiver does NOT cover this fee.)

Bridge Year programs provide students with opportunities to train and earn certifications in high-wage career fields like technology, skilled trades, healthcare, and hospitality. Below are FREE 1-year Bridge Programs you can apply to in the city.

Next Level Nola

Cafe Reconcile

Louisiana Green Corps 

Digital Media Institute

Seniors, you will take the ACT in October, December, and March. February is an opt-in test date—email Ms. J if you'd like a waiver for February. 

If a college you've applied to requests your ACT score, you send them a report for free by logging into your MyACT account.

Log onto your account here: My.ACT.org

Have questions about applying to college or a career? Need help with completing applications? Click here to schedule a meeting to get what you need.  

*Seniors: you will be pulled for ACT registration and your first college counseling meeting in Aug/Sept so you do not need to request an appointment for those things!*