ASPIRE

Scholarships of Note:

(Undocumented students who meet residency and academic requirements are eligible for these scholarships, except "Four Years Free" at PSU.)

The Oregon Promise provides up to 12 credits of tuition (minus a $50 co-pay) per term at any Oregon community college for students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. Students must enroll at an Oregon community college within six months of graduation. In addition to filing the online application, students must complete the FAFSA or ORSAA (specifying at least one Oregon community college). Details are available at http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/apply-here.aspx. Note: The Oregon Promise is subject to funding by the Legislature; students are encouraged to apply now.

Chemeketa Scholars provides a scholarship equal to the cost of tuition at Chemeketa Community College, for students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above at the end of their 7th semester (1st semester of senior year) and qualifying scores on the ACCUPLACER placement tests administered at Chemeketa. Completed applications with high school transcript and ACCUPLACER scores must be hand-delivered in early March for verification. Students who qualify are encouraged to apply for BOTH Chemeketa Scholars AND the Oregon Promise; any excess amount from Chemeketa Scholars will be refunded to students for them to use for future educational purposes. http://www.chemeketa.edu/cost-aid/chemeketa-scholars/

Chemeketa Foundation Scholarships: A variety of scholarships are available, based on student needs and field of study. Applications can be filed online between February 1 and March 31st. http://www.chemeketa.edu/about/chemeketa-foundation/scholarships/apply-for-scholarships/

Free tuition at UO and PSU for Pell-eligible students, guaranteed for students with GPA of 3.4+

Pathway Oregon (UO) https://pathwayoregon.uoregon.edu/

Four Years Free (PSU): https://www.pdx.edu/four-years-free

Parents

There are many resources to help you learn about college and financial aid options. Here is one offered by Discover Student Loans (this is not an endorsement of this or any other student loan company, only a link to useful information): Discover Student Loans college information

One of the best ways to get ready to help your own student(s) apply for college admission and financial aid is to volunteer with the ASPIRE program! If you have an hour or so per week during school hours that you can volunteer, we would love to train you to help students navigate the road to college and other post-high school training options. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends are all welcome to apply to be mentors as well. Just email aspire_south@salkeiz.k12.or.us to get started.

Seniors

It's show time! Time to start applying to colleges. Look into financial aid.

• If you're still wondering where to apply, come meet with a mentor, and be sure to attend college visits by admissions representatives and attend college fairs.
• If you don't have an ASPIRE mentor, come on in and get one! Permission forms are posted outside the door of room 234.
• If you are thinking about a 4-year college and you did not take either the SAT or the ACT in the spring, register online immediately (links are on the left-hand bar of this page). A limited number of registration fee vouchers for these tests are available for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; talk with your counselor and bring your eligibility letter from Food Services.
• Keep an eye on application deadlines; they vary tremendously, college by college.
• Talk with your family about assembling financial paperwork so that you can file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or ORSAA (Oregon Resident Student Aid Application, for undocumented students in Oregon) on October 1st, or as soon after that date as possible. Assuming that taxes were filed on time, you should be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically fill in the income data on the FAFSA; you will still need to provide information on cash, bank accounts, and investments. FAFSA is the form that drives virtually all college financial aid! Some colleges will also require the CSS Profile, a more-detailed financial aid form. The financial aid section of each college website describes what forms they need and the date they need them by.
• Start looking for individual scholarships based on your activities, intended college studies, and personal characteristics (ethnicity, parent's employer/industry, etc.). There are many FREE online resources to help you. Be sure to fill out the OSAC (Oregon Student Access Commission) common application at the end of the first semester. This online application helps match scholarship-awarding organizations with qualifying students.

Juniors

Start looking at colleges and researching scholarships. Stay the course!

• Be sure to attend college visits by admissions representatives and attend college fairs. A great one during the summer is done by Colleges That Change Lives, a group of highly respected colleges throughout the country that provide excellent undergraduate educations. The largest area college fair in the state is held in Portland in late October.
• If you want to take the PSAT in mid-October, register with the school bookkeeper. You should think about doing this if you scored well as a sophomore, since a high score on the PSAT as a junior qualifies students for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship program. You may also want to take it as a junior to practice for the SAT, since it's a similar format but less expensive.
• If you are thinking about a 4-year college, plan to take the SAT or the ACT in the spring (links to online registration are on the menu at the top of the page). If you're not sure which one to take, talk with your counselor or your ASPIRE mentor.
• If you don't have an ASPIRE mentor, come on in and get one! Permission forms are available outside the door of room 234.
• Start looking for individual scholarships based on your activities, intended college studies, and personal characteristics (ethnicity, parent's employer/industry, etc.). There are many FREE online resources to help you. Although you have to be a senior to apply for most scholarships, some are available to younger students. Also, since most scholarships are awarded year after year, it's not too early to do research so that you're ready to apply in your senior year.
• In choosing classes for your senior year, don't slack off! Colleges will consider your application more seriously, and their financial aid officers may give you a better financial aid package, if you continue with four full years of academically challenging classes.

Sophomores

Start looking at colleges.

• Attend college fairs and start searching online. The ASPIRE center also has lots of college brochures for you to look through, and books and materials about how to choose the right college.
• When you get your PSAT results in December, use your scores (as well as your current GPA and projected classes) to start doing college research at the College Board (click the "SAT" link under the Resources menu at the top of this page).
• If you don't have an ASPIRE mentor, come on in and get one! Permission forms are available outside the door of room 234.

Freshmen

Start planning.

• Attend college fairs and start searching online. The ASPIRE center also has lots of college brochures for you to look through, and books and materials about how to choose the right college.
• Take the PSAT 8/9 in mid-October to help gauge how on track you are for college work, and to prepare for future college entrance tests.
• If you don't have an ASPIRE mentor, come on in and get one! Permission forms are available outside the door of room 234.