As 12th grade students continue to prepare and navigate through the college application process, we’d like to highlight helpful resources that SDUHSD is providing in collaboration with each high school's resources to support our senior students.
The SDUHSD College and Career events calendar is updated regularly with college and career opportunities open to all students who attend high schools in SDUHSD.
Scholarships listed are open to all eligible students in San Dieguito Union High School District. Students are encouraged to investigate specific college/University scholarships by visiting the college/ University website. Local scholarships are also available to students, students should visit their individual high school counseling website for site specific scholarship information.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
25-26 FAFSA Form - now open!
2025 SDUHSD Financial Aid Night - 10/8/25 Presentation / Recording
How To Prepare for the 2025–26 FAFSA® Form:
Prepare now so you can complete the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Here are some ways you can get ready:
Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.
Filling out the FAFSA Form - Watch step-by-step videos to complete the application
Quick Reference Guide on Creating and Using an FSA ID, click HERE
Quick Reference Guide on Fixing FSA ID and FAFSA Problems, click HERE
CSS PROFILE:
This is an application distributed by the College Board allowing students to apply for financial aid. It is primarily designed to give private member institutions of the College Board a closer look into the finances of a student and family. It is much more detailed than the FAFSA.
Check the list of private colleges and universities on their website to see if this profile will be applicable to you.
Types of Scholarships:
Merit-based
Based on a student's academic, artistic, athletic or other abilities, and often factor in an applicant's extracurricular activities and community service record. The most common merit-based scholarships recognize academic achievement or high scores on standardized tests.
Need-based
Based on the student and family's financial record and will require applicants to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify if the scholarship is a federal award.
Student-specific
Applicants must initially qualify by gender, race, religion, family and medical history, or many other student-specific factors.
Community Service
Based on a student’s past involvement in his/her community.
Tips:
Do your research. Apply for everything you are eligible for. Don’t miss out on free money!
Ask questions! See your counselor if you have questions regarding any steps during this process.
Pay attention to deadlines.
Bold.org (Free scholarship search tool)
Getschooled.com (Scholarship Finder)