Scholarships & Financial Aid

FAFSA

What is the FAFSA?

The FAFSA allows students to access federal and state grants in addition to student loans. Grants are important to mention because they are free money. It also helps colleges, universities, and scholarship programs to determine the distribution of need-based institutional grants and scholarships.

FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” Colleges and universities, as well as the federal government, use this application to make decisions about how to distribute financial aid to students. Most of the FAFSA questions are about your tax history and financial information.

Who Can apply?

Any legal U.S. citizen or resident can apply for the FAFSA. DACA students can apply but are not eligible for funds.

When do I apply?

You will apply your senior year of high school. Many colleges have priority deadlines for priority financial aid so the sooner you get your application done the better.

Want to get an idea of what money you may qualify for? Estimate your financial aid, do the FAFSA4caster

FAFSA4caster

*Never pay for help for scholarships, FAFSA or college applications these services are free.

Steps to Complete the FAFSA

Step 1 - Student Creates FSA ID & Parent Creates FSA ID. Parents with no SSN are still required to create a FAS ID.
Step 2 - Fill out FAFSA From. Most of the information regarding income will be pulled by the IRS with your FSA ID. If you do not file taxes, you can still fill out the FAFSA.
Step 3 - Make sure it Process Successfully and there are no corrections to be made. If you need to make a correction, please make sure you do that.
Step 4 - Wait for the College/University to receive your FAFSA information. This will be sued to generate Award Letters.

FSA-ID Worksheet

FSA-ID

You will need to prepare with specific information, use the FAFSA worksheet to help gather the necessary information. Use the FAFSA Toolkit for more resources.

FAFSA Worksheet

FAFSA Toolkit

In December of senior year start your application.

FAFSA Application

After the FAFSA: What's Next?

Congratulations on filling out your FAFSA! Remember the FAFSA needs to be submitted every year you are in college. Watch this video for your next steps in the financial aid process.

Understanding your Award Letter

Financial aid award letters are keys that can help you unlock how you’ll pay for school, including how much you’ll have to pay on your own. If you submitted a FAFSA, and were approved for financial aid, every school that accepted you will send you a financial aid award letter.

Sample Award Letter

Calculate Cost of Attendance

FAFSA Verification Process

What is the verification process for FAFSA:

Verification is the confirmation through documentation that the information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is correct. The federal government requires colleges and universities to verify or confirm the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the FAFSA.

*If you used the Data Retrieval Tool on your FAFSA and you are selected for verification, let the college know so they can remove the verification requirement.

Verification Process Video Q&A

Request Transcript from IRS

FAFSA Verification for U of A

Scholarships

In State University Scholarships

These scholarships do not require an additional application, they will use the information from FAFSA and your university application for qualification.

University of Arizona

Arizona Assurance

- - U of A application and FAFSA needs to be completed by Jan. 31st
  - Family income $25,000 or less OR qualifying homeless/unaccompanied youth
  - Unweighted core GPA 3.0
  - Be a resident of Arizona

UA Grants (including Arizona Promise)

Merit Scholarships under the Honors College

Arizona State University

President Barack Obama Scholars Program

- - ASU and FAFSA application needs to be completed by Jan. 15th
  - Family income $42,400 or less
  - Be a resident of Arizona
  - Unweighted core 3.0 GPA

ASU College Attainment Grant

Merit Scholarships under the Honors College

Northern Arizona University

Lumberjack Scholars Award

- - Merit based 3.5 core GPA (nothing lower than a B)
  - Be a resident of Arizona
  - Application process completed by May 1st

Pima Scholarships

*Applications for Pima Community College Scholarships open on October 1st

🦋 Pima Merit Scholarship - Due June 1st

Two years of full tuition covered; up to 64 credit hours completely paid for.

- 3.0 GPA

Click here for more info!

🦋 Pima Excellence Scholarship - Due June 1st

One year of full tuition covered. This is renewable for another year.

- 2.5 GPA

Click here for more info!

If you are planning to attend Pima and then transfer to a university this program could help pay your tuition once you transfer.

Core Offerings

SAVINGS TO SCHOLARSHIP

Earn to Learn Students And Their Families:

Earn $4,000 toward college tuition on their $500 savings commitment per academic year
Receive college and workforce readiness training and ongoing academic support
Develop financial capability and stability
Identify financial goals, create personalized budgets, and learn about credit
Receive ongoing support and connections to resources throughout high school and college

Deadline: TBD, Early Interest Form now Available.

Learn more about this program: https://earntolearn.org/

Apply Here

Scholarship Page by School

U of A

NAU

ASU

Pima CC

GCU

Benedictine

Large Private Scholarships

Some of these scholarships can be full rides! (click on scholarship for more info.)

The Gates Scholarship

Opens July 15th, closes September 15th

A high school senior
Pell-eligible
A US citizen or permanent resident
In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)

🦋 QuestBridge National College Match

Opens summer before senior year, closes September 30th

Earn primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available and display intellectual curiosity and strong writing ability.
Rank in the top 5-10% of their class.
Challenge themselves by taking Honors, AP, and/or IB courses, if available.
Come from households earning less than $65,000 annually (for a household of four) and have minimal assets.
Qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.

Flinn Foundation Scholarship

Opens September 4th, Closes October 20th

Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) by time of application;
Be an Arizona resident for two full years immediately preceding entry to the university.

Attain at least a 3.5 grade-point average (unweighted);
Rank in the top 5 percent of their graduating class (if the school reports class rank);
Submit their ACT or SAT scores (minimum test score of 26 on the ACT or 1230 on the SAT)

Dorrance Scholarship Program

Opens October 1st, closes February 4th

Are an Arizona resident
Are a current graduating senior attending a public, private, charter, or home school
Will be a first-generation college student (neither parent, stepparent, or legal guardian holds a four-year degree from any country)
Have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA (weighted or unweighted)
Have a minimum test score of 1110 SAT, 22 ACT, or 72 CLT
Demonstrate financial need
Plan to attend ASU-Tempe, NAU-Flagstaff, UA-Tucson
Agree to live in on-campus housing during freshman and sophomore year

Dell Foundation Scholarship

Opens December 15th, closes February 15th

Be a high school senior participating in an approved college readiness program
Plan to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year college or university right after high school
Be Pell Grant eligible
Have at least a 2.4 GPA

🦋 The Dream.US National Scholarship

Opens November 1st, closes February 28th

The National Scholarship Award will cover your tuition and fees at one of our Partner Colleges up to a maximum of $33,000 for a bachelor’s degree.
Undocumented immigrant students with or without DACA or TPS.

Dorrance+Scholarship+Information+Flyer+2023.pdf

Sunnyside District alumni and friends have formed an association with a mission to promote graduation, lifelong learning and pride in the Sunnyside District. The Association raises funds for scholarships, and inducts honorees into the Sunnyside District Hall of Fame.

🦋 Eligibility Criteria

Must be a senior
Have a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative GPA
Plan to enroll full time at a post-secondary institution

Application Includes

Online application
One letter of recommendation
Copy of high school transcript
2 essays

*Application Tip: Students must be as detailed as possible when filling out the application. The more information provided the higher their application will score (ex: work experience, volunteer hours... in detail). Be detailed on your essay writing as well :)