Senior Year Questions and Concerns
What do you have questions
about?
•Applications?
•The FAFSA?
•The TN Promise Scholarship?
•Other scholarships?
•How to choose a college?
•What is the timeline for my senior year?
Common Questions about
Applications
 Q: What is the deadline for
applications?
 Q: What information do I
need to fill out an
application?
 A:Colleges have different
deadline for their
applications. Check the
school’s website for more
infromation .
 A:You need your personal
infromation (Name, Social
Security number, address,
ect), your GPA and ACT
score, and lastly name and
information of references
(if applicable)
More Useful Information about
Applications
 Some admissions have ‘rolling admissions’- which means that
institution accepts applications all year long.
 Some applications will ask for you to write an essay for a
question or two. Make sure that you have someone proofread
and give you feedback before you submit it.
 Applications are the first impression that colleges have youmake sure you sound professional and personable.
Common Questions about the
FAFSA
Questions
Answers
 What is the FAFSA?
 The FAFSA stands for Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid. It is the
application to determine
your eligibility for student
aid.
Common Questions about the
FAFSA Cont.
Question
Answer
 What all do I need to fill
You will need Your Social Security Number
 Your Alien Registration Number (if you are
not a U.S. citizen)
 Your most recent federal income tax
returns, W-2s, and other records of money
earned. (Note:You may be able to transfer
your federal tax return information into
your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval
Tool.)
 Bank statements and records of investments
(if applicable)
 Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
 An FSA ID to sign electronically.
 Also if you are a dependant student you will
need your parent’s information also.
out the FAFSA?
More FAFSA Information
•The FAFSA for 2018-2019 opens October 1.
•You will need your family’s 2016 tax returns.
•You need to fill out a new FAFSA every year.
•You do not need to be admitted to the school before you fill out the
FAFSA.
•The FAFSA is what determines if you are eligible for need-based
grants such as the Pell grant.
Tennessee Promise Scholarship
The TN Promise Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship (meaning it
is applied to your account after all other scholarships and grants if
there is a balance due) that can be used a community college,
technical school or an approved associate program at a four year
university.
At a community college or tech school after the TN Promise is
applied these schools will be tuition-free, at the approved four year
universities the average cost of community college will be taken off
the tuition amount.
How to get the TN Promise
Scholarship
 Apply to the Tennessee Promise program (Usually the deadline is







November 1). A local partnering organization will contact you to help
you complete your requirements.
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in the Fall.
Attend first mandatory meeting coordinated by partnering organization.
Attend second mandatory meeting coordinated by partnering
organization.
Apply to a community or technical college.
Complete and report your first 8 hours of community service in the
Summer.
Complete FAFSA verification, if required by your institution before you
start college.
These are just estimate dates- check tnpromise.gov for concrete deadlines later in
the year.
How to find other scholarships
•Visit the websites of the different colleges that you are applying to
and look at the scholarships they offer.
•Talk to your guidance counselor.
•Look up professional organizations that deal with what you are
majoring in.
•There are many free scholarship search websites, such asFastweb.com, careeronestop.org, and many others.
Scholarship Tips
 Finding and applying to scholarships takes hard work and dedication.
 There are scholarships out there to apply for- it is the willingness to find
the ones that fit you and your interests that will make the difference.
 Keep track of every scholarship you want to apply to, along with the
steps that each scholarships requires to complete their application.
 Also keep a record of every scholarship that you complete, along with
the award amount and when and how you should hear if you are
selected.
Choosing a College
 Know the different kinds of colleges:
1.
Public universities
2.
Private universities
3.
Tech Schools
4.
Communities Colleges

Consider what major you are wanting to study- does the college offer a






program for that degree?
Think about what is the best match for you after high school. Would you do
well in a smaller school with my individualized attention or would you
thrive better in a bigger school with a lot of diversity and opportunities?
Do you want to stay close to home or move far away?
What is your budget for your college education?
What is the extracurricular activates available?
What is the overall atmosphere of the campus?
Make sure you visit the colleges you are thinking of attending to make a more
informed decision.
Timeline for Senior Year
FALL SEMESTER
 Take and retake the ACT/SAT
 Apply to several colleges (admissions, institutional aid, etc) and utilize their net
price calculators
 Student AND parent will create FSA IDs (fsaid.ed.gov) to...
 Complete 2018-19 FAFSA available October 1, 2017
SPRING SEMESTER
 Complete local/private scholarship applications
 Review college acceptances, compare financial aid packages, ask questions, and
follow up as needed
* List found on www.tn.gov
Additional Questions?
•Going to college is very individualized process. Different schools
and programs have varying requirements and procedures. Depending
on factors such as your GPA, your high school extracurricular
activities and family income affect what scholarships you are eligible
for.
•Make sure you take advantage of all the resources available to you to
make the most well-informed and best match decisions for you.
•Please come see you NiswongerCARE advisor if you have any
additional questions or concerns. We look forward to talking with
you!