EducationQuest Foundation
College Planning Bulletin
A monthly college planning guide for Nebraska high school students December 2016
What to expect after you submit your FAFSA
The Early FAFSA opened October 1 so many of you have already completed and submitted your form . Here ’ s what happens next :
Expect a Student Aid Report ( SAR ). You ’ ll receive it via an email link if you provided an email address on your FAFSA . The SAR acknowledges that your FAFSA was received , and if you need to take further action to process your FAFSA .
Make sure you applied for admission to colleges you listed on your FAFSA . Colleges who receive your FAFSA results typically won ’ t send you a financial aid package until you ’ ve applied and have been accepted to the school . Watch for verification requests . The college ( s ) you listed on your FAFSA might request verification of your FAFSA information . If so , send the required documents to the colleges ’ financial aid office .
Watch for financial aid award notifications . The colleges you applied to – and listed on your FAFSA – will send you a financial aid award notification detailing the types and amounts of aid they ’ re offering based on your financial need .
Haven ’ t completed your FAFSA yet ?
No problem ! You and a parent can complete the form at FAFSA . gov . Before you start , create an FSA ID for you and one for a parent at fsaid . ed . gov . You ’ ll need them to access and sign the FAFSA .
For free help with the FAFSA , watch this FAFSA Demo video , use our free FAFSA Tools , or call EducationQuest to make an appointment : Omaha – 888.357.6300 Lincoln – 800.303.3745 Kearney – 800.666.3721 Scottsbluff – 800.303.3745 , ext . 6654
Winning the scholarship game
Follow these tips to increase your chances of earning scholarships :
Don ’ t ever pay for scholarship searches ! Use free resources such as ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest . org with over 2,000 Nebraskabased scholarships . Free national sites include Peterson ’ s , FindTuition , Cappex , and School Soup . Visit your school counselor often for information about local scholarships . Focus on local and college-specific scholarships because you ' re more likely to earn them . Update your activities , honors , community service or paid jobs using the Activities Resume at EducationQuest . org . Earn the best possible ACT / SAT scores by taking the exam in the spring of your junior year and again in the fall of your senior year . Use quality references such as a teacher , coach or counselor . Encourage them to write specific examples of your leadership skills . Give them advance notice and a specific deadline . Tailor your essay to the scholarship . Ask an English teacher to read your essay and offer advice on making a big impact . Your essay will need to stand out from other applications .
December “ To Do ” List
Complete these tasks during December to stay on the right college planning track . Seniors : __ If you haven ’ t already , submit college applications and the FAFSA . __ Continue to apply for scholarships . Juniors __ Take an ACT prep course . __ Set up a ScholarshipQuest profile and start searching for Nebraska-based scholarships . __ Register by December 21 for the January 21 SAT . __ Register by January 13 for the February 11 ACT .
For free help with college planning , contact EducationQuest Foundation :
Omaha |
Lincoln |
Kearney |
Scottsbluff |
402-391-4033 |
402-475-5222 |
308-234-6310 |
800-303-3745 ext . 6654 |
888-357-6300 |
800-303-3745 |
800-666-3721 |
|
EducationQuest . org Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram !
Your Journey to College Begins with Us
13