CalGrant Deadline 3/2!
MKHS College & Career Newsletter
Less than 50% of MKHS Seniors have completed their financial aid application!
Senior Check In
Please complete this to give us an update on your Financial Aid application.
Did you know that California Now Requires All High School Grads to Complete the FAFSA? In January of 2022, the National College Attainment Network released a shocking statistic: in 2021 nearly 3.75 billion dollars in Pell Grant money went unclaimed by college-bound students in the United States. California was the state where the most Pell Grant money left untouched; over 500 million dollars that could have been used to help CA residents pay for college was never claimed. Pell Grants are awarded on a state-by-state basis to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need.
Opt Out Form
If you wish to OPT OUT, you can fill out the following and turn it in to Ms. Sanders, Assistant Principal of School Counseling, in the Counseling Office:
(English) FAFSA_Dream Act_Opt Out Form.pdf
(Spanish) FAFSA_Dream Act_Opt Out Form.pdf
Financial Aid Resources
Got More Questions?
- Visit studentaid.gov
- Email studentaid@ed.gov
- Call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) toll free
- TTY for the deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-730-8913
Financial Aid Application
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing- Create an FSA ID for parent and student
Dream Act Application
https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing
(Tip: Not sure whether to use FAFSA or Dream Act? Go to this guide)
What are Cal Grants?
Cal Grants come in different varieties and sizes depending on the school, the students’ income and their Grade Point Average (GPA). The amounts usually rise with tuition at California’s public colleges and universities. So the maximum award in 2017-18 will be $12,630 at a UC, $9,084 at a private non-profit college, $5,742 at a CSU and $1,672 at a community college. (In some cases, for very low-income students at UC and CSU, an additional $1,672 may be available for living expenses and books.) The overall average Cal Grant was about $5,700 last year, according to the Student Aid Commission, which administers the program.
As the name implies, they are outright grants and do not have to be repaid — even if a student never graduates.
How can I apply for one?
Most students do not have to file a separate application for Cal Grants. By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they are automatically given a review for Cal Grant eligibility, as long as the commission receives a school-verified GPA record. The FAFSA needs to be submitted every year, for entering freshmen, returning students and transfers. Undocumented students, however, are not allowed to use FAFSA but are eligible for Cal Grants through a separate “California Dream Act” application.
Don't forget the 2023-2024 Financial Aid App is using your parents' income from 2021!
Want to learn the truth about financial aid?
Don’t fall for these myths about federal student aid and the application process!
"My parents make too much money, so I won’t qualify for any aid."
FACT: The reality is there’s no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. It doesn’t matter if you have a low or high income; most people qualify for some type of financial aid, including low-interest federal student loans. Many factors besides income—such as your family size and your year in school—are considered to determine your aid package.
TIP: When you fill out the FAFSA form, you’re automatically applying for funds from your state, and possibly from your school, in addition to federal student aid. In fact, some schools won’t even consider you for any of their scholarships (including academic scholarships) until you’ve submitted a FAFSA form. Don’t make assumptions about what you’ll get—fill out the application and find out!
Reality: Federal student aid includes three different kinds of financial help: grants, low-interest loans, and work-study funds (a part-time job on or near campus). To learn more about the different types of federal student aid, visit StudentAid.gov/types.
“The FAFSA® form takes forever to fill out, and it’s really hard to do.”
Reality: If you’ve got 30 minutes to spare, you’re good. Because that’s about how long it takes to fill out the FAFSA form. It’s also not nearly as hard as you might think.
“Only students with good grades get financial aid.”
Reality: While a high grade point average will help a student get into a good school and may help with academic scholarships, most of the federal student aid programs do not take a student’s grades into consideration. Provided a student maintains satisfactory academic progress in his or her program of study, federal student aid will help a student with an average academic record complete his or her education. State aid, like Cal Grant, is a different story -- Cal Grant RELIES on your household income AND your grades. Cal Grant A is a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and Cal Grant B is a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.
“My siblings didn't qualify for financial aid so filling out the FAFSA® form again is just a waste of time.”
Reality: It’s super important to fill out a FAFSA form every year you’re in college or career school even if other siblings didn't get financial aid. Why? Because things can change. For instance, your school or state might create a new grant or scholarship, or the factors used to calculate your aid could change from one year to the next. Either way, if you don’t submit a new FAFSA form, you’re out of luck.
Not sure if you qualify for CalGrant? Check out the chart below!
⭐️💰💸Scholarship Highlights💸💰⭐️
Visit the Scholarship Bulletin for more!
Due 3/17/2023 - ALA $1000 Local Scholarship
This scholarship is open to Alhambra Unified School District seniors who identify (in any way) as Latinx and plan to enroll in post-secondary education in the fall of 2023. Winners will be selected from each high school within our district: Alhambra HS, Independence HS (including Eagles SOAR Virtual Learning Program), Mark Keppel HS, & San Gabriel HS.
More info at: http://www.alhambralatinoassociation.com/how-to-apply.html
Due 4/3 - AUSD ONLY - $1500 Future Social Justice Innovator Scholarship
One winner will be selected from each high school within our district: Alhambra HS, Independence HS, Mark Keppel HS, & San Gabriel HS. All Alhambra Unified School District seniors interested in pursuing Social Justice are eligible for this scholarship. ESSAY PROMPT: What is a social justice topic or racial injustice issue you are passionate about? Describe your future career plans/goals and how you will contribute to addressing this issue. Please include any activities or experiences you have had so far that add to your interest in pursuing a career related to achieving social justice.
Link to application: www.tinyurl.com/FSJIScholarship23
DUE 4/3/2023 - APFC Scholarship Fund - Over $200k in State Scholarships!
GPA requirements start from a 2.5 cumulative unweighted GPA and most do not have ethnicity requirements.
More info at: https://www.apcf.org/currently-open-student-scholarships
Due 4/4/2023 - Eleanor Barry Memorial Scholarship
Be high school seniors or graduates of a private or charter school in Monterey Park, California, OR high school seniors or graduates of a high school in the Montebello, San Gabriel or Alhambra School Districts. Demonstrate financial need. Plan to attend full-time an accredited public or private, two-year or four-year college, university, vocational, technical, professional school or post-graduate school located in the United States.Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
More info at: https://www.csascholars.org/barry/
Need help? Students can sign up for Turn It In Tuesday
- Financial Aid Application - FAFSA or CA Dream Act
- Community College Application
All workshops will be held in A144.
Workshops will be available at PowerTime, Lunch and Afterschool (3:30-4 PM).
Available Dates:
Tuesday, February 21
Tuesday, February 28
Wednesday, March 1
RSVP below to guarantee a spot. Walk Ins will be taken for lunch/afterschool if space allows.
RSVP Link: https://tinyurl.com/2023turnitinpt1