Connections Newsletter

College and Disabilities Helping students with accessibility services at college will be different from high school. Find out more information here.

With course registration coming up February 18-28, we in Connections want to give you an overview of ways you can use your 4-year plan in Naviance to select courses based on your career and college interests. Here is a short video showing how to find the saved plan of study in Naviance and how to navigate college admissions pages. Your advisors are here to help you explore careers and colleges and select classes based on your goals.

Looking for opportunities to expand your interests? Learn New Things for Free (or inexpensive) with these resources!

At TCA

Thursday, February 20, 8:40: Career Talk – Dr. Scott Richins, Anesthesiologist

Monday, March 10, 10:30: Mini-College Fair

Tuesday, April 1, 10:30: Gap Year Fair

Application Deadlines

Application: 3/15/25; Connections Rec Ltr: 2/21; Teacher Rec Ltr: 2/28

In the Community

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 10:00-1:00: Outdoor Recreation Alliance Job Fair at Pikes Peak Workforce Center

Tuesday, February 25, 10:00-10:30: Introduction to Apprenticeship Webinar

Sunday, March 2, 6:00-7:00: Mizzou Sneak Peek, Denver

Saturday, March 8, 9:00-11:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Pine Creek HS

Saturday, March 9, 1:00-4:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Cherokee Trail HS

March 11, 13, 18, 21: Young Adult Job Fairs

Saturday, March 29, 10:00-12:00: SCAD Admissions Event, Denver

Monday, August 11, 7:00-9:00: Colleges That Change Lives College Fair, Denver

Virtual

Sunday, February 16, 1:00-6:00: NACAC Virtual College Fair

Thursday, February 20, 12:00-1:00: PPSC Virtual Behavioral Health Information Session

Thursday, February 20, 12:00-1:00: PPSC Virtual Physical Therapist Assistant Information Session

Tuesday, April 8, 6:00-7:00: Cracking the Code: Financial Aid Offers Experts will offer guidance to help you interpret your financial aid packages

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, check out VolunteerMatch, the Children’s Literacy Center, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, local food banks, animal shelters, community centers and churches. As a reminder, all students must complete 40 hours of community service and write 4 (four) 350-word reflective papers by the end of the third quarter of their senior year (March 21, 2025 for seniors). Hours and papers are logged in the Community Service (x2VOL) link found on the TCA Intranet page and under the Family tab on the TCA website if logging in from home. If you need help, refer to these Helpful Hints or stop by Connections.

Scholarships play an important role in paying for college. There are many scholarships available for merit, leadership, community service, academics, athletics, many fields of study, and for students who demonstrate financial need. Here are some scholarship resources for juniors and seniors along with tips for winning college scholarships.

MVEA Scholarship Program offers scholarships to students attending a traditional college, planning on attending a technical school, or interested in pursuing an engineering or lineworker career. Apply by February 28.

The Hagan Scholarship Foundation helps students with financial need graduate college debt-free. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 each semester for up to eight consecutive semesters. Apply here by March 15.

The Capt. Lance P. Sijan – AIR & SPACE FORCES ASSOCIATION of Colorado Springs sponsors scholarships awarded to outstanding high school seniors who are family members of active duty and retired Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard. Check requirements and here and apply by April 1.

The 2025 Student-View College Scholarship is open to all students regardless of academic achievement or financial need with awards ranging from $500 to $10,000. Apply by April 23.

The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative programs offer student scholarships and support services.

Explore these links to learn more about each school’s summer programming. As a student, participating in a summer program is a great way to further explore your interests, get a taste of what it is like to be a college student, visit a college campus, and learn more about topics that interest you.

Earlham College – Pre-college Summer Program

Front Range Community College – Data Analytics Bootcamp

Samford University – Bulldog Pharmacy Camp, Sports Business MVP Boot Camp

Santa Clara University – Summer Engineering Seminar

University of Michigan – The Joy of Coding, online course

Are you considering joining the military, attending a service academy, or applying for an ROTC Scholarship? Here are some details for you. Step 1—always attend the Connections visits and opportunities in the community for the service academies. Check out this Military Enlistment timeline that lists milestones of the enlistment process.

Have you considered applying to a service academy or ROTC Program? This process starts the junior year but attending a presentation as a freshman or sophomore is HIGHLY recommended. Here is a copy of last years’ Service Academy presentation. Note: all contacts are not current. You should also plan to attend the community meeting this spring. Watch our newsletter for the date once it is announced.

Tuition can include military dependents as specified in the state legislature documentation. My recommendation is to check the VA services department at your colleges of interest.

One example:

Free tuition in North Dakota institutions of higher education. A dependent, as defined in section 15-10-18.2, upon being duly accepted for enrollment into an undergraduate degree or certificate program of a North Dakota state institution of higher education, must be allowed to obtain a bachelor's degree or certificate of completion, for so long as the dependent is eligible, free of any tuition and fee charges if tuition and fee charges do not include costs for aviation flight charges or expenses.

More Resources

VA Education And Training Benefits | Veterans Affairs

GI Bill, Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bills | Military.com

Education Scholarships for U.S. Army Special Forces Families

15 Scholarships for Military Children, Spouses, & Veterans In 2023

Over 100 Scholarships for Military Kids · Military With Kids

Find out if a PPSC Behavioral Health Program might be the right fit for you here.

What is an apprenticeship? Are there scholarships? Read here for more resources. Colorado offers a Registered Apprenticeship Program Directory to help you find apprenticeship opportunities.

Carroll College is proud to announce the launch of the Commitment to Care program, a new initiative in partnership with Benefis Health System designed to support nursing students as they prepare for careers in healthcare. This program provides eligible nursing students with a $30,000 interest-free loan over four semesters to help offset the cost of their education, with a loan forgiveness option for those who work at Benefis as registered nurses after graduation.

Commitment to Care: Carroll & Benefis Partner to Support Nursing Students | Carroll College

This dedication to excellence is also reflected in Carroll College’s nursing program, which continues to set the standard for success. Over the past two years, Carroll has achieved a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam, with a 99% three-year pass rate—the highest in Montana.

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th- and 12th-grade students in the United States. A student is eligible if they enroll in or are eligible to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or their family's annual income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. Be sure to look at the current year's guidelines to verify.

The next SAT testing date is March 8, 2025. Register by February 21, 2025.

Additional test dates: May 3, 2025

Schoolhouse offers freeSAT Tutoring Bootcamp

March2Success offers free online SAT, ACT and ASVAB test prep

More test prep resources available on our Connections page

The next ACT testing date is April 13, 2025. Register by March 8, 2025.

Additional test dates: March 8, May 3, and June 7, 2025

Find out what is changing on the ACT in 2025 here.

Joanna Peters, Director - Junior, Senior

Katina Dahl, Advisor - Freshmen, Sophomore, AP, PSAT/NMSQT

Jodi Hoffman, Office Manager - College & Career Visits, Community Service

Email: tcavisits@asd20.org
Website: tcatitans.org/Connections
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104