Guidance Department
End of 2023
The United States JCI Senate Foundation Scholarship for Seniors- Application Here
The 2023-2024 Coolidge Scholarship application is now live. This scholarship is a full-ride, four-year, merit scholarship that may be used for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the United States. Any Junior who plans to enroll in college in Fall of 2025 may apply. More information can be found here: https://coolidgescholars.org/
Junior Scholarship Opportunity:
2024 Horatio Alger Scholarship Application
PROGRAM DEADLINE: March 15, 2024 at 12:00 PM EDT (Noon)
DESCRIPTION
As one of the nation's largest need-based college scholarship programs in the country, the Horatio Alger Scholarship Programs specifically assist high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. While many programs are directed primarily to recognizing academic achievement or leadership potential, the Horatio Alger Association seeks students who have exhibited determination, integrity, and perseverance in overcoming adversity, as well as have critical financial need.
Notice: This is a TWO part application.
The first part of the application is to collect your profile information. You will need to press submit at the end of this section to be directed to the second part that contains application questions.Please note, your application is NOT complete unless you submit the second part of your application.
REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible to apply for any of the Horatio Alger Undergraduate Scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled full time as a high school student in the United States; be progressing normally toward graduation with plans to enter a college in the United States no later than the fall following graduation
- Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor's degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution)
- Demonstrate critical financial need ($65,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required)
- Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities
- Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
- Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0; and
- Be a United States citizen
FSA ID and FAFSA Help from Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
- VSAC is offering 30-minute appointments through January 2024 with virtual and in-person options available. Visit our Calendly page to sign up for a meeting.
- FAFSA filing appointments will be offered after the FAFSA becomes available later this year. For more information, visit the VSAC calendar of events in December.
In the meantime, explore these VSAC infographic flyers for snapshots of the changes expected with the new FAFSA form:
- Focus on FAFSA one pager
- Focus on FAFSA with VSAC two pager
The UVM Extension 4-H Teen & Leadership Program is pleased to offer the following programs:
Vermont Science Olympiad - Teams Wanted: UVM will be hosting the Vermont Science Olympiad on Saturday, April 6, 2024, and we are looking for teams to join us for this exciting day of science competition! We encourage all high schools to form a team (or two, or three!) to participate. Students and teachers alike say it was one of the most inspirational and memorable experiences of their educational life.
Discover Engineering: A FREE full day event with workshops at UVM to promote the field of engineering and help youth understand different pathways they can take to pursue a future as an engineer. More information coming soon. Save the Date! Saturday, February 17, 2024.
THRIVE Workshops: 4-H has been helping youth thrive for over 100 years! Through experiential learning activities we deliver high quality programs framed in a positive youth development context. Let us work with your middle and high school students to intentionally focus on the development of critical life skills / transferable skills. Contact Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu for more information and to schedule your workshop.
Seniors: Help with filing the FAFSA
WYATT is a digital advisor available 24/7 to help complete financial aid applications. See more information here: https://www.getfafsahelp.org/about-wyatt/
THE NEW FAFSA: 9 BIG CHANGES YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
Changes are coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – the form students and families use to apply for federal financial aid for college. Here’s what you need to know.
The FAFSA Simplification Act represents a significant overhaul of the processes and underlying formulas used to award federal student aid starting with the 2024-2025 award year and includes multiple changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application form. Here are some key changes to be aware of in the 2024-2025 FAFSA.
1. THE FAFSA WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER THAN USUAL
In the past, students and families could access the FAFSA form online every year on October 1. The FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year is expected to be available in December 2023. According to the Department of Education, it intends to move the FASFA opening back to October 1, 2024 for the 2025-2026 academic year.
For students subject to state and/or college-specific filing deadlines that are earlier than the federal deadline, the delayed FASFA open date could make it harder for them to complete their aid application on time. Be sure to check your state and college filing deadlines.
2. THE FAFSA FORM WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER
You’ll see fewer questions on the 2024-2025 FAFSA, only about 36 instead of the previous 108. The online FAFSA application is dynamic, and the number of questions users see will depend on their financial situation and the answers they provide as they proceed through the form.
3. AUTOMATED TRANSFER OF TAX DATA WILL BE REQUIRED
Previously, students and parents had the option to enter their tax information manually into the FAFSA form or to download it directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, users of the online FAFSA will be required to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to provide their tax information.
4. THE EFC IS NOW THE SAI
As part of the FASFA changes, the term “Expected Family Contribution” or “EFC,” which has been used for many years to calculate students’ expected financial need for college, will be replaced with the term “Student Aid Index” or “SAI”. Both are used to determine a student’s financial need by subtracting the EFC or SAI from the cost of attendance (COA).
However, there is a notable difference between the two. Unlike the EFC, which could only be as low as $0, the SAI can be a negative number, as low as –$1,500. The fact that the SAI can be negative will help make it easier for colleges to determine a student’s financial need — as well as identify students with high levels of need — and account for expenses not included in a school’s published COA. Also, the new name, SAI, is intended to eliminate the misconception that “Expected Family Contribution” represented how much a family was expected to pay for one year of college, rather than an index used to calculate financial aid eligibility.
5. STUDENTS MAY AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR PELL GRANTS
The 2024-2025 FAFSA changes how eligibility for Pell Grants (which are a type of need-based financial aid) is determined. Students will now automatically qualify for Pell Grants based on family size and income and will know the amount of their Pell Grant much earlier in the process — before they apply to colleges. Previously, students weren’t aware of their Pell eligibility — or the amount of the grant — until they received their financial aid offers from colleges. Having this information earlier may encourage students to consider colleges that might otherwise seem too expensive.
According to an Urban Institute analysis, the changes to Pell Grant eligibility are expected to increase the number of students who are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant by 16 percent.
6. STUDENTS CAN SEND THE FAFSA TO MORE COLLEGES
On the online FAFSA application, students will be able to list up to 20 schools to receive their FAFSA information. Previously, the limit was 10 schools. Now, students with long college lists will be able to send their FAFSA information to all their schools at the same time, instead of adding some schools later in the process. For students who fill out the PDF version of the FAFSA, the limit is still 10 schools.
7. THE INCOME PROTECTION ALLOWANCE IS INCREASING
Beginning with the 2024-2025 FASFA, the income protection allowance (IPA), which is the amount of income that is excluded from determining a student’s financial aid, will be increased. For dependent students, the IPA levels for the parents of dependent students with one student in college will increase approximately 20 percent above their current levels. For dependent students themselves and independent students without dependents, the IPA levels will increase about 35 percent above their current levels.
8. FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE CHILDREN IN COLLEGE WILL NO LONGER GET A BREAK
The new methodology for calculating aid eligibility required by the FASFA changes no longer considers the number of family members attending college. This means families with multiple college students could receive less aid for the 2024-2025 school year. However, individual colleges can consider the financial burden of having many students in school and can adjust offers at their discretion.
9. STUDENTS MUST REPORT THE INCOME OF THE PARENT WHO PROVIDES THE MOST SUPPORT
In the past, dependent students of divorced or separated parents were required to report the income of the parent they lived with most of the year. The updated FAFSA requires dependent students of divorced or separated parents to report the income of the parent who provides the most financial support.
DON’T FORGET TO FILE THE FAFSA!
It’s important to stay in the know about updates to the FAFSA and to keep track of the FAFSA deadlines for your colleges and your state. Colleges often award financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s important to complete and submit the FAFSA as soon as you can after it becomes available. Even if you think your family will not qualify for federal student aid, you should complete and submit the FAFSA to be considered for federal student loans and possibly scholarships or other financial aid provided by your college. For more information about the upcoming changes to the FAFSA and the availability of the 2024-2025 form, visit the Federal Student Aid Website.
***For dates and locations to take the SAT (not offered at MHS): https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration/dates-deadlines
What is Naviance?
Naviance is “The Hub” for students and families to start the search for colleges and majors. In senior year it is also the portal the School Counseling staff uses to send students' recommendations and transcripts to the colleges. It is very important that students continue to update their Naviance accounts as they begin applying to schools, including making sure they have set the accurate deadlines (early action, early decision, or regular decision). Naviance is also a tool to use for career exploration. Students can research job descriptions and salaries, related occupations, and the knowledge, skills, and preparation needed to pursue those careers. It can be helpful for parents to access their student’s account so if you are trying to register for the first time, please email dianakoliander@mpsvt.org or call 225.8050.
What is the Common App?
Common App is a single, online college application form used by over 900 colleges and universities. Instead of filling out the same general information—like your address, GPA, and extracurriculars— a dozen times, you only have to do it once. As students prepare to apply, it’s very important to check to see if the schools they are applying to use it. It must also be linked to their Naviance account so that the materials we submit (transcript, mid year grades, final transcript, letters of recommendation, etc) reach the correct schools. Students have been given instructions about how to link their Naviance and Common App accounts, but they can always ask for help with this, or any portion of the process, in our office.