Mrs. Joanne Lewis
Director, College & Career Center
310-378-8471 Ext. 43618
[email protected]
Mrs. Teresa Hoffman
Scholarship & Financial Aid Coordinator
310-378-8471 Ext. 43347
[email protected]
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES and DEADLINES:
Click on the name of the scholarship to access the application and further information. These local community scholarships may also be accessed on SCHOOLINKS. Click on the FINANCES tab on the left-hand side of the page. Then select Scholarship Matching. If you have not done so already, you will have to answer some questions to determine your scholarship eligibility. Once that is complete, click on District-Posted located in the upper right corner of the page. You will then be able to see the local community scholarships that are listed for our students. Click on the scholarship to view details and to apply, click on the APPLY button on the upper right-hand corner. Questions? Please contact Teresa Hoffman at [email protected] in the College and Career Center.
APRIL 30 – JUDGE BEVERLY REID O’CONNELL SCHOLARSHIP ($5,000) - The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Foundation is pleased to offer this scholarship to a woman high school senior, who is interested in the field of law or public service, and who was inspired in this career choice by the WLALA Foundation’s Power Lunch Program, the WLALA organization, or by a WLALA leader.
MAY 15 – HANA UNO SHEPARD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000) - LA Japanese American Citizens League is seeking graduating high school seniors who are members of a single-parent family of Japanese descent. To apply submit the request form, application, and an essay (on a separate sheet). The winner will be selected based on academic record, community service and extracurricular involvement, quality of essay, letter of recommendation, and clarity of application.
MAY 17 – JAPANESE AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000) - Must be a student of Japanese ancestry, who is residing in the Southern California area at the time of application. The children of businessmen from Japan who are temporarily in the U.S. are also eligible to apply; U.S. citizenship is not required. Must be a graduating high school senior and plan to enroll in college full time this year. The fund was established to encourage students of Japanese ancestry to achieve excellence in scholarship and citizenship and to aspire them to higher learning, by giving scholarship awards to students of demonstrated ability.
MAY 31 – COURAGE TO GROW SCHOLARSHIP ($500) - Was created to help students realize their college dreams. You must be a junior or senior in high school or college student with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or better and a U.S. citizen. To apply you will explain in 250 words or less why you believe that you should be awarded this scholarship. This is awarded to a student each month.
Jeff Levy and Jennie Kent from BIG J Consulting very generously create and share an incredible resource that provides current data from over 220 colleges where students and parents can compare institutions by average merit aid awarded to students not qualifying for need-based aid, average percent of need met, percentage of students admitted via early decision as compared to regular decision, etc.
Please stop in to the CCC to speak with Mrs. Hoffman or Mrs. Lewis to help you better interpret and use these resources.
Jeff Levy and Jennie Kent from BIG J Consulting very generously create and share an incredible resource that provides current data from over 220 colleges where students and parents can compare institutions by average merit aid awarded to students not qualifying for need-based aid, average percent of need met, percentage of students admitted via early decision as compared to regular decision, etc.
Please stop in to the CCC to speak with Mrs. Hoffman or Mrs. Lewis to help you better interpret and use these resources.
QUICK COLLEGE COST ESTIMATOR - MYinTUITION
The sticker prices listed for top schools are often much higher than what college will really cost. Find out the true cost for you and your family today!
While the estimate provided by the MyinTuition calculator is only that, an estimate, in many cases these estimates will be within a few thousand dollars of what your actual financial plan might look like. This does depend on the accuracy of the information you provide.
NOTE: MyinTuition does NOT store ANY personally identifiable information.
Financial Aid Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
Did you know that many Colleges’ offer specific scholarships to their incoming students? These are scholarships that are specifically offered to students who attend that school. Many students are unaware of these but there are a lot of great ones out there if they are willing to do the research. It can be as simple as checking with their school’s financial aid office and asking about possible scholarships that are available. Kristina Dooley of Estrela Consulting has published a large list of available scholarships at schools your students may want to check out. Here is a link to her Ultimate List of Hidden Scholarships on her website which is updated regularly.
Schools included so far are:
Arizona State University
Boston College
Boston University
Case Western Reserve University
Centre College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Davidson College
Drexel University
Emory University
George Washington University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Indiana University
Kansas State University
Montana State University
New York University
The Ohio State University
Pepperdine University
Purdue University
San Diego State University
Tulane University
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of California Berkeley
University of California Irvine
University of Colorado – Boulder
University of Illinois
University of Kansas
University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina
University of Oregon
University of Puget Sound
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of Southern California
University of Toronto
University of Virginia and UVA Alumni Association
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Wake Forest University
Washington & Lee University
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis
REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION:
There are several online website that can assist you in finding scholarships:
How do I pay for college and what does financial aid encompass?
Are you confused by financial aid? Here are a few helpful resources for you. If you have any questions, call the College & Career Center.
Under the umbrella of aid you have gift aid (money you don't need to pay back including scholarships and grants) and self help (loans and work study).
Student Guide to Federal Student Aid – The official website for federal student aid programs administered by the U.S. Dept. of Education
Gift aid
Money that is gifted can come from the college itself, private scholarships and grants from the state and federal government. Gifted money can be given based on a family's financial need or because of things like merit. A bulk of money can come from the college itself. It can be helpful to get a sense of who sends money or not and how much! College Navigator is a helpful resource that not only tells you about specific financial aid information for a specific college but the percentage of merit aid and how many students access it.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Gift aid can also fulfill a family's need financially. FAFSA4caster and the Collegeboard Expected Family Contribution are two estimates of how much a family can roughly be expected to pay.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/estimate
Self help
Loans can also be offered through the FAFSA, they are capped in a long and often in interest rates. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans
When to apply and how to find more resources
Applications for Financial Aid begin with the FAFSA which usually opens October 1 of the student's senior year in high school in preparation to enter college the following school year. The FAFSA is being revamped and there will be a NEW Better FAFSA that will be made available some time in December 2023. The PVHSCCC will share updated information as it becomes available.
Some colleges may request applications for financial aid to include the CSS profile and additional financial aid forms to help a university better put together an appropriate financial aid package.
It's important to start the cost of college conversation early with your family. Have a candid conversation about loans, money set aside for college, and get a head start on knowing what your family expects to pay for college.
Raise.me is a site where students can earn “scholarships” with partner schools early on as soon as freshman year for things like grades and awards.
Choose a college that will give you a strong return on investment It is important to consider a student’s “return on investment” in college. What does this mean? Well, in a sense, when you graduate after you have paid for college will you be able to get a job? Consider the following when choosing a college: Access to internships, job placement rate of graduates, graduation rate and the average amount of time it takes to graduate are some of the factors that can help value your return on investment in a college.
Every college is different and every student's information is different
So financial aid isn't just a one-stop shop, or a simple number that you can easily find. But you CAN gauge college cost well before you receive an admission decision and realize the school's tuition bill is unmanageable.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is open October 1 of your senior year (except for the Class of 2024 as the FAFSA will only become available in December of 2023!) and has a priority submission date of April 1. The FAFSA is FREE for seniors to apply, the earlier you apply the greater chance for aid, do not wait to apply. To apply, or to find out more information, please visit Federal Student Aid Programs.
How can I apply for the Cal Grant?
To be considered for a Cal Grant you must file the FAFSA. The California Student Aid Commission advises students to file as early as possible. In addition, a Cal Grant GPA must be submitted for each student that wishes to receive a Cal Grant.
PVHS will submit all Seniors' Cal Grant GPA to the California Student Aid Commission unless a student does not want PVHS to share this information. After you submit your FAFSA, check the status of your Cal Grant here.
How can I find out whether my college has an earlier financial aid and scholarship filing deadline?
Visit the college financial aid website. The federal and state program deadline will be the same at most schools but institutional scholarships frequently have deadlines in January.
What tax forms will I use for the FAFSA?
Tax records for the prior-prior year. W-2 and 1099 forms and other records of money earned. These forms may be required for the FAFSA and for verification (HINT: If you or your parents file a tax return with the IRS, you may be eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This is an easy way to provide accurate tax information, view and securely transfer information into FAFSA)
What questions will I have to answer on the FAFSA?
The FAFSA questions are all on the FAFSA on the Web worksheet (a helpful tool that explains each section! Very user friendly!) The worksheet can be completed before sitting down to file the FAFSA. By completing the FAFSA on the Web worksheet, students and parents can have all of the answers ready.
Undocumented students Can NOT apply for financial aid using the FAFSA. You must complete the DREAM Act application. See the instructions listed below for the California Dream Act Application.
CSS /Financial Aid Profile: Seniors applying to private universities that require the CSS profile need to complete the online CSS Profile no later than November 1 for Early Decision and Early Action applications and no later than December 1 for Regular Decision applications. Check specific colleges for extended deadlines. The profile allows students to report their financial and family circumstance information in one streamlined application and submit it to all the colleges that require it for scholarship and grant consideration. Apply online. Fee is $25 for the profile and first college report and $16 for each subsequent college report. Fee waivers are available for eligible applicants.
Can I better predict how much aid a college will give me before I receive a financial aid package from the university?
Yes! Each college has a Net Price Calculator on their website. Go directly to a college's website's financial aid page and find the Net Price Calculator. There you will be able to input information and get a better sense of what type of aid the college will offer and college affordability overall.
California Student Aid Commission - www.csac.ca.gov
Federal Student Aid - www.studentaid.ed.gov
Free Application for Federal Student Aid - www.fafsa.ed.gov
CSS PROFILE - https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile
Ed Fund - www.edfund.org
FastWeb for scholarships - www.fastweb.com
Discus Awards scholarship list - http://www.discusawards.com/
College Scorecard - https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
Scholarships students to acquire throughout High School: https://www.raise.me/
SCHOLARSHIP INTERVIEW TIPS!