This newsletter is intended to provide you with basic information,
important dates, suggestions, and resources. The best way to access
current information about college, financial aid, and scholarships is to
check for the newsletter and scholarship postings on the MHS guidance web
site at:
http://www.duvalschools.org/mhs/guidance
Paper copies will be available through your senior classes as well as the
guidance office.
Whether staying in the great state of Florida, or moving on to points
north, south, east, or west to pursue your education, financial resources
are a necessary part of your journey. One of the most important financial
aid applications you will need to complete is the
FAFSA.
Now that you have gone through BEACON and attended the Financial Aid Parent
Night, let’s test you FAFSA knowledge. Answer the following questions,
then go to page 6 for your results.
1.What does FAFSA stand for?
a.Funds Appropriated For Student Aid
b.Free Application for Student Aid
c.Free Application for Federal Student Aid
d.Financial Assistance for Federal Student Aid
2.For what kind of aid does the FAFSA help you apply?
a.Grants, loans, and work-study
b.Loans and scholarships
c.Grants and scholarships
d.Work-study only
3.You can apply for the FAFSA…
a.Through your guidance counselor only
b.Online only
c.Through your college only
d.By mail or online
4.When should you fill out the FAFSA?
a.After Jan. 1 of your senior year
b.After Jan. 1 of your junior year
c.After May 1 of your senior year
d.After May 1 of your junior year
5.What does “SAR” stand for?
a.Statement of Additional Resources
b.Student Aid Resources
c.Statement of Additional Requirements
d.Student Aid Report
6.How often should you fill out the FAFSA?
a.Every semester you’re in college
b.Every year you’re in college
c.Every month you’re in college
d.Never again
For more information regarding the FAFSA, please visit
www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Only 2 Test Dates Left
Register
online for college entrance exams:
SAT
or
ACT
(if you haven’t already).
Request your scores be sent to Mandarin HS (CEEB Code # 100769) and the
colleges to which you are applying. Your scores MUST be sent to MHS to
become part of your transcript and be considered for Florida Bright Futures
Scholarships.
SAT
Test date
Register by:
Late registration
SAT & Subject Tests
May 1
March 25
April 8
SAT & Subject Tests
June 5
April 29
May 13
ACT
Test date
Register by:
Late registration
ACT and Optional Writing Test
April 10
March 5
March 19
ACT and Optional Writing Test
June 12
May 7
May 21
Apply
to the college or university of your choice online or submit a hard copy
application. Most colleges and universities prefer online applications.
Many, i.e. UCF, UNF, FSU and Florida,
require
online applications and no longer accept paper applications.
·
Check out links for prospective students and financial aid links.
·
Pay attention to deadline dates.
(They are not kidding.) Deadlines will be different for college
applications and financial aid applications.
·
Remember to record your login and password for each site you visit in a
place you can access for future reference.
Request
transcripts
by completing the Transcript Request form available in the guidance office
(48 hour turn around), or they may be requested online at the MHS website
guidance page. Transcripts to state university system institutions are
sent electronically. Electronic transcripts are processed periodically.
It is best to allow two weeks from the time of request to the deadline
date. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up and mail hard copies
or personal copies of transcripts.
Recommendations
should be requested at
least
two weeks in advance of when you plan to mail them to the admissions
office. It is customary to ask permission to use a person’s name as a
recommendation. If you are asking for a letter of recommendation, be sure
to provide that person with a brief resume of your activities in and
outside of school, achievements, and interests. This allows the writer to
present you in specific and positive ways. Finally, it is always a good
idea to write a brief thank-you to persons who have provided
recommendations for you.
Electronic counselor recommendations for UCF are no longer required!
***BEWARE
of any scholarship website that offers to find you a scholarship for a
fee. Most legitimate scholarship websites are free.
College Campus Visits
should be planned in advance for any schools to which you are planning
apply. Below are some guidelines to follow as we approach the holidays:
1.Plan
ahead to ensure the best possible visit. Walk-in visits are sometimes not
possible or lack the completeness of a scheduled visit.
2.Visit
colleges when students are in session. This gives you a true depiction of
the campus.
3.
Schedule a class visit or two to learn about the college environment.
4.Make
the visit interactive by asking questions that you can’t easily find the
answers to in a publication or website.
5.If you
are doing a college tour (multiple visits) take notes and pictures so that
you remember each campus.
6.Try the
food!!!!
7.Check
out the residence halls.
8.Take
the scheduled tour as well as an independent one in which you explore the
campus on your own and talk to students other than your admissions tour
guide.
9.Stay
connected after the visit. Write a thank you note. This can go a long way
if you’re planning to apply to the college you’ve visited.
10.Relax and
enjoy this time. The COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS should be fun!
Useful web sites:
Sites providing a starting point and efficient ways to gain information for
college planning are:
www.FACTS.org -
compares your transcript with Bright Futures Academic requirements
www.fafsa.ed.gov
- website of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form
determines the amount of financial need for most institutions. It will be
a critical part of your financial aid process.
***Be aware that
www.fafsa.com is a commercial “look-alike” website that charges money
for exactly the same form a fafsa.ed.gov*
www.duvalschools.org
- Duval County Public Schools Guidance link scholarship information
booklet.
www.fscj.edu
– Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) Scholarship directory
SCHOLARSHIPS:
$500 Community Service Scholarship
·
Eligible students must be enrolled in a Duval County Public High School
·
Student must be accepted to an accredited community college or university
for the 2010-2011 school year.
·
Eligible student must have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to making
Jacksonville a better community for its citizens and they will have shown,
by example, the difference one person can make.
·
See the School Resource Officer for details and application information.
Jacksonville Housing Authority Hicks Prep Club Scholarship
·
Eligible recipients must reside in (1) Section 8 housing, (2) Public
Housing (JHA), or (3) Habijax home.
·
Scholarship includes full cost of tuition to University of North Florida,
including tuition, fees, books, room and board for four (4) years if
student remains academically eligible.
·
For more information, contact the Jacksonville Housing Authority, or come
to the guidance office for contact information.
$1,000 SunTrust Off to College Scholarship Sweepstakes – Application
OPENS
Sept. 14, 2009
·
One winner will be chosen every two weeks from October 30, 2009 through May
14, 2010.
·
Eligibility is not based on GPA or financial need.
Jacksonville Asian American Alliance (JAAA) 2010 College Scholarship
Program – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Applicant must be a resident of Duval, Clay, Nassau, Baker, or St. Johns
Counties for at least a year.
·
Must be
accepted
to a four-year college or university
·
GPA of 3.5 or higher
·
Must have outstanding record of community service
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
The American Legion General Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Eligible applicant must be direct descendent of a member in good standing
of The American Legion Department of Florida or a deceased U.S. veteran who
would have been eligible for membership in The American Legion, student
must be in his/her senior year of high school, and attending a Florid high
school, parents must be Florida residents.
·
Award levels are $2,500, $2.000, $1,000, or $500 depending on placement
·
Applications can be obtained in the guidance office.
Patriotism through Art Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Scholarship open to high school seniors
·
Creativity award given for original artwork based on the subject of
“Patriotism”.
·
First place includes $500 to the student and $500 to the school Art
Department
·
Runner-Ups receive $250 to the student and $250 to the school Art
Department
·
Applications in the Guidance Office
The Southern Scholarship Foundation – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Housing scholarship for FSU, UF, FAMU, and FGCU
·
Scholarship recipients do not pay rent, but are responsible for their share
of the basic household expenses.
·
Interested applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated
financial need.
Continental Societies, Incorporated National Scholarship – DEADLINE TO
APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Applicant must have applied and been accepted by a four-year college or
university.
·
Essay of 500 words or more required.
·
3 Letters of Recommendation required
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
$1,000 The Raymond A. Vinson Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 1, 2010
·
Eligible applicants excel scholastically and demonstrate financial need.
·
Applicants and/or their parents must be members of Community First Credit
Union and plan to attend college in Florida.
·
Applications are available in any Community First Credit Union branch or
online at
www.CommunityFirstFL.org.
James Wilcox African-American Undergraduate Scholarship – DEADLINE TO
APPLY: March 15, 2010
·
Application is open to African-American high school students, freshmen,
sophomores, or juniors in college with an interest in
accounting.
·
Students must also have a desire to work in Florida upon graduation.
·
Eligible candidates must also be citizens of the United States or hold
permanent residency status and shall be Florida residents.
·
Scholarship recipients must be accepted to or enrolled in an accredited
college or university at the time the scholarship is awarded.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
GatorAid Financial Aid Application – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 15, 2010
·
If you have been accepted to University of Florida, please come by the
guidance office for a financial aid guide if you don’t already have one.
·
Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis so DON’T
WAIT!!!
The Players Championship Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 5, 2010
·
Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA on unweighted 4.0 scale in high school
academic subjects and
·
Score a minimum of 1000 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
the SAT or
·
Score composite score of at least 24 on the ACT.
·
Applicant must be well-rounded, works hard, and participate in
extra-curricular and leadership activities.
·
Completed application should be returned
to your guidance counselor
by March 5th.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
The Vince Dooley Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 31, 2010
·
$3000 scholarship to help defer the educational costs for a 1-year
matriculation period at the University of Georgia
·
Applicant must be accepted for admission to the University of Georgia as a
full-time, degree-seeking student.
·
Finalists for the scholarship will be required to attend a selection
interview.
·
The student should be a legal resident of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, or
St. John’s counties.
·
The award is a one-year, renewable scholarship.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Chief Petty Officer Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: April 1, 2010
·
Scholarship is open to qualified family members of Chief Petty Officers –
i.e. spouses and children (natural born, adopted or stepchildren)
·
Candidates submitting scholarship applications must, in the year of
submission of their scholarship application, be about to graduate or have
graduated from an accredited high school, or equivalent educational
institution or have successfully earned a General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
and
·
Must intend to enter, or be currently enrolled in a community college,
vocational college, college or university to complete the curriculum
prescribed in or to be graduated with an AA, AS, BA, BS degree.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: April
3, 2010
·
Three (3) scholarships each in the amount of $599 awarded for not only
grades and test scores, but also community involvement and extracurricular
activities.
·
Please consider applying even if you are not at the “top of your class”.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Friday Musicale Philanthropic Committee Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY:
April 9, 2010
·
Scholarships are available for high school senior instrumentalists/pianists
and vocalists in the greater Jacksonville area.
·
Auditions to be held on Saturday, April 4, 2010 for scholarship opportunity
·
Applicant must plan to attend a 4-year college or university, maintain a
3.0 grade point average, and major in music.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Duval Association of Educational Office Professionals – DEADLIN E TO APPLY:
April 16, 2010
·
$2000 scholarships being offered by the clerical employees of Duval County
Public Schools
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Laymon Hicks Scholarship Fund – DEADLINE TO APPLY: May 7, 2010
·
Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
·
Applicant must be a
first generation college student
entering a two-year or four-year postsecondary institution.
·
Applicant must be a resident of the United States.
·
Applicant must be pursuing an undergraduate degree.
·
Applications available in the guidance office.
State University System of Florida Johnson Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY:
May 15, 2010
·
All applicants must complete a 2010-2011 FAFSA form
·
Applicants must have a qualifying disability and plan to attend one of the
11 State universities.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
