A Publication of the Counseling Department at Monson High School Just for Seniors
WHAT SHOULD COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS BE DOING IN JANUARY?
1. Fill Out & Submit Your FAFSA
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa - Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college
Additional information & resources can be found at the following websites:
https://www.mefa.org/ - The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority has valuable resources and tools to help you prepare for the future and navigate the college planning process.
http://www.salliemae.com - The home page for the Student Loan Marketing Association
http://studentaid.ed.gov - Detailed information about completing the FAFSA
http://www.finaid.org - A comprehensive site with hundreds of links providing info and advice on financial aid
https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile - Electronic version of the CSS/Financial Aid Profile
https://www.fastweb.com/content/fafsa - FAFSA: Financial Aid Resources & Common Questions
2. Send Your First Semester Transcripts to Colleges You’ve Applied To
The first semester ends Friday, January 21st. Please see or email Mrs. Ladue in the Counseling Office or ladueb@monsonschools.com to have your 1st semester grades sent to colleges & universities the week of January 31st.
3. Focus on Your Second Semester Classes
The second semester begins Monday, January 24th. Please see Mr. Dearing or Mrs. Sorel if you have any questions or concerns about your second semester schedule.
4. Search for and Apply for Scholarships
The Counseling Department produces a monthly list of available scholarships in The Senior Scoop which comes out around the first of the month. Stay Tuned for the 2022 Common Scholarship application, posted in March.
5. Additional information & resources can be found at the following websites:
http://www.fastweb.com - Financial aid information and scholarship search engine
http://www.meritaid.com - Directory of merit scholarships from colleges
http://www.college-scholarships.com - Provides information on colleges, test preparation and free scholarship and financial aid searches
6. Avoid Senioritis
You may have heard about Senioritis and laughed it off – but it’s the real deal. It causes a lack of motivation, general laziness and lethargy. The cold, gray weather and lack of outdoor activities and stress of finals are also important contributing factors.
SEMESTER 1 FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
JANUARY SCHOLARSHIPS
Big Y Scholarship for Academic Excellence November 1-February 1, 2022
The $500-$2,000 Big Y scholarship is available to students who have their permanent residence in western or central Massachusetts, Norfolk County, MA, or the state of Connecticut. Applicants must be planning to attend an accredited college or university. Selection is based upon transcript of grades, College Board scores if applicable, letters of recommendation, and personal resume. Please visit: https://www.bigy.com/Community/Scholarships for more information and to submit your application.
SuperCollege Scholarship Monthly
Applicants must be high school students, college undergraduates, graduate students, or adult students residing in the U.S. and attending or planning to attend any accredited college or university within the next 12 months. Amount: $1,000. For more information and to apply: www.supercollege.com/scholarship/
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation January 5, 2022
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute awards more than $1 million in college scholarships to exceptional student leaders each year. High school seniors nationwide who demonstrate leadership, drive, integrity, citizenship, and who demonstrate strong academic performance (minimum 3.0 GPA/4.0 scale or equivalent) are invited to apply for the 2021 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. Please visit: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/ge-reagan/ for more information and to submit your application.
Liv Mas Scholarship January 11, 2022
Scholarship is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, between 16 and 24 years of age, who are on track to apply for accredited post-high school/post-secondary educational programs or is currently enrolled in college. Applicant must submit a video (two minutes or less) that tells the story of their life’s passion. For more information and to apply, click here: https://www.tacobellfoundation.org/live-mas-scholarship/#home
The Massachusetts JCI Senate Scholarship January 14, 2022
The Massachusetts JCI Senate will award two (2) $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating students in Massachusetts. The State winners will be forwarded to the National JCI Senate and will be eligible for additional $1,000.00 scholarships. To obtain an application please visit http://majcisenate.weebly.com.
Henry David Thoreau Scholarship February 1, 2022
The Henry David Thoreau Foundation selects Massachusetts’ high school seniors interested in environmental studies to receive up to $20,000 for tuition to the college of their choice. Please visit: www.thoreauscholar.org for more information and to submit your application.
2022 Nuclear Family Scholarship February 28, 2022
Our team at the Law Office of David E. Gordon is excited to share the 2022 Nuclear Family Scholarship! This scholarship was created to help students reflect on how their immediate family members have helped them to become the person they are today. The applicant that best answers the prompt will be awarded a $1000 scholarship to help them pursue their higher education.
Questions About Financial Aid?
The trusted experts at MEFA are hosting FREE college financing webinars. Webinars will occur during both daytime and evening hours, and feature industry experts, both from within MEFA and from colleges and organizations across Massachusetts. To register for a webinar, please visit: https://www.mefa.org/events/category/college-financing
For questions, please contact your Counselor:
Mr. Ryan Dearing
(Last Names A-L) dearingr@monsonschools.com
Mrs. Kristen Sorel
(Last Names M-Z) sorelk@monsonschools.com
To download and print the January Senior Scoop, click here: