Message for Senior Families: College application wrap-up and financial aid information
Hello senior parents and guardians! We are quickly approaching the end of the semester. Mr. Perez and Ms. Marquez are very excited to have had the opportunity to support seniors with their college applications this semester. As you may know, November 30th was the application priority deadline for UC applications and most CSU applications. Prior to submitting, Ms. Marquez and Mr. Perez worked with most students individually to review applications for accuracy. We are excited to see some great results for our students! Please note: There are a number of CSU campuses that are continuing to accept applications and a list can be found here. Students can also apply to UC Merced until January 15, 2024.
Other highlights:
- Community College: applications are open! Most students who have a community college on their college list completed their application during their College, Career and Life (CCL) course. In the spring, we will take prospective seniors to El Camino College and Santa Monica College to help them complete the enrollment process.
- Private Universities: Many seniors submitted their applications during the months of November and December. Some seniors are still working through their private university applications via the Common App. and will continue to do so until early 2nd semester for those universities that have a later deadlines.
- University Portals: Once applications are submitted, many universities will require students to create a portal. Portals are the main method of communication for many universities. Please encourage your student to keep a close eye on their email, including spam, to access important information from prospective universities.
Financial Aid Update:
The Department of Education just announced that the FAFSA will be available by December 31, 2023. We encourage you to create an FSA ID, which allows you to digitally sign the FAFSA, prior to the launch. Both student and at least one parent need FSA IDs. Financial aid updates and resources are below:
- Create an FSA ID – it takes 2-3 to process so creating one now will allow you to start the FAFSA when it opens
- Changes to the FAFSA (video)
- The California Student Aid Commission announced that the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), financial aid application for undocumented students, will be launch at the same time as the FAFSA.
- Complete the CSS Profile, if applicable. The CSS Profile is used by private universities. Here is the list for participating schools. Please check each university’s financial aid website for CSS and FAFSA deadlines as they vary.
- Seniors have access to a scholarship database via their CCL class. Scholarships are announced weekly via Canvas. Below is a list of scholarships with upcoming deadlines:
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- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – due 12/15/23
- Edison Scholars – due 1/23/24
- Equitable Excellence Scholarship Program– due 12/18/23
Deadlines for FAFSA/CADAA:
- University of California: March 2, 2024
- Cal State University: April 2, 2024
- Private Universities: Check each university site as deadlines vary
We know there are a lot of updates and we are here to help! Please don’t hesitate to reach out for support.
Have a great weekend!
Ms. Marquez, College Counselor
Mr. Perez, CCL Teacher