BLOG - no class this Friday but come out to Movie Day w/your ECHS Family.

Any last thoughts on finishing out this 2nd to your last HS semester?

Return your College Books - Dec. 15-19th

Return your College Books

When:

December 15th—19th

10:00-1:30 & 2:30-4:30

Where:

Cottage

Back Round Table

UNC - G Guarantee - NOW OPEN!

UNCG Guarantee helps in-state students graduate from UNCG in four years with little or no debt as well as provides a support program to encourage academic and personal success. The university will make every attempt to meet the rest of the recipients' financial need through a combination of federal, state, university, and private grants and scholarships. Recipients will be provided with complementary systems of aid and outreach, vibrant, inclusive, sustainable learning environments, and caring, personalized and comprehensive support, thereby creating access to education and opportunities for success.

The UNCG Guarantee is more than an outstanding financial aid package for those who qualify; it is also a support program that provides a variety of opportunities and services to enhance scholars' academic achievement, leadership skills, and personal success.

In order to be eligible for the UNCG Guarantee, the student must meet all of the following criteria:

• North Carolina resident for tuition purposes
• Received a combined SAT score of a 1000 or above on the Critical Reading and Mathematics sections or an ACT composite score of 21 of above
• Pursue a first undergraduate degree
• Graduated from high school within the past eight months of your first enrollment at UNCG
• Enroll full-time during the regular academic year
• Have a family income that does not exceed 100% of poverty
• Qualify for federal student financial aid
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA

The application is open NOW and the early applicants get priority so we encourage students to apply at their earliest convenience. You can find more information at guarantee.uncg.edu and attached is the electronic version of the postcard that we share with students. 

Please reply to this email with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Best,

UNCG Guarantee Program
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

(336) 334- 3971 or (336) 334-5534

guarante@uncg.edu

guarantee.uncg.edu

--

Clayton S. Alexander

Undergraduate Admissions

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

336-334-5268

Scholarship Opps!

New scholarships are now available for NC students who are planning to continue their education beyond highschool in the fall of 2015. They are listed below and include links to eligibility information and to the applications. Also, remember to check the CFNC.org site under the “Pay” tab for a full listing of scholarships.

Everett and Trudy Suddreth Scholarships of Excellence
Offered by the Carolinas Food Industry Council
30 scholarships at $2,500 each
www.retailpaysforcollege.org

NC Retail Merchants Scholarship
6 scholarships of $2,500 each
www.retailpaysforcollege.org

Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship
2 scholarships: One for $3,000 and one for $1,000
http://ncdames.org/refresh/templates/scholarships.php?id=49

Blog - Dec. 12

Look at the following picture and finish with specifics, 3 statements about your education and experience at ECHS/NCC.
EX - I struggle with....., I try to ....., I've reflected on...., I've learned...

Fin Aid Terms You Should Know

10 Important Financial Aid Terms You Should Know

   9/3/2012 by Tamara Krause    in College Applications    Leave a Comment

Financial aid is a lot like a football game. If you’re unfamiliar with the lingo, it can leave you dazed and confused. Just imagine what it would be like if a coach were to send in a quarterback without giving him a playbook or any tools to create an effective offense. In most cases, he would fail to move the ball. For some students, that’s exactly what has happened during the college planningprocess; they’ve received their college financial aid applications, but nobody has taken the time to explain what it all means. But don’t throw in the towel just yet. Here are 10 important terms that can help you score a financial aid touchdown!

1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

High school seniors and current college students can submit the FAFSAbeginning in January (or as soon as taxes have been filed). The information in this application will be used to determine your eligibility for federal aid. Colleges may use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for institutional aid, as well.

2. CSS/ Financial Aid PROFILE®

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® is a financial aid application service managed by the College Board. Some colleges may request this form in addition to the FAFSA, but it is only used to determine eligibility for non-federal financial aid. Applications are available starting October 1st.

3. Student Aid Report (SAR)

Once you complete the FAFSA, you will receive the SAR (either by email or paper). Be sure to review it for errors, as colleges may use the information in this report (including your Expected Family Contribution) to help determine your eligibility for financial aid.

4. Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Colleges determine your EFC by using information received from the FAFSA or CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®. This number represents your family’s financial strength, and determines this number by considering your family’s income, assets, size, and how many family members will be attending college. Colleges subtract your EFC from the total cost of attendance (COA) to determine how much financial aid you may need to attend college. Your EFC also determines how much financial aid you may receive from the federal government.

5. Cost of Attendance (COA)

Your COA is the amount needed to attend a college per year before financial aid is applied. It may include tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and living expenses.

6. Merit-Based Aid

Merit-based financial aid is awarded to a student based on his/her academic success (grade point average, class rank, etc.), athleticability, artistic talent, or other areas.

7. Need-Based Aid

Need-based aid is awarded to a student based on his/her inability to pay the full cost of attendance. It may include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study opportunities.

8. Grant

Grants are free money for college that does not need to be paid back. Students typically receive grants based upon financial need.

9. Scholarship

Scholarships are gift-aid that does not have to be paid back. Students may receive scholarships from state, institutional, or private organizations/donors. A scholarship may awarded based on need, merit, skill, creative essay, or other factors.

10. Loan

This type of financial aid must be paid back. Loans may be offered through the federal government, a bank, or other sources. Terms and fees will vary by lender.

Understanding the lingo is the first step to creating an effective financial aid strategy. To learn more about financial aid and how to find free money for college, be sure to visit the Federal Student Aid website or head over toScholarshipExperts.com for more helpful advice.

 http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/blog/college-planning-2/10-important-financial-aid-terms-you-should-know

Golden LEAF Scholarship

Golden LEAF Scholarship Programs

---

Since its inception, the Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded over $29.9 million to help more than 10,100 students from rural North Carolina attend the state's colleges and universities.

Scholarships are available to students from qualifying counties, who demonstrate financial need, to help them attend attend college at participating North Carolina public or private institutions or community colleges.

See information on the two scholarship programs below:

Golden LEAF Scholars Program
to attend NC 4-year colleges or universities
Since establishing the scholarship program, Golden LEAF has provided over 3,600 scholarships to help North Carolinians attend participating UNC System universities and private colleges and universities in N.C.

Participating NC colleges and universitiesParticipating institutions include UNC system universities and NC's private, nonprofit institutions. Click here for the list of participating colleges and universities.

Eligibility
High school seniors or community college transfer students planning to attend any of the participating colleges or universities who reside in aqualifying county and demonstrate financial need. Recipients are selected based upon multiple factors including grade point average, financial need, length of residence in the county and the ability to communicate a commitment to returning to a rural county that is economically distressed.

Award AmountFor students awarded scholarships:

• High school seniors are eligible for a four-year scholarship totaling $12,000 ($3,000 a year over four years).
• Community college transfer students are eligible for $3,000 a year for up to 3 years.
• Years of scholarship support are subject to the number of credits transferred and the degree sought, among other eligiblity factors.
• Approximately 215 scholarships will be awarded each year.

How to apply
Visit CFNC.org/goldenleaf to fill out the application form or call 866-866-CFNC for assistance. Your FAFSA, application, and transcripts are all processes through CFNC.org. Please do not send your information to the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Deadline
March 1, 2014 for your application, FAFSA, and transcripts

 http://www.goldenleaf.org/scholarships.html

See the announcement below regarding an upcoming webinar for Spanish-speaking parents.

The Office of Federal Student Aid is conducting a webinar for Spanish-speaking parents on federal student aid programs and the FAFSA in Spanish on Tuesday, December 16 at 5pm EST. Please share the webinar flyer (see attached) with all of your networks, and encourage everyone who will benefit from the webinar to register at this link http://fsaregistration.ed.gov/d/w4q655.

Regards,

Claire Fluker

AWARENESS & OUTREACH SPECIALIST

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

FEDERAL STUDENT AID

830 FIRST STREET, NE

UNION CENTER PLAZA, ROOM 32C2

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20002-5340

202-377-4580 (Office)  |  202-275-0131 (Fax) 

Cappex Fin Aid Night

YOUR STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO THE Financial Aid + FASFA 101 Session for Students December 17, 2014 • 6pm CST Dear Dana, Cappex is hosting the Financial Aid + FAFSA 101 Session on Wednesday, December 17th, at 6 p.m. CST. Let one of our financial aid experts, a former college and career counselor, help you by reinforcing the important financial aid facts for your students. Just send your students to www.cappex.com/finaid101 to register!

Scholarship Opps at Western Carolina

http://www.wcu.edu/current-students/scholarships/

Make sure you look at deadlines!
FAQs - http://www.wcu.edu/current-students/scholarships/frequently-asked-questions.asp

Scholarship Opps at ECU

Please share the following information with prospective high school Juniors and Seniors!!

The College of Education at East Carolina University has many different scholarship opportunities opening this week. Interested high school seniors should complete a scholarship application online at https://ecu.academicworks.com  (there are a lot of scholarship opportunities in the system now but there will be about 85 more by the end of this week).

Also, attached is a copy of the Lane and Abernathy Scholarship and the College of Education Living-Learning Community (COE-LLC) application. The COE-LLC is an awesome support system for incoming freshman to help with the transition to college. Interested students will need to apply by January 28^th for the Lane and Abernathy Scholarship (we had to move this date earlier due to University guidelines) and February 27^th for the Living-Learning Community.  We do have specific scholarships available to some of our COE-LLC members. Students are encouraged to apply early as awards are available on a first come basis.

Last, please encourage any interested high school Junior or Seniors to register and attend our iTeach: What’s Your Superpower? COE Recruitment Day. It will be a day for potential students and families to meet current students and faculty and staff to learn more about our opportunities at ECU. This will be a great day!  Interested students can register online athttp://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/OTE/iTeach.cfm .

Dionna D. Manning, Director
NC Teaching Fellows and Maynard Scholars
Education Housing Communitymanningd@ecu.edu

252-328-4126

252-328-0342 fax

BLOG - AVID 4 Dec. 5

How are you feeling about NCC exams? Are you doing something academically different to increase you final grades in your current class? If so, what?