Steller Secondary School

Career Resources
Spring SAT tests will be given soon. Juniors should schedule SAT tests for the spring, so you can re-test in the fall if you desire. Register online at www.collegeboard.com

Financial planning for college (more…)

Here is the February scholarship/awards bulletin with application deadlines. Many of the applications can be accessed and submitted online.  This is compiled by the Career Resource at East High.
Career Resource Bulletin

Interested in a language immersion experience that takes place in the US?
Check out the Concordia Language Villages link below. Located in Minnesota,
Concordia offers a multitude of language experiences for all ages. Contact:
http://clvweb.cord.edu/prweb/

UAA will be hosting College Goal Sunday on February 10 at 2:00 pm to assist students with completion of their FAFSA. Click here for locations and more information.

College Goal Sunday

Feb 11, 2:00
Polaris, East or West High

Do you know that everyone who is going to college, and plans to use any kind of loan or scholarship must fill out a FAFSA*? Do you know how? Come to College Goal Sunday and get a quick game plan (and some help) in completing the form.
More info at alaskacollegegoalsunday.org
If you can’t make this session, Karen, our Librarian, has FAFSA instructional booklets in the library.
*FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid - www.fafsa.ed.gov

Get ready, set, GO TO COLLEGE! Then, check out this website: http://readysetgotocollege.com/

The Massachusetts Board of Education has developed this website to help students navigate prep for college. It is actually pretty well done and anyone can use it. While the specifications mention Massachusetts requirements for graduation, etc., the general information, steps, and procedures are great information.

ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude test
April 23, (Wed.) 2008
7:30 – 10:30 am
East High School library annex

This is a free test for Juniors and Seniors, Sophomores allowed. The version of the ASVAB given in high schools is designed to help students assess their aptitudes for various careers. There is NO military recruitment and scores are not reported to the military.
A follow up session to interpret results can be scheduled for Steller. Call Vonnie Gaither at East HS to register. 742-2283

College Night – Nina’s room – 7:00 pm – Tuesday, January 29th

Now is the season to fill out the FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Please remember, federal student aid can be used for job training as well as college. Please direct students, parents, or even yourselves to http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/ for more information about the FAFSA and the various types of federal student aid available. Alaska’s state agency student aid lender, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, can be found at http://alaskaadvantage.state.ak.us/

Get Free, Professional Help with the FAFSA
In addition, financial aid professionals from Alaska’s higher education institutions and the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education will join other volunteers on Sunday Feb. 10, 2008 starting at 2:00 pm at the following locations to help parents and students fill out the FAFSA and learn more about the financial aid that is available to them.

Anchorage - Wendler Middle School, West High School, and Polaris K-12;

More information is available at http://www.alaskacollegegoalsunday.com/

The Financial Aid Seminar scheduled for Thursday, January 24th is on hold for now due to medical emergency. Parents will be notified by robot call when a definite date and time are known.

Are you planning to go back to school? Do you talk with students who are interested in college or job training? Do you have kids or grandkids who want to further their education? Do you have a student loan or know someone who does? Then you likely have questions about the federal student loan programs.

Do you want to know about loan deferments for the military? What about graduates who have loans they are having trouble re-paying? If you lose your job or take a pay cut, what new options are available to you for paying your loans? What changes were made to Upward Bound, to Pell Grants, and to student loan eligibility? What will be the interest rate on a Federal Family Education Loan or a Direct Loan in 2010 when you’re ready to go, or go back to, school? What has changed in the way the federal government calculates how much money they’ll provide for a loan or grant?

An easy way to find the answers is finally here – the U.S. Department of Education’s Dear Colleague Letter on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. Just click here to download an understandable explanation of the changes made by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

This information is from the WEST HIGH Career Resource Advisor. Steller kids/parents are invited to attend.

Jan. 3 - JOB FAIR Visitor industry jobs.
Jan 16 - UAA
Jan 23 – Wed. Senior Financial Aid Seminar at WEST
Jan 24 - Thurs. Financial Aid Seminar - Seller

For older students (16+) or staff looking for a summer job with the tourist industry, there is a Holiday Break Visitor Industry Job Fair on January 3 @ Egan Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring resume and dress to meet employers (some will interview right there). 60% are looking for 18+ but there are some (NANA, Princess, etc.) looking for 16-18 year olds for jobs.

UAA (Honors and Regular) scheduled at West CRC on January 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. They will answer questions, help students register online (need a credit card/SSN), or help in whatever way they can.

UA system (Anchorage/Fairbanks/Southeast) has an ‘in-house’ and Foundation scholarships deadline of February 15. In order to apply for these scholarships, you must have applied to UA and completed FAFSA by February 15 also. Students should apply no later than January 31/February 1 to give adequate time for applying for scholarships.

Senior Seminar (Financial Aid Night) is on January 23 @ 6:30-8 p.m. in the West H.S. library with Christina Campbell of PSEC speaking.

That’s about it here from West CRC. Hope you have a great winter break!

Gail Rutz
Career Resource Advisor
West CRC

Hey Parents of Juniors … Start Thinking College!
Here are some “Start Thinking College” book gift ideas for your college-bound kiddo. (more…)

The Dec 3, 2007 edition of the Career Resource Bulletin published by East High School is located here. It is a .pdf document chock full of scholarship information. If you have any questions please contact Karen in the library.

The Nov 12, 2007 edition of the Career Resource Bulletin published by East High School is located here. It is a .pdf document chock full of even more scholarship information. If you have any questions please contact Karen in the library

Thanks to Mike MacFadyen and Paula Delario for assistance with the College Planning Class, and to Vivica Carr for help with the PSAT. Thank you also to the parents who drove to the College Fair.

COLLEGE 101

This will be a series of lunchtime (11:45-12:40) workshops given on Tuesdays throughout November and December. Parents are invited. Topics include: getting into college, college selection, scholarships, and financial aid. The class will include extensive use of websites and handouts. Meet in the Library. This will be the same material as we covered in the College planning class. Paula and Mike have offered to be present to help on these days and at other times with advance notice. Let me know where you need help, and we can tailor a session to your needs. Evening sessions can also be arranged. Let Karen, Mike or Paula know what you need. Get in touch with us through the Office.

STUDENT PORTFOLIO
For college applications and scholarships

The guidelines and input pages are all accessible on the Chugiak HS or Bartlett web page under the Career Resource Center at www.asdk12.org/schools. A student can download the info and add their personal information.

SAT and ACT TESTS

There is a difference between the ACT and SAT tests. The SAT is an aptitude test of Standard Written English, Verbal skills and Mathematics. It also collects demographic information about the student to share with colleges. The ACT consists of curriculum based achievement tests in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science reasoning. In addition to the collection of demographic information, students are provided career-planning direction as a result of the ACT interest inventory. Both tests are approximately three hours in length. Juniors should register and take the SAT or ACT this spring.
(Libby Seitz, former KCC Career Resource Advisor)

Click here to download pdf of registration deadlines.

*You may register online with a credit card. SAT - http://www.collegeboard.org or ACT - http://www.act.org

$$$ FINANCIAL AID

I recommend that you begin to compile your income tax information. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms (FAFSA) should be emailed (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) or snail-mailed by the end of January — the sooner the better, but you cannot mail your forms before January 1, 2008.
Once you submit your FAFSA forms, you will be able to apply for a Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, a position in the work-study program, and the Alaska Advantage Program. Many colleges require the FAFSA if you are applying for scholarships
If you plan to attend UAA or UAF, I would recommend that you mail in the admission application by the end of January. Some UAA & UAF scholarships require the admission application be on file by February 15. Get more information at www.alaska.edu Scholarship info is usually found under Financial Aid.
Another good site is www.state.ak.us/acpe for information on Alaska Advantage Loans.
Click on the following buttons: Calculators, Financial Aid, Estimation Calculator, and Federal Methodology.

Karen Emmel