Financial Aid & Scholarships
Where are the Scholarships?
Scholarships – There are countless scholarship opportunities available. The first place to start your search is Naviance. Log in to Naviance to start your search. Information regarding Community Scholarships will be shared in early February 2019. In the meantime, you should be researching and doing the homework on national scholarships.
We’ve provided step-by-step instructions on how to access scholarships on Naviance.
We also have taken a lot of leg work out of finding the best Scholarship Search Sites available, and have provided brief descriptions of each site and their Twitter accounts.
If you apply to any college through the Common Application, you will see a new feature - Financial Aid Resources - where you can sign up for more scholarships.
Here are some other tips:
Follow us on Twitter @HHGuidance - and then subscribe to all of the lists we’ve created. We have a list for scholarships & financial aid, college admissions, college & career news, and more. Once you subscribe, you will be following all scholarship organizations and admissions offices we follow.
Create accounts on some of the websites you’ll see on the Scholarship Search Sites and sign up for their newsletters and/or blogs and follow all of them on Twitter.
Check with your colleges to see if you need to complete a CSS Profile
Check your email for new scholarship opportunities we send to you.
Use the net price calculator for each college.
Use the FAFSA4caster to help you understand your options for paying for college. Provide some basic information and it can estimate your eligibility for federal student aid.
Go to MySmartBorrowing to calculate your return on investment when choosing a career and a college. It will calculate how much you’d need to borrow and gain scholarships based on your chosen college and career.
Use the "Award Comparison" worksheet to review financial aid package offers from all of your colleges.
NEW Financial Aid/Scholarship Information
Did you know that you can get started on the financial aid process now? One of the most important steps in this process is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The 2019-2020 FAFSA will be online and available on October 1st for students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
In order to apply, you will need to create a FSA ID. Please be aware that there are many scamming websites and some who charge a fee. Make sure you use FAFSA.ed. Never use the “.com” version to file your FAFSA.
In past years, students had to wait until January 1st. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be available to complete on October 1st, and students/families can use their 2018 Tax information to complete the application. The FAFSA is now available earlier to give you more time to make an informed decision about where to go to school and how to pay.
Colleges and universities determine your financial aid package based upon the data you provide on this form. Regardless of income, all students should submit this form. Here are some common myths about financial aid. After you fill out the FAFSA, watch for offers of financial aid from colleges you’ve applied to and have listed on the FAFSA. Make sure you compare the aid offers to see which school offers the best combination of net cost and “fit” for your academic needs.
There are several resources available to assist you in completing the FAFSA; some of the most helpful resources are listed on the right hand side of the page.