Counselor's Corner

Seniors and Senior Parents,

All seniors planning on attending college next fall will need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Please read through the information below from studentaid.gov regarding the new FAFSA form.This redesigned and streamlined FAFSA form will be available by Dec. 31, 2023.

The 2024–25 FAFSA form will expand eligibility for federal student aid.

• 610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants due to updates to student aid calculations.

• Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to get an early estimate of what your federal student aid could be after submitting the new form.

The 2024–25 FAFSA form will offer a new, streamlined user experience for students and their families.

• Applicants will be able to skip as many as 26 FAFSA questions, depending on their individual circumstances. Some applicants will need to complete as few as 18 questions, taking less than 10 minutes.

• Watch our “2024–25 FAFSA FAQs” playlist to better understand what’s changed on the new form.

• Make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form when it’s available.
  

• Find out if your parent(s) or spouse will need to be contributors (contribute their info on your FAFSA form).
  
• If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account when the 2024–25 form goes live.
  
• Watch our “Preparing for the FAFSA Form” playlist to understand what information and documents you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form.
  

As one of the nation’s largest college financial aid programs in the country, the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program is one of the major scholarship programs nationally that specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. The scholarships are funded by Horatio Alger Members who, like the Scholars, have experienced challenges but ultimately overcame them to become successful business and civic leaders. This scholarship is valued at $25,000.

To be eligible to apply for the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled full time as a high school junior in the United States
• Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in the United States immediately after high school graduation (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution)
• Demonstrate critical financial need ($65,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required)
• Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities
• Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
• Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
• Be a United States citizen

The application will be available on December 1st and closes on March 15th.

This scholarship is also administered by the Horatio Alger Scholarship Program. 50 $10,000 scholarship are available.

To be eligible to apply for the Nebraska Aksarben Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled full time as a high school junior in Nebraska
• Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in Nebraska immediately after high school graduation (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution)
• Demonstrate critical financial need ($65,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required)
• Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities
• Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
• Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
• Be a United States citizen

The Greater Omaha-Council Bluffs Area Council on Youth Leadership sponsors the annual “Youth Salute” in cooperation with the National Council on Youth Leadership. The Purpose of this Program is to honor high school juniors in the community who maintain a high scholastic average and have demonstrated leadership ability. Several scholarships are available with this program.

To qualify students must:

• be a high school junior
• hold or have held at least two leadership positions
• have a minimum 3.0 GPA

Available Awards for the Class of 2025:

• 4 individuals will be awarded a National Leadership Experience
• $1,000 – Two $500 scholarships from Arnold Clark Photography
• One Award per School — “Top Youth Leader” named from each high school
• Each student will receive a certificate from the National Council on Youth Leadership
• Additional scholarships will be announced as they become available

$1,673,000 in Scholarship Opportunities were provided to the Class of 2024

Applications are due December 21st. Visit the Youth Salute Website to learn more and apply

The Susan T. Buffett Foundation has offered scholarships to college students in Nebraska for over 50 years. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to first-time freshman entering college who live in Nebraska, graduate from a Nebraska high school (or GED) with plans to attend a Nebraska public college, and demonstrate financial need.

The award amount varies based on the school in which you enroll. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see award amounts at various schools: Award Amounts

The application opens November 1st and closes February 1st before 5:00pm

• Don’t ever pay for scholarship searches! Use free resources such as ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest.org with over 2,000 Nebraska-based scholarships. You’ll also find a list of free national sites such as College Board, and Fastweb.
• Focus on local and college-based scholarships because you're more likely to earn them.
• Update your Activities Resume.
• Earn the best possible ACT scores by taking the exam(s) in the spring of your junior year and again in the fall of your senior year.
• Use quality references such as a teacher, coach, or counselor. Encourage them to write specific examples of your leadership skills. Give them a specific deadline, and a copy of your Activities Resume.
• Tailor your essay to the scholarship. Ask an English teacher to read your essay and offer advice on making a big impact. Your essay will need to stand out from other applications.
• Make sure to check the Wisner-Pilger Scholarship List often. New scholarships are added as they open.

On Friday, December 15th, the freshman class will be attending the 9th Grade Career Day at Northeast Community College. During this event, students will be attending several sessions about careers they are interested in. This is a great opportunity for freshmen to start exploring careers and to begin thinking about what they want to do after high school.