Senior Information!

Hello Class of 2024!

Please check this weekly as it details all senior information that we want you to know.

The Office of Elections needs election officers! Make an impact by becoming a poll worker today. We are recruiting election officers for the March 5, 2024, presidential primary election. This is a paid position and you will be trained!

Learn more and sign up at loudoun.gov/ElectionOfficers.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened a few weeks ago, and LCPS is here to help you fill out your form. Both previously scheduled Financial Aid Workshops earlier this month were snowed out, however, the one at Rock Ridge has rescheduled.

* Saturday, February 10th ~ FAFSA Workshop @ Rock Ridge High School from 1 pm - 3 pm.

• Register here (parent use your SchooLinks log in to register and students log in via LCPS GO)
• Bring your own laptop
• Create your FSA ID prior to the event (one parent, one child): https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/creating-using-fsaid.pdf
• Bring the specific documents (see photo below)
• This is a LCPS wide event and all high school students are welcome.
• We will have financial aid staff from the following institutions helping families:

1. Marymount University's Financial Aid Department
2. Shenandoah University's Financial Aid Department
• We will have Spanish speaking staff on site
• Doors open promptly at 1pm.
• Event will take place in the Cafeteria.

GMU, Shenandoah and Marymount Financial Aid specialists will be coming to help out during this event. Sign up here to attend.

For the slideshow to the virtual Financial Aid presentation given on Wednesday, November 29th, click here.

Our Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) representative has four dates scheduled to visit our Independence High School students interested in either information about or enrolling into the school this fall. Please sign up in SchooLinks.

February 13th @ 11 am (a Spanish Speaking rep will be here this date)

March 19th @ 12 pm

April 23rd @ 11 am

May 9th @ 11 am

Are you still researching colleges with late application deadlines? Then look no further! Here are the lists (and lists and lists) of schools with deadlines spanning all the way through the end of the summer. Click on the link here.

Important dates for Radford University are attached.

They want to admit our students and get them as much financial aid as possible! If you want to visit, please see the several opportunities offered!

Randolph College is still getting our name out there! We are a smaller school near the Blue Ridge Mountains, but have unique scholarship opportunities and new programs (especially in STEM). We’re great for students needing more support, smaller environments, or freedom to pursue several academic interests and activities at the same time. Randolph follows a curricular model called TAKE2 which has been a big draw for students because they focus on only two classes at a time, but still graduate in four years!

While many senior students have already locked in schools of their choosing, Randolph College has a Virtual Open House on March 14th for those students who may still be trying to figure it out. Please contact Margaret (Maggie) Rolf, Admission Counselor, if you're interested and she'll provide the link.

Connect with gap year program providers, counselors, alumni, and college admissions representatives at our virtual & in-person events to learn everything you need to know about taking a gap year, including the best gap year scholarships to apply for this year!

Click here for more information!

LCPS currently has 153 available scholarships posted for our students, with more added every week! To find these scholarships, log into your SchooLinks account, and look under the Finances Tab on the left side of your page. Click on Scholarship Matching, and filter the district posted opportunities.

In addition to the LCPS scholarships, check out the many different search engines for additional opportunities - websites such as FastWeb, Scholarship360, Big Future by College Board to name a few allow students to use keywords to search for all kinds of scholarships.

Recent additions Below:

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc ~ CSM Karl Roberts Sr. Scholarship

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc ~ Chief Darryl Smith Sr. Scholarship

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc

The WREN Project Scholarship

WISER Scholarship for Higher Education

A minimum of two $500 scholarships will be awarded. All applicants must be a male, senior high school student who will be graduating from an Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fredericksburg, Stafford, or Prince William County, VA high school and has been accepted to a 4-year college university for the 2024/2025 school year.

All applicants will need to include the following documents with their completed application:

• HS Transcript

• College acceptance letter(s)

• Documentation of financial need

• Letter of recommendation

• Essay

Applications must be mailed and postmarked by 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2024 to the address below.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.

Beta Alpha Omega – Northern VA Alumni Chapter

Attn: CSM Karl Roberts Sr. Scholarship Program

PO Box 706

Lorton, VA 22079

A minimum of two $250 scholarships will be awarded. All applicants must be a male, senior high school student who will be graduating from an Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fredericksburg, Stafford, or Prince William County, VA high school and has been accepted to a 2-year community college for the 2024/2025 school year.

All applicants will need to include the following documents with their completed application:

• HS Transcript

• Official Community College acceptance letter that includes ID number

• Documentation of financial need

• Letter of recommendation

• Essay

Applications must be mailed and postmarked by 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2024 to the address below.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.

Beta Alpha Omega – Northern VA Alumni Chapter

Attn: Chief Darryl Smith, Sr. Scholarship Program

PO Box 706

Lorton, VA 22079

The WREN Project awards educational scholarships to LGBTQ+ and allied students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment in the efforts and fight towards equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

The WREN Project, which aims to provide tools, facilitate connections, and empower young people to fight for LGBTQ+ equality, understands the obstacles that LGBTQ+ students face in the pursuit of education. This can be from myriad reasons, including discrimination and lack of support. The scholarships were created to provide outstanding students with the funding they deserve and need to ensure a successful college experience.

Applications for The WREN Project scholarships are open to High School Seniors in Fairfax and Loudoun County (VA) who are planning on attending, or are accepted to, an accredited post-secondary education institution or vocational or technical equivalent, in the United States.

Apply HERE!

This scholarship will recognize students who have documented need for accommodation and who demonstrate engagement in their community.

Two award recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help with post-secondary education.

Attached is an Application Form. The student(s) should submit application and all supporting information by mail to be received by WISER no later than March 22, 2024.

An informational flyer is included for distribution to potential applicants. Additional information and applications can be found at www.wiserdc.org.

The Gamma Sigma chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa (an honorary organization for women educators) recently received a grant from the African American Community Alliance to fund a $5,000 scholarship for an African American senior planning to enter the field of education. Please see below for details.

https://sites.google.com/view/va-gamma-sigma/home

On behalf of the Taiwan Culture Center, we opened up the 2024 Taiwanese-American Community Scholarship Award program.

This $1000 award is open to all ethnic backgrounds. The deadline is April 1, 2024.

Click here for more information. Click here to apply.

The scholarship is designed to identify and reward outstanding high school seniors who have demonstrated an ability to excel in the fields of academics, extra-curricular school activities and community involvement. It is available to any male, graduating senior who is enrolling in a four-year undergraduate college program that commences in the fall of 2024.

Click here for more information and how to apply!

Easily find scholarships that fit you. Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and financial aid tools. Our goal is to help you find scholarships to make college or vocational school more affordable.

Click here to see these 24 scholarships.

Click here to go to FastWeb's other opportunities!

Our Mission

The Joyce-Gillespie-Harrington Educational and Charitable Foundation increases opportunities for achievement for African-American males through scholarships, mentoring, and charitable services.

To be considered for one of this year’s $2,000 Jewel College Scholarships, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Eligible to graduate from high school by the end of the current academic school
• Plans to enroll in an accredited college or university for the Fall 2024 school year
• Reside in Northern Virginia Counties of Fairfax and Loudoun or within the greater Metropolitan Washington, DC. area

Application Requirements

Submit a complete application package on or before March 14, 2024, and include the following:

1. Two-page Jewel College Scholarship Application (Please Type or Print).
2. A two-page, typed, double-spaced essay describing, “Who am I, and What will the Jewel Scholarship Mean to Me?”
3. A typed detailed description of your high school community service and volunteer activities.
4. Two letters of recommendation.
5. A copy of your most recent 12th-grade transcript which includes your cumulative high school grade point average.

Two $500 C. Richard Walk Masonic Memorial Scholarships will be awarded in the current academic year to two full-time graduating seniors. These scholarships are underwritten and sponsored by Ashburn-Sterling Lodge No. 288, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons in Ashburn, Virginia.

The PDF application is below. Please follow the directions on the application process and where to submit by their deadline.

Here's a quick document to peruse this spring season with a few current scholarships, a few that will open in the spring, summer and fall, and additional resources.

The KPMG Future Leaders Program annually awards 22 deserving high school female seniors:

1. A scholarship of $10,000 per year for 4 years of college
2. A virtual leadership development retreat and ongoing KPMG support
3. A pairing with an executive mentor for one-year

Applicant criteria includes:

• High school female senior planning to enroll in a four-year undergraduate program for the upcoming 2024 fall semester
• U.S. Citizen or permanent resident (including all U.S. territories)
• Demonstrate a significant financial need (maximum household income of $75,000)
• Proven track record of academic excellence and leadership potential with minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA
• Interest in a business or STEM academic track
• Letter of recommendation from a nonprofit/community organization

Applications must be submitted online by February 1, 2024. An independent selection committee will select and notify the 22 recipients by April 15, 2024.

The Ron Brown Scholarship honors the legacy of Ronald H. Brown through a selective scholarship program that advances higher education for community-minded and intellectually gifted African Americans.

RBSP competitively awards 45 – 50 four-year $40,000 scholarships ($10,000 each year) to the most talented and economically-challenged high school seniors who demonstrate a keen interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship and global citizenship – the four pillars of the late Ronald H. Brown’s mission to uplift people of all races, cultures and ethnicities – especially our disadvantaged youth.

Recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States. Ron Brown scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline. Since the Program’s inception in 1996, 634 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars.

Applicants for the Ron Brown Scholarship MUST be Black/African American, US citizens or permanent residents, and a current high school senior at the time of their application.

For more information and how to apply, click here

In addition to the LCPS scholarships, check out the many different search engines for additional opportunities - websites such as FastWeb, Scholarship360, Big Future by College Board to name a few allow students to use keywords to search for all kinds of scholarships.