Guidance News– February 2008

******CLASS OF 2008******

FAFSA, FAFSA, FAFSA !!!!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

www.fafsa.ed.gov

What is the FAFSA? The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the application used for all types of federal financial aid – for junior colleges, trade schools, colleges and universities!

Who should apply? All graduating students planning to attend a junior college, trade school, private college, or university.

When is it due? California students must file two forms beginning January 1, 2008: a FAFSA and a Cal Grant GPA Verification form by March 2, 2008 to qualify for state sponsored grant programs including Cal Grants. Apply early!!! Don’t wait until you have been accepted into a college for you or your parents to file year-end tax returns. You may use estimates from December pay stubs and other end-of-year records which can be corrected later when you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Why apply? Don’t assume you or your family makes too much money to get financial aid. You should still file the FAFSA! Many factors affect your financial need such as the number of children in your household in college and the age of your oldest parent. What’s more, a number of colleges require their students to submit a FAFSA before considering them for institution-based financial aid.

How do I apply? Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to begin. To start, you will need to get a PIN (Personal Identification Number) by clicking on the “Register for PIN” button then follow the prompts. The student and one parent must set up a PIN. Then, fill out the FAFSA and submit it. If you use a PIN when filing on-line, you don’t have to sign and mail in a signature page.

Where do I get the GPA Verification Form? Call Mary Halter at 1-800-808-9895 ext.4 then 2 to request a form by mail. Forms are not available online, they are only available through the CWCS Guidance Department.

High School Orientation Meeting several dates to choose from!

Feb. 7, 2008 7pm and Feb. 8 10am online via Elluminate

https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=559&password=M.525C0432DCE3E809505A51CEF37CC3

Feb. 21, 2008 10:30am at the Modesto Learning Center

We would like ALL of our incoming high school families to participate!

Attention parents of 7^th and 8^th graders!!!! A very important meeting to discuss the importance of high school and the courses you should take. Does your child want to attend college? A trade school? How about Junior College? Now’s the time to plan for the future!! A must attend event! Don’t miss out! Students also welcome.

Class of 2009 Guidance Appointments….

The guidance department will be offering meetings for ALL of your 2009 graduates…let’s catch them early!!!! Please have your student contact Mary Halter to meet either by phone, online, or in person to provide guidance counseling. The goal is to review academic progress, to discuss post-high school career plans, and to provide the resources for attaining personal and academic goals.

ROP News

ROP will be present at the College/Career Expo/ Curriculum Fair/ Parent Workshop Training on 2/26 and will be hosting a workshop from 11am to 12noon. Also, Delta College and MJC will be presenting their vocational programs from 12 noon to 1pm. Several other programs will be in attendance including vocational schools and the military. ES's should encourage their students to attend!!!

In terms of ROP resources specifically by county, we can work on getting information posted to the Guidance page on our website. One note of caution...ROP is designed for students and Adults aged 16 and older, or enrolled in grade 11. Most ROP courses are taught at regular high schools, meet daily, and will allow our students to enroll only if there is available space. Some ROP courses are impacted, ie, the ROP Cosmetology program in both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties have very long waiting lists.

The Guidance Department has been developing curriculum for all grade levels. Our Education and Career Planning for 5 credits will be offered to all 9th graders next year and we will have an internship course for 11th and 12th graders. We will continue our Study Skills course and are looking to expand the curriculum into a 5 credit course that will include success strategies. Starting this spring, we hope to meet with all juniors to assist them in career planning and to offer guidance. More information about the course and the curriculum will be presented at the College/Career Expo on 2/26 from 2pm to 3pm.