Early Awareness E-News December 2025Vol. 17 – Issue 12 The importance of a FAFSA Submission Summary The FAFSA Submission Summary may be the unsung hero of the financial aid process. Latest ACT news available via on-demand virtual events School counselors must keep current on a lot of topics, but trying to attend scheduled webinars can
Early Awareness E-News – December 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Students who apply for scholarships know it’s the smart way to pay for a college education. Scholarships are sometimes referred to as “free money” since it usually doesn’t have to be repaid. Scholarships are also a recognition of a student’s accomplishments – recognition that can sometimes lead to other opportunities or be included
Paying for college with scholarships Read More »
By Catherine Mueller During your senior year, you will finalize your college choice. Use some of your spare time in the month of December and your Christmas break to complete tasks related to applying for college. Below are the tasks you should complete during the month of December: Review the complete Senior year college planning calendar
December tasks for seniors Read More »
Tip of the Week Happy Thanksgiving from Mapping Your Future
Tip of the Week – November 25, 2025 Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Hopefully, you will be enjoying Thanksgiving day and not working, but if you do need to work, you should know that some Federal Student Aid offices are taking a break or will have modified hours. Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that their offices and contact centers will be closed on Thursday, November 27, in observance
2025 Thanksgiving holiday hours for Federal Student Aid and Mapping Your Future Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Colleges and state agencies which receive student FAFSA data can now better prepare for the 2026-27 academic year with some updated test records. In a recent update to an earlier Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education announced that it has published an additional set of system-generated 2026-27 ISIRs. These ISIRs include updates to
Department provides new student data test files with Budget Reconciliation changes Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander Not all scholarships are considered “free money.” When you are awarded a scholarship, make sure you understand any terms and conditions. For example, some scholarships may require you to maintain a certain number of credits each semester and/or a minimum GPA, while some may have a “work commitment” as part of the requirements.
Making the commitment to meet scholarship requirements Read More »
By Marlene Seeklander In case you haven’t realized it, the holidays are just around the corner. The holidays often mean gift giving, but it doesn’t mean that as a student you have to go into debt coming up with gift ideas for friends and family. A few ideas for things you can make: Gifts don’t
Don’t go into debt for the holidays Read More »
By Catherine Mueller The FAFSA Submission Summary may be the unsung hero of the financial aid process. The FAFSA Submission Summary doesn’t get as much attention as the FAFSA application or as the financial aid offer, but it’s an important part of the process and may help a student find a college that’s a good financial
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