Seniors-Spring Semester
Fall was a time of college applications and decisions about directions after high school. As the Class of 2025 gets ready to disperse to various areas, many have been accepted to universities and technical colleges both in- and out-of-state. A few have enlisted in the U.S. Military. Some are researching and preparing for lucrative careers with on-the-job training.
Now it is time to discuss concrete plans with families. For students who plan to attend a university or technical college, there are some “Next Steps” once students are admitted. These vary by school and can include:
1) Filing a FAFSA form (Pell Grant Application) at www.studentaid.gov. Student should start the form and create an FSA ID. Then, via e-mail, a parent will be invited to finish the form. This must be on file with a student’s selected college before any financial aid can be received. Students/parents should take care of this ASAP. Some colleges have deadlines as early as March, and students can add up to 20 potential colleges to their FAFSA application.
2) Applying for housing. This can be done through a college or university’s online portal. Directions are available on the college website and, in most cases, in a student’s admission e-mail. This should only be done for the college/university to which the student commits. There will be a fee for this process payable to the college/university.
3) 3) Registering for Orientation. This may also be done on the college/university’s online portal. There may be a fee for this as well. This should only be done for the college/university where the student commits to attend. Orientation is where the student will register for Fall ’25 courses.
4) 4) Applying for scholarships. Many scholarship applications are available in the Class of 2025 Teams account. Parents, get your teen to log in with you and go through them. Scholarship applications and information is also available on apps like Instagram. Students can search for scholarship information in addition to those that are linked in Teams; scholarships are also available through specific universities. You can’t win scholarships if you don’t apply!
If you have questions regarding a specific college/university after acceptance, contact their admissions or financial aid offices directly. If you have general questions, please reach out to Jernigan.melissa@marion.k12.ga.us.
Honor graduates will be announced next week, and HOPE notification letters will go out at the beginning of February. A little Senior-itis is okay, but don't let it derail you! :)