ESF’S (Education Services Foundation)

 

Through ESF, all college planning services are free.  ESF is a not-for-profit resource for free college planning, scholarships, and low-cost student loans.  For detailed information call 601-321-5533 or visit www.esfweb.com.

Information on Education Services Foundation is also available in the CHS guidance office / career center.

College Admissions

Students are encouraged to visit the web site of the college of their choice for application information. Many colleges encourage on-line registration. There are, however, hard copies of applications for some colleges and universities in the Career Center. Pay close attention to deadline information and general instructions and notify your counselor for information you may need (grade point average, rank in class, transcripts, etc). Many colleges are now combining the admissions application and the scholarship application. Your counselor is ready to write required letters of recommendation or certify applications, but ask that you give at least three days notice. If applications or forms are left for a counselor to complete, be sure that the identification information has been completed . Often, your questions are best answered directly by college or university representatives, but the counselors will be happy to assist you. You will be notified through the Arrowhead when a college representative has scheduled a visit to CHS.

Mississippi Institute of Higher Learning

www.ihl.state.ms.us

Students may apply for state financial aid such as MTAG, MESG, William Winter, and HELP by logging onto the IHL website. Clinton High School sent the 7th semester grade point average for all graduating seniors the first of February, 2007. Students must accept or decline offers through the web site and must maintain the required grade point average each semester in order to receive the aid/scholarships.

U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid

FAFSA / www.fafsa.ed.gov

Students must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form in order to apply for federal student aid, and in some instances, state and college aid. Applying on line with FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov is faster and easier than using a paper application. FAFSA worksheets, not applications, are available in the guidance office. FAFSA applications should be submitted after the student's parents have filed their 2006 income tax and may not be filed before January 1, 2007. The college or university of your choice will be notified of your awards and you will accept/decline through the financial aid/scholarship office of your school.

The process of determining a student's eligibility for financial aid is called a needs analysis. In a needs analysis, income and asset information from both the student and from parents is examined to determine the family's ability to contribute toward education costs. This figure, called the family's contribution is subtracted from what it will cost the student to attend a college. If the educational costs are more than the family can contribute, the student has financial need, and the student is usually eligible for financial aid equal to the amount of his demonstrated financial need. This aid can come in forms of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study jobs. To learn more about the process, visit the web site listed above or see your counselor.