October 2019

You may complete the FAFSA on or after today, October 1. See the ASPIRE office if you would like assistance in the online process. You may be eligible for as much as $6,195 from the federal Pell Grant, and an additional $2,700 for community college or $3,300 for a 4-year college/university from the Oregon Opportunity Grant. The application period will be open for many months, but we recommend applying early in case funds run out.

Next Monday Evening, October 7, the annual SHS Scholarship and Financial Aid Information Night will be held at SHS beginning at 6:00 PM. This will be your opportunity to meet with local scholarship providers, learn about the new common scholarship application, hear from LCC administrators about financial aid and new academic programs, and receive a free flash drive to use when applying for scholarships.

Rotary Club foreign exchange programs will be explained on the evening of October 9 at the Siuslaw Public Library. The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM in the Bromley Room.

College Board Day is Wednesday, October 16 when many SHS students will be taking the PSAT or the SAT. You should bring a calculator (and extra batteries or a back-up calculator), at least 2 sharpened #2 pencils, photo ID, snack food (to be eaten only during breaks), and a sweatshirt in case the heat is not on in your testing room. Arrive at school at the regular time; if you are late, you may not be admitted to the testing room. The SAT lasts for about 3 hours 30 minutes, but with time for instructions and breaks it will likely take about 4 hours. The PSAT is a somewhat shorter (2 hours 45 minutes). You will NOT be allowed to use your phone during the test.

Some PSAT and SAT review sessions are still coming up this week and next. See ASPIRE for details.

October 4 is the last day you can register for the October 26 ACT. This testing date is the only one each year when the ACT can be taken at SHS. See ASPIRE for details and registration.

If you are applying “early action” to OSU or the U of O, applications will be due November 1.

If you are applying to OSU, a separate application will be required for some OSU scholarships. The application period opens on November 1 to apply for OSU “Scholar Dollars.”

If you are applying to the University of Oregon, a separate application is required for several specific scholarships: the STAMPS Scholarship and the Presidential Scholarship (both of which require a minimum GPA of 3.85 and a minimum SAT score of 1300 (ACT 28), and the Diversity Excellence Scholarship (minimum GPA of 3.0; diversity is defined broadly). The application period for these scholarships opens on November 1.

If you are applying to Western Oregon University or Southern Oregon University, both schools are accepting applications now for the Fall, 2020 term and you will be notified of the decision within a few weeks of applying. WOU has a stated minimum GPA of 3.0 but will consider applicants with GPA above 2.75; SOU has a stated minimum GPA of 2.5 but may consider applicants with lower GPA’s.

We encourage all SHS students to complete two years of foreign language prior to graduation. However, if you have not done so, you may nevertheless have college options other than community college. For example, if you otherwise qualify for admission, OSU and Western Oregon University may admit you with the understanding that you will take two years of foreign language while enrolled in college.

Reminder: The Elks National Foundation is accepting applications until November 5 for the Most Valuable Student Scholarships. https://www.elks.org/scholars/news.cfm?StoryID=119242

Reminder: Applications for Kaiser Permanente scholarships are due on December 6. All students who plan to study medicine/health sciences in college should apply. Don’t wait until the last minute!

Welcome to 3 more new members of our ASPIRE team of volunteers: Brooke Shafer, Kim Fowler, and Nora Kent.