2003 Year in Review

SVCC, Collegezone.com, and College Reps to MHS

I attended the annual Sauk Valley Community College counselors' meeting last week. Copies of the new version of the SVCC application are available in the guidance office.

SVCC will again be offering the seniors who are ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating class a full tuition scholarship which may be renewed for a second year. SVCC is in the process of establishing a way for students who want to pursue a program of studies not offered at SVCC to enroll at other Illinois community colleges and pay the in-district tuition rate. A SVCC admissions representative will be visiting MHS in November. Students may sign up for this homeroom period visit with me. SVCC will return to MHS during the second semester to both register students and administer placement tests.

At the annual financial aid seminar sponsored by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission at Knox College, I learned about the updated ISAC web site. The new address is collegezone.com. This site is developed for students, parents, educators, and counselors. ISAC also administers the Illinois State Scholars program. This site is an unbiased, trusted resource with reputable links. There are 5 links for general scholarship search engines and links for scholarships offered by reputable state agencies. These links can be found under "gift assistance programs". There is also a link to the federal government's FAFSA site for all students across the U.S. who will be applying for financial aid. This free federal application must be filed in order to apply for financial aid. This is typically done in February after parents and students receive their W2 tax forms in January. Be warned! fafsa.com is a scam that will cost you! fafsa.ed.gov is free as are all reputable gift assistance programs.

Students are encouraged to sign up with me for the following college representative visits coming in October: Educators of Beauty, Loras College, Bradley University, Clinton Community College, Southern Illinois-Carbondale, La James, University of Dubuque, The Franciscan University, and Western Illinois University

by Patrice Johannsen, Guest Columnist
October 2, 2003