Announcements

Attention Students and Parents: The Morton East College and Career Center is available to serve the students and families of Morton East on a daily basis from 7:30am-3:30pm for any of their college and career needs. While students are always more than welcome to stop by and see us in room 213 for assistance with anything college and career related, we have recently created a College and Career Center appointment form as an option for students and parents to seek assistance. Once students or parents complete this form, we will reach out to them to set up a day and time to assist them with their college and career related needs. Here is the link to the appointment request form: http://bit.ly/CCCMorton

Attention Seniors: The FAFSA is now open. Please visit the College and Career Center (Room 213) or attend one of the FAFSA completion workshops listed within this bulletin for assistance. Some financial aid through FAFSA is given out on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you submit it as soon as possible. Visit this link to see what materials you will need in order to complete a FAFSA: https://www.isac.org/students/before-college/outreach-activitiesevent-

calendar/what-to-bring-to-a-fafsa-completion-workshop.html

Financial Aid Information

Scholarships: A scholarship is a type of merit-based gift aid that does not have to be repaid.

Scholarships can be based upon a wide variety of criteria including academics, athletics, or

other values/accomplishments. Examples of scholarship providers include businesses,

community organizations/agencies, private donors, and universities (institutional

scholarships).

Here is a list of scholarship opportunities with upcoming deadlines:

The Dream National Scholarship – “We think of our National Scholarship as the ‘Pell Grant’ for highly motivated DREAMers with significant, unmet financial need. While we consider you GPA and test scores, we

place great emphasis on your demonstrated ability to overcome the barriers and challenges that DREAMers face each and every day.” The National Scholarship Award will cover your tuition and fees up to a maximum of $14,500 for an associate’s degree and $29,000 for a bachelor’s degree, at one of their Partner Colleges. Please note, some Scholars may be eligible for an additional stipend of up to $4,000 (or $1,000 per year) for books, supplies, and transportation. For additional information please visit: http://www.thedream.us/scholarships/national-scholarship/ APPLICATION OPENS ON NOVEMBER 1ST Deadline: February 27, 2020 *Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program- the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship

Program recognizes students for their community service, academic performance and leadership skills. This

year, scholarships pf $2,500 will be awarded to over 800 students nationwide. Applicants must have

demonstrated commitment to community service, outstanding qualities in character, integrity and leadership;

be enrolled as a high school senior; reside in a community served by Comcast and/or in one of the following

NBC or Telemundo markets: YES, THAT’S CICERO/CHICAGO; have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; and

demonstrate financial need.

For more info or to apply go to: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/leadersandachievers

Deadline: December 6, 2019

Burger King Scholars Program- Burger King is looking to awards ranging from $1,000-$50,000 to help offset the cost of attending college or post-secondary vocational/technical school. Recipients are selected based on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and community service. To view details or to apply visit: https://bkmclamorefoundation.org/who-we-are/programs/burger-king-scholars-program/ Deadline: December 15, 2019    AXA Achievement Scholarship Program- Will be offering scholarships to high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their activities in school, the community or the workplace. Students will have the opportunity to receive a $2,500, $10,000, or $25,000 scholarship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents and demonstrate ambition and self-drive as evidenced by outstanding achievement in school, community, or work-related activities. Information is available online at:   https://us.axa.com/axa-foundation/AXA-achievement-scholarship.html .   Deadline: December 15, 2019   Denny’s HFE Campaign- Denny’s is awarding more than $200,000 in scholarships to high school students in the U.S. You must be enrolled in an accredited high school, citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and submit a 500-word essay on how Denny’s can impact childhood hunger in the United States. To apply or for more information visit: https://www.ushli.org/2018/09/06/2018-dennys-scholarship-application/ Deadline: December 31, 2019

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program – The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program annually

awards roughly 20 college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and

citizenship with $10,000 renewable scholarships- up to $40,000 total per recipient. For more information,

eligibility requirements, and an online application, visit

https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/scholarship-programs/ge-reagan-foundation-scholarship-

program/

Deadline: January 3, 2020

*** Visit the Morton East counseling page at https://www.morton201.org/Domain/96 for a more

complete list of scholarship opportunities ***

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application used to

determine a student’s eligibility for need-based federal and state financial aid. Colleges and

universities also use the FAFSA to determine a student’s institutional need-based aid eligibility.

By completing the FAFSA, students can become eligible for grants (gift aid that does not have

to be repaid), loans (aid that has to be repaid), and work-study opportunities (part-time

employment to help pay educational expenses). The FAFSA opened on October 1st and needs

to be completed every year for a student to continue to be eligible for aid. In addition, it

should be completed as soon as possible, as some types of aid are awarded on a first-come,

first-served basis. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information.

- To be ready to complete the FAFSA, you will need to have the following

information:

* Social Security Number - student and parent(s) (Note: Parent does not need to have a SS# in order for student to apply) * 2018 filed tax returns (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ), W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)- student and parent(s) * Date of birth- student and parent(s) * Date of marriage or divorce- parent(s) * Current savings/checking account balance as well as other assets- student and parent(s)

FINANCIAL AID OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS

RISE Act: The Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act makes state student financial

aid available to certain students who are not otherwise eligible for federal aid. This includes

non-citizen students who have not obtained lawful permanent residence, as well as

transgender students who may have been disqualified for failure to register for selective

service. Noncitizen students may be eligible to apply for ISAC’s programs if they are “any

person who is deemed an Illinois resident for tuition purposes under state law”. In order to do

so, an applicant must meet all of these criteria, which are based on Illinois statute regarding in-

state tuition eligibility:

o the individual resided with his or her parent or guardian while attending an Illinois public or

private high school;

o the individual graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a

high school diploma in Illinois;

o the individual attended school in Illinois for at least 3 years as of the date the individual

graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;

o the individual provides an affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a

permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to

do so; and

o the individual has not established a residence outside of Illinois.

Career Corner

Naviance: College and Career Readiness

Naviance is a comprehensive college and career readiness website that helps districts

and schools align student strengths and interests to postsecondary goals, improving

student outcomes and connecting learning to life.

Student login: https://student.naviance.com/jsmehs

- Email: school email address

- Password: school ID#

Tasks students from each grade should have completed in their Naviance account up to this

point in the school year:

Sophomores:

- Career Cluster Finder

- Learning Style Indicator

- Career Interest Profiler

Juniors:

- Career Cluster Finder

- Do What You Are (Personality Assessment)

- Career Interest Profiler

Seniors:

- Career Cluster Finder

- SuperMatch (College Search Tool)

- National Scholarship Search

Visit the College and Career Center for assistance with completing these activities or

interpreting your results

Alternatives to College

Apprenticeship Program: An apprenticeship program can offer you a combination of on-the-

job training and related instruction in which you learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a

highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by individual employers,

joint employer and labor groups, and/or employer associations. Possible careers include

carpenter, electrician, plumber/pipefitter, brick and stone mason, and more.

Vocational/Technical School: Vocational/technical schools are educational institutions that

can provide you with the training needed for a specific job prior to joining the work force.

Possible careers include welder, auto body technician, construction equipment operator,

industrial machinery mechanic, and more.

Military: The military can provide specialized training and educational opportunities. The

different branches of the military include the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast

Guard. Research the different branches thoroughly to determine specific eligibility

requirements and benefits.

* Military representatives visit the Morton East student cafeteria during all lunch periods on the last Friday of

every month

*** To figure out what type of training you need for a particular career, visit the following websites ***

www.naviance.com www.careeronestop.org