SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
UPDATE: The FAFSA and CADAA for financial aid is now open. To apply for the FAFSA, students must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents and can visit www.studentaid.gov. To apply for the CADAA, undocumented students can visit www.caldreamact.org
The better FAFSA application is going through a 'soft launch' so they are allowing a certain amount of applicants in January to apply. Applications will not be submitted to colleges until the end of January. The site is still undergoing maintenance
The application year for current seniors to apply to is 2024-2025 using 2022 tax year information.
For assistance with the application, please email Mrs. Fukuda to set-up an appointment. Meetings are open to parents as well who need assistance with the parent contributor section.
scholarships
The RHS Scholarship Bulletin is ALWAYS available and UPDATED OFTEN! Deadline dates will continue to be updated. For any questions, email Mrs. Fukuda.
Click image to log into the RHS Scholarship Bulletin.
what are Scholarships?
Scholarships are monetary awards to help students pay for college. The money is FREE and does not need to be paid back.
Great Scholarship Websites!
Fastweb has one of the largest databases of scholarships. The database is updated every day.
Registration with Fastweb is free and easy. Fill out your profile, and they’ll match you with relevant scholarships. You can filter your search by scholarship amount, deadline, and types of scholarships. The website is so organized that you are sure to find what you’re looking for!
Special Features:
Scholarship tips, student loans, job advice, internship opportunities, and financial aid information.
Notifications when scholarship deadlines are getting close.
Scholarship contests.
Student discounts on products like computers.
Apps for Android and iOS.
Cappex works with over 3,000 colleges and universities. They host over $11 billion in scholarship money. To access scholarships, you must first create an account. You need to fill in information like your school level, ethnicity, and financial need. Then, you are matched with scholarships that are relevant to you.
Special Features:
‘What are My Chances Tool’ calculates your odds of getting accepted to certain colleges.
Cappex ‘College Fit Meter’ shows you whether a college is a good fit for you.
‘Find a Roommate’ feature allows you to find roommates.
Colleges can use the ‘Discover Colleges’ feature to find students who are good fits for their school.
‘College Greenlight’ matches first-generation and underrepresented students with scholarship opportunities.
Scholarships.com is one of the original scholarship websites. It has a huge collection of scholarships. It is also a great place to find colleges that are a good fit for you. The website is updated often and the information is reliable.
To start, create a profile with your personal information. After you become a member, you can choose which kinds of scholarships you are most interested in. You can also decide on the types of scholarships you are not interested in. You can search for scholarships by major, athletics, ethnicity, GPA, and more. Or, you can use their matching feature to get matched with eligible scholarships.
Special Features:
The college search tool provides information on colleges. Learn about tuition, enrollment, admission requirements, and more.
Information on financial aid, study skills, campus life, and more.
Talk with fellow students in the comment section.
The wide array of scholarships for students of all ages.
Apps for Android and iOS.
If you’ve taken the SAT or ACT, The College Board likely sounds familiar to you. It manages the tests along with other K-12 tests. The College Board is also a reliable resource for scholarship information.
Their scholarship database boasts over 2,200 scholarship programs. It also has an excellent search feature. Create an account so you can search their database. You can filter the scholarships by award type, major, and more.
Special Features:
Student search services allow colleges and scholarship programs to find students.
Scholarship search fields allow you to highlight your interests.
Niche offers a lot of information on scholarships, colleges, and universities. Best of all, it caters to all ages. Kids as young as kindergarten can find relevant scholarships on Niche.
You don’t need to create an account to browse their scholarship categories. But, if you want personalized results, set up a detailed profile. You can search for scholarships based on major, ethnic identity, location, and much more.
Special Features:
No-essay scholarships.
Student reviews on colleges.
Comprehensive research about colleges and universities.
Apps for Android and iOS mobile
Unigo is one of the best scholarship tools, with a database of scholarships worth over $14 billion. Unigo divides scholarships into categories. You can find athletic scholarships, scholarships based on majors, and scholarships for minority students. Unigo also awards many of their own unique scholarships, which range from $1,500-$10,000.
You can search for scholarships without creating an account. But, if you want personalized results and to save scholarships, you’ll want to create a free account.
You can also use Unigo to find jobs, internships, and to get information about colleges.
Special Features:
Essay scholarships based on your personality, not on merit.
Monthly scholarships which are easy to apply to.
College match tool with over 650,000 college reviews.
College advice section where you can get help on tests, admissions, and more.
Textbook store
Chegg is best known as a textbook website. But, it also boasts a huge scholarship database of over 25,000 scholarships. The website is user-friendly and updated often.
After registering for free, you can look for personalized scholarships. Information like your GPA, zip code and age will help you filter your search. You can organize and save scholarships and fill them out on your own time.
Special Features:
Save favorite colleges and scholarships.
Reminders when scholarship deadlines are getting close.
Buy and rent textbooks.
“Top scholarship picks this week” category shows opportunities you may have missed.
Homework help, tutoring, test prep.
Connect with tutors for help writing your scholarship essays and filling out applications.
Get expert advice 24/7.
Flashcard search tool, a database of over 500 million online flashcards.
financial aid
Financial Aid Application Cycle:
Applications for high school seniors and college students open EACH YEAR on October 1, and closes EACH YEAR on MARCH 2 FOR CALIFORNIA
UPDATE FOR 2023-2024: The new revamped FAFSA/CADAA will open sometime in December with a California deadline date of 4/2/2024 (ONLY FOR THIS YEAR IS THE DEADLINE). More information to come!
Financial Aid Application Requirement in CALIFORNIA:
Starting with the Class of 2023, all California Students in their senior year of high school are required to submit a financial aid application. Students who want to "opt-out" of completing a financial aid form can speak with Mrs. Fukuda.
Applying for Financial Aid - USE THE CORRECT APPLICATION!
For US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents, apply online to the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.gov
For Undocumented/ AB540 / DACA eligible students, apply online to the CADAA (California Dream Act Application) at www.caldreamact.org
For any student applying to a private 4-year university or college, some also use the FAFSA/CADAA AND the CSS Profile. For more information, click here for what you need to know about the CSS Profile. To access the CSS Profile, visit College Board.
what is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is money to help students pay for college. Some of the money is gift aid, which means it is FREE, and comes in the form of scholarships or grants. Some financial aid is borrowed aid, which means you BORROW the money like a LOAN and must pay it back after you graduate from college. Another financial aid form is work study, which means you WORK part-time on-campus, and the money earned can be used to pay for college expenses.
Parents Resources
How to Help Your Student Plan for College - Resources from FastWeb
Student loans - what is co-signing?
Co-Signing Questions and Answers
If someone in your family needs a loan to help pay for college, you may find you’re being asked to be a co-signer. That’s a major financial responsibility, so it’s important that you know what’s involved before deciding to co-sign. Likewise, the student you’re helping needs to understand what could happen to you if they don’t make their payments.
With those ideas in mind, College Money Matters has put together this list of the most commonly-asked questions about co-signing, along with some straightforward answers.
1. What does it mean to co-sign on a loan?
When you co-sign on a loan, you’re saying you agree to make any payments which the person who’s receiving the loan doesn’t make, including paying it off altogether. Basically, you’re saying you’ll be responsible for the loan. As you read through the following questions, you’ll get a good idea of what that can mean.
2. What type of student loans might require a co-signer?
Not all student loans require a co-signer. For example, student loans given by the US Government are only made directly with the student. Co-signing comes into play with loans made by financial businesses, like credit companies or lending corporations.
3. Why might you be asked to co-sign on a loan?
It’s not surprising that most college-age students don’t have the credit history or financial resources to qualify for a loan on their own. So, they need to show a lender that someone with a good credit record will be responsible for assuring the loan gets paid back, in case the student can’t. Also, having a qualified co-signer on a loan might serve to lower the interest rate.
4. How much of a loan could a co-signer be responsible for?
The short answer is “whatever the student doesn’t pay.” This means you’re not only responsible for making sure the original loan amount and interest is paid back, you’re also responsible for any additional late penalties, collection fees and other fees that can be charged if the student doesn’t make their payments on time.
5. What can happen if the person I’m co-signing for doesn’t make their loan payments on schedule?
If the student misses payments or sends them in late, here are some ways that you, as a co-signer, can feel the pain:
Your credit rating can go down
Your future credit needs may be restricted or limited
You may get calls from collection agencies
You may be required to pay back all the remaining loan amount, plus any interest and fees, including any penalties for late or missed payments.
6. Really? Co-signing someone else’s loan can affect my credit rating?
Yes. As a co-signer, you are a co-owner of the loan. So any late or missed payments will show up on your credit report. That could affect your credit rating and your own ability to borrow.
7. How can I be sure the borrower will pay back their loan?
The bottom line is you can’t be sure. So even though you may care very deeply about the person you’re co-signing for, and know they would never deliberately do anything that could harm you, here are some important questions to consider:
How sure are you that the student will be able to make every payment for the life of the loan?
Have you looked at the total amount the student plans to borrow?
Will the student’s choice of a career support paying the monthly loan amount for years to come?
Does it make economic sense for you and the student to take out this loan?
According to the online article, How Student Loan Debt Can Impact Your Life, most student loans start out with a payback schedule of ten years, but the average student loan actually takes 21 years to repay.
8. Is co-signing on a loan in the best interests of the student?
Your agreement to co-sign may make it easier or cheaper for the student to get a loan upfront, but they still have to pay it back. So do your best to make sure they can afford the payments. Here are some common problems faced by young people who borrow:
The need to make enough money to repay the loan could lead to them rushing into a job that might not be good for their future
Carrying student loan debt could limit their ability to buy a home or car, get credit cards; and sometimes even rent apartments
Missed loan payments can lower their credit score
9. What if I have other loans to pay back?
The student loan on which you’re co-signing may not be your only obligation. Will you be co-signing on other loans for other students? Or maybe for this student’s next several years in college? Are you already borrowing under a Parent Plus or other type of college loan? The numbers can add up. Unfortunately, a large number of co-signers have had to delay retirement to pay back a student loan.
10. If things turn out bad, can I declare bankruptcy?
In most cases, student loan debt cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy. So, even with all the other credit issues that bankruptcy may create, it probably won’t resolve any payment problems on a student loan.
How to help protect yourself when co-signing a student loan
When you agree to co-sign on a student loan, you’re giving more than your authorization. You’re actually signing a contract that says you’re responsible for making any payments the student doesn’t make, including all interest and fees. Here are some steps you can take to help protect yourself, recommended by the Federal Trade Commission:
Ask the student to show you how they’ll repay the loan. Have them make a budget or work one out with you. Make sure the monthly loan payments are affordable — for both of you.
If, after college, the student loses their job or has a change in finances, are you confident you’ll be able to afford the loan payments you’ll make for them?
Ask the company making the loan to tell you the total amount you might owe if the student defaults. The creditor doesn’t have to do this. But if you ask, they might.
IMPORTANT: You may not know if any loan payments are missed or late unless the borrower or lender lets you know. So be sure to ask to be notified.
Ask the lending company to send you monthly statements, or to agree in writing that they’ll notify you if either the borrower misses a payment or the terms of the loan change. If the lender will send you the statements, this will alert you if the borrower missed any payments. If the lender won’t send the statements but will agree to notify you of any issues, that can give you time to deal with the problem.
How to answer the top 10 questions sometimes seen on scholarship apps!
Scholarships are a great way to fund your college education, but we understand that the application process can be intimidating. That's why we're here to help! Today we're breaking down 10 of the most common scholarship application questions and share valuable tips to help you excel in your responses.
1. Tell Us About Yourself This open-ended question allows you to introduce yourself in your unique way. Highlight what makes you stand out and how those qualities have contributed to your success in school and life. Don't forget to mention your aspirations and how the scholarship will help you achieve them.
2. Describe Your Greatest Strength Showcase the skills and qualities that make you a standout applicant, aligning them with the scholarship's values. Use concrete examples to illustrate your strengths and how they've benefited you.
3. Describe Your Greatest Weakness Demonstrate self-awareness and a commitment to growth. Be honest, specific, and discuss steps you've taken to address your weaknesses.
4. What Makes You Unique Highlight the beliefs, qualities, and experiences that set you apart from others. Use examples to show how your uniqueness has led to success and how it shapes your future.
5. What Do You Want to Do With Your Career Share your career goals, relevant experience, and how the scholarship will help you achieve them. Emphasize why your chosen career path is important and how it benefits others.
6. What Extracurricular or Community Activities Are You Involved In Discuss your extracurricular and community activities, including leadership roles and achievements. Explain how these activities have impacted you and what skills you've gained.
7. What Do You Consider Your Greatest Achievement Choose an achievement that reflects your values and goals, and discuss its impact on your life and future aspirations. Ensure it's relevant to the scholarship you're applying for.
8. Who Is Someone You Consider a Role Model Honesty is key when discussing your role model. Explain why you admire them, list their qualities or accomplishments, and how they've influenced your life.
9. Why Did You Choose to Apply for This Scholarship in Particular Express your passion for the scholarship's mission and how it aligns with your values and career goals. Explain what sets this scholarship apart.
10. Describe a Time When You Failed at Something Focus on the positive aspects of your failure. Explain how you responded, what you learned, and highlight the growth it brought.