[NABS-L] Applications for both scholarships and College

[Nina Marranca]

Hi, Adriana!
I personally used thee Summer between my Junior and Senior year to begin my college search. However, I always tell other students to start as soon as they want. This is especially helpful if you wat to visit a lot of schools because I found that many open houses conflicted with each other.
You may also start researching scholarships. You may not be able to apply for them until your first semester of your Senior year, but it is extremely helpful to keep a list of scholarships you are eligible for, the dates the applications open, links to the applications, application requirements, etc. Many scholarships will require essays or something similar, and if you do not prepare, you could end up with a stack of ten essays to write within a few short weeks. Talking from experience here. __
There is so much money out there for students if you know where to look. Your intended major/career, your interests, and any unique qualities about you are just a few places to start when searching for scholarships.
Doing a simple Google search when looking at both colleges and scholarships is a great way to start.
As for the FASFA, I don't know with one hundred percent certainty all of the info required, but a lot of it has to do with taxes and family income. Guidance counselors can offer assistance with this, just as staff in college financial aid offices can also help. I work on my college campus and know for a fact that those in the financial aid office are more than happy to answer your questions or even sit down with you to do the form. You may run into some accessibility barriers, especially if you utilize a screen reader to fill out these forms. However, do not let the FAFSA or your state aid application scare you. everyone fills these out each year, and there are tons of people who can help.
Best of luck!
Nina

On 1/24/20, 07:23, "NABS-L on behalf of Keri Svendsen via NABS-L" <nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org on behalf of nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:

    If you are going to college right after high school see when deadlines 
    are, and plan accordingly. Some schools have rolling admissions which 
    means no deadlines, but most have deadlines from january to march.
    
    Do research and apply for all scholarships you can, and yes as suggested 
    see how much VR will cover. Fafsa is a pain but is required. You will 
    need parents info so you'll have to do it with them.
    
    I was able to file as an independent but that requires that you prove 
    you have no money or living support from your parents.
    
    On 1/24/2020 6:00 AM, Sami Osborne via NABS-L wrote:
    > Hi Adriana,
    >
    > I started my application process during my second semester of my senior year, though you should probably start looking at pottential schools during the middle-end of your junior year. Basically what I did was meet with my guidance counselor during the first part of my senior year, and then started applying in  January and February. Though it's generally preferred to look at colleges the year before—junior year, I was actually able to apply a little later for two reasons. The primary reason was that I'd only chosen relatively small campuses with small class sizes, which from my understanding has slightly later application deadlines than the larger, more selective schools. The second reason was that I'd taken a gap year between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college. By the way those two things I mentioned above (campus size and whether or not to take a gap year) are both factors that you should seriously consider when making your ultimate college selection. I don't know if others will disagree with me on this one, but I feel that attending a smaller-sized college or university is the most efficient for a blind/visually impaired student because the small class sizes makes it much easier to communicate with the professors about any accommodation needs. Also, the campuses are easier to navigate, and the Disability Services office may be more prompt and responsive with any requests because they have fewer students. As far as a gap year, I think that could be really beneficial in gaining any skills you might need in surviving in the outside world (things such as cooking, cleaning, college academic practice, etc). So unless your high school has some sort of college affiliation Harry mentioned (where you can take one or two college courses once or twice a week), I would reccomend taking that time in-between to attend a training center where you can receive those skills. You can either go to the NFB centers, or find a good one where you live.
    >
    > As far as the FAFSA, from my understanding it asks questions about your parents' income and things of that nature. Unfortunately I can't really help you with that because my mom has filled out my application every year since I was in college (I'm a senior now). I  would also reccomend finding different scholarship opportunities through your chosen schools and elsewhere, as well as find out if your Rehab Counselor is able to cover any of the costs associated with tuition. To be honest I think we visually impaired folks have a significant advantage over our sighted counterparts because we have so many resources available, which takes the stress off of having to pay for school.
    >
    > I know this is probably a lot more than what you asked initially, but I do hope all this info was helpful.
    >
    > Good luck!
    >
    > Sami
    >
    > On Jan 22, 2020 10:12 AM, Adriana Sky Mendez via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
    >>    Hello all!
    >> Hope all is well! I wanted to ask you about scholarship applications as well as FAFSA, and college applications.
    >>    I am currently in my second seme/ter of my junior year in high school, but I am a person wh likes to have her facts straight, and back up plans prepared for my future. My question is:
    >> How soon do you consider I should begin College, and scholarship applications? Should I start first semester of senior year, or second? Or would it be advisable to start as soon as possible?
    >>    Also, what information does FAFSA require? I appreciate everyone’s time! Have a great one!
    >>
    >> Thank you,
    >> Adriana Banos-Mendez
    >> _______________________________________________
    >> NABS-L mailing list
    >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
    >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
    >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L:
    >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sami.j.osborne97%40gmail.com
    > _______________________________________________
    > NABS-L mailing list
    > NABS-L at nfbnet.org
    > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
    > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L:
    > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/keribcu%40gmail.com
    
    -- 
    Keri Svendsen
    
    
    
    _______________________________________________
    NABS-L mailing list
    NABS-L at nfbnet.org
    http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
    To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L:
    http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com