Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department provides information to assist students with financial aid and scholarships

At District 88, our mission is to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement. To assist with accomplishing that mission, we implement programs, events and services to help ensure students are college and career ready and have the skills to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

As part of that focus, the Addison Trail Guidance Department connects with a local representative from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to help students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The goal is to ensure a student’s financial situation doesn’t prevent him or her from attending college. Pupils who plan to attend college in fall 2020 should complete the FAFSA with their parents/guardians as soon as possible to ensure eligible monies are available. Grants through the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) are typically awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so students who submit their FAFSA right away will be first in line to receive that grant money, if they qualify. Colleges require students to submit the FAFSA to receive loan money as well. An ISAC representative will be at Addison Trail during all lunch periods in the College/Career Center in the Guidance Office on the following dates to answer questions regarding the FAFSA.

• Nov. 18
• Dec. 2
• Dec. 9

Scholarship opportunities
With the cost of college increasing, the Guidance Department provides information about scholarships, which can help relieve the financial burden. There is quite an array of scholarships available, so there is something for everyone. Many scholarships are based on merit, but there also are some based on ethnicity, gender, volunteer work, future education plans, financial status and other factors.

Students can search and apply for scholarships through multiple avenues, including:

• The financial aid page of the colleges/universities to which they apply
  
  
• Student’s or parent’s employer (many companies offer scholarships for children of their employees)
  
  
• National scholarship search sites such as www.fastweb.com, www.Scholarships.com and www.collegegreenlight.com
  
  
• A large focus at Addison Trail is local scholarships, and students are encouraged to apply for these offerings before national scholarships because of the lower rate of competition. There are many businesses and organizations throughout DuPage County that offer scholarships for students. A monthly Scholarship Bulletin can be viewed on the Guidance Department website at http://dupage88.libguides.com/Guidance, and this list also is included in the monthly newsletter e-mailed to students from Guidance Counselor Ulises Ortiz.

For questions or more information about FAFSA completion or scholarship opportunities, contact Guidance Counselor Ulises Ortiz at uortiz@dupage88.net or 630-628-3325.