1. HENRY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE 731.642.5232 College Planning Nights

2. Check out the resources on CollegeforTN.org!

3. Types of Degrees Diploma and Certificate: less than a year to two year programs which focus on a specific skill or career. These programs are offered at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (example: TCAT Crossville, TCAT Covington) Associate’s Degree: two-year degrees offered at community colleges (example: Cleveland State Community College, Jackson State Community College) Bachelor’s Degree: four-year degrees offered at public and private four-year colleges and universities (example: University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University)

4. Types of 2-Year Colleges Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT): Tennessee’s premier provider of state-of-the-art technical training for workers to obtain the technical skills and professional training to enter the workforce. Students can earn certificates and diplomas here. Community College: Offers associate degree and certificate programs that focus on preparing you for a certain career. Also, offers two-year associate degrees that prepare you to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree.* *Adapted from Bigfuture.Collegeboard.org

5. Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology TCAT Athens TCAT Chattanooga TCAT Covington TCAT Crossville TCAT Crump TCAT Dickson TCAT Elizabethton TCAT Harriman TCAT Hartsville TCAT Hohenwald TCAT Jacksboro TCAT Jackson TCAT Knoxville TCAT Livingston TCAT McKenzie TCAT McMinnville TCAT Memphis TCAT Morristown TCAT Murfreesboro TCAT Nashville TCAT Newbern TCAT Oneida TCAT Paris TCAT Pulaski TCAT Ripley TCAT Shelbyville TCAT Whiteville

6. Tennessee Community Colleges Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Walters State Community College Morristown, TN

7. Private and Public 4-Year Colleges 4-year colleges and universities offer bachelor degree programs. Public colleges are funded by local and state governments and usually offer lower tuition rates than private colleges, especially for students who are residents of the state where a college is located. Public Colleges in Tennessee include the University of Tennessee System and the Tennessee Board of Regents System (TBR).* Private colleges rely mainly on tuition, fees and private sources of funding. Private donations can sometimes provide generous financial aid packages for students. Private colleges in Tennessee are often members of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA)* *Adapted from Bigfuture/Collegboard.org

8. University of Tennessee Campuses University of Tennessee- Knoxville University of Tennessee- Chattanooga University of Tennessee- Martin University of Tennessee- Health Science Center (Memphis, TN)

9. Tennessee Board of Regents Universities Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Tennessee Tech University Cookeville, TN University of Memphis Memphis, TN

10. Aquinas College Nashville, TN Baptist College of Health Sciences Memphis, TN Belmont University Nashville, TN Bethel University McKenzie, TN Bryan College Dayton, TN Carson-Newman College Jefferson City, TN Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Fisk University Nashville, TN Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN Johnson University Knoxville, TN King University Bristol, TN Lane College Jackson, TN Lee University Cleveland, TN Lemoyne-Owen College Memphis, TN Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Martin Methodist College Pulaski, TN Maryville College Maryville, TN Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN Memphis College of Art Memphis, TN Middle TN School of Anesthesia Madison, TN Milligan College Milligan College, TN Rhodes College Memphis, TN Sewanee: The University of the South Sewanee, TN Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Southern College of Optometry Memphis, TN Tennessee Wesleyan College Athens, TN Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Tusculum College Greeneville, TN Union University Jackson, TN Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Watkins College of Art, Design & Film Nashville, TN Welch College Nashville, TN Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities

11. What about the FAFSA? FAFSA=Free Application for Student Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov is the official FAFSA website www.fafsa.ed.gov Students and parents can go to the website and create a FSA ID, which will be required for login purposes. The HCHS Class of 2017 will get to start completing the FAFSA in October!! Completing the FAFSA makes a student eligible for several types of aid, including the ones in the following slides.

12. Tennessee Promise The Tennessee Promise is a financial aid program offering two years of tuition-free community or technical college to Tennessee high school graduates beginning with the Class of 2015. Tennessee Promise provides eligible students with a last-dollar scholarship, meaning the scholarship will cover tuition and fees not covered by the Pell grant, the HOPE scholarship, or TSAA. Each Tennessee Promise Scholar will receive a mentor who will provide guidance and assistance as the student enters higher education. Mentors are provided by a partnering organization designated by the mayor of every Tennessee county. Our county’s partnering organization is tnAchieves.

13. Tennessee Promise Student Eligibility To be eligible to receive a Tennessee Promise Scholarship, a student must: Be a Tennessee resident. Graduate from an eligible Tennessee high school, complete a Tennessee home school program, or prior to reaching 19 years of age obtain a GED or HiSET diploma. Enroll in a community or technical college the fall after graduation. (Students attending a TCAT may enroll the summer following their high school graduation.) Complete the Tennessee Promise application at www.TNPromise.gov.www.TNPromise.gov Meet all deadlines and requirements before enrolling.

14. Program Requirements In order for students to participate in the program, they must meet several requirements and deadlines: By November 1: Apply to the Tennessee Promise program at www.TNPromise.gov February 2016: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov By March 2016: Attend first mandatory meeting coordinated by a partnering organization By end of May 2016: Attend second mandatory meeting coordinated by partnering organization In the spring: Apply to and enroll in a community or technical college (TCAT) August 1: Complete FAFSA verification Before start of term: Complete first 8 hours of community service by the first day of class

15. State Grants Available to Tennessee High School Students Tennessee Student Assistance Awards: applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, at least half time, at a public or an eligible non- public postsecondary institution in Tennessee. Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant: available to Tennessee students who enroll in a certificate or diploma program at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), maintain satisfactory academic progress and continuous enrollment. Tennessee Hope Foster Child Tuition Grant: available to students who, in addition to meeting the minimum HOPE and HOPE Access Grant eligibility requirements, present the TSAC with official certification from the Department of Children’s Services that the student meets the eligibility requirement for the HOPE Foster Child Tuition Grant.

16. General Assembly Merit Scholarship Students must meet the following requirements Students graduating from a Tennessee public school or category 1, 2, 3 private school must have a minimum 3.75 weighted* GPA AND 29 ACT (1280 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests. ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test is not accepted. *Weighted grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

17. Tennessee Aspire Award Students must meet the following requirements: Meet Tennessee HOPE Scholarship requirements AND Must have parents’ or independent student’s and spouse’s adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less on IRS tax form For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter:  Four-Year Institutions: Up to $750 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer  Two-Year Institutions: Up to $250 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer

18. Tennessee Hope Access Grant Students must meet the following requirements: Tennessee students who have graduated from a Tennessee eligible high school. Students must enroll in a Tennessee public college, university or private college. Entering freshmen must have a minimum weighted 2.75 GPA and 18-20 ACT (860-970 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests. Parents’ or independent student’s and spouse’s adjusted gross income must be $36,000 or less on IRS tax form.

19. Tennessee Hope Scholarship Entering freshmen must: Apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.gov. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, February 1st for spring and summer semesters. Early application is recommended. Have been a Tennessee resident for one year by September 1 of the application date. For students beginning spring and summer terms, residency determined by February 1 as of application date. Graduate from a TN eligible high school. Enroll in one of the eligible Tennessee public colleges, universities, or private colleges. Entering freshmen must achieve a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted* minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA). Must enroll within 16 months following high school graduation at any eligible postsecondary institution. However, enrollment at an ineligible postsecondary institution during the 16 months will make the student permanently ineligible. *Weighted grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

20. Tennessee Hope Scholarship Award Amounts For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter: Four-Year Institutions and Two-Year Institutions with On-campus Housing: Up to $1,750 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. Two-Year Institutions: Up to $1,500 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore. Award amounts are available for summer enrollment. Class status is determined by the postsecondary institution.

21. Jumpstart Your College Search! Go on college visits. Spring Break is a great time to start!  Two college visit days are available for college, TCAT or military sites.  Remember to send thank you notes. Students: Be thinking about who can write letters of recommendation for you, and ask them about it BEFORE you need a recommendation. The 11 th graders will complete a Recommendation Letter Request form in which they list their accomplishments, hobbies, etc. Work on your college application essays. Review the application procedures for schools you plan to apply to. Write down and keep track of deadlines! Start thinking about if you’re going to apply early decision or early action to any schools. This process typically begins earlier.

22. 12 th Grade Fall Get in the habit of checking your e-mail regularly. Colleges and Federal Financial Aid will use this to contact you during your senior year. You can receive school news on scholarships through PlanetHS and parent emails. HCHS offers dual credit (DC) and dual enrollment (DE) courses through Jackson State and TCATs. Arrangements can be made with other schools as well. Start saving money for unexpected college costs like technology fees, transportation, application fees, etc. Decide on the list of schools you’re applying to. Many students like to have a “dream school” and a “safety school” as well as two or three others.

23. 12 th Grade Fall Double check all college application deadlines and requirements. If you’re applying early decision or early action, those deadlines are often between October 1 st and November 1 st. Give any recommendation forms to appropriate teachers and counselors. Send your official ACT or SAT test scores and official transcript to the colleges where you’re applying. Request forms are in the School Counseling Office. Submit your college applications! Several schools waive the application fee during CAW. This year it is set for Sept. 26-30, 2016.

24. 12th Grade Fall Be the first to learn about local scholarships by creating a PlanetHS account. Be sure to follow the “Administrative Clubs” called Scholarships, as well as Counseling and Guidance. If you are on Twitter, please follow us at @hchscounseling Check with the financial aid offices of the colleges you’re applying to for other scholarship opportunities. Work on scholarship applications and pay attention to deadlines. Good scholarship websites:  fastweb.com  scholarships.com

25. 12th Grade Spring Around March and April you will find out whether or not you were accepted to the schools you applied to. If you are accepted, you will receive your financial aid package. Consider which school is the best social, academic and financial fit for you. Choose the college you want to attend! Send in your non-refundable deposit to the school of your choice. You will also want to contact the college to make sure they have everything they need from you. Later in the Spring semester the student will get to complete a form requesting where they want to final high school transcript sent. Once transcripts are finalized, they will be mailed by HCHS to the student’s selected school(s).

26. The Counseling Office Staff Misha Adams, Class of 2016: adamsm@henryk12.netadamsm@henryk12.net Callie Blount, Class of 2017: blountc@henryk12.netblountc@henryk12.net Jeannie Johnson, Class of 2018: johnsonj@henryk12.net johnsonj@henryk12.net Krista Taylor, Registrar: taylork@henryk12.nettaylork@henryk12.net