11th Grade Student Checklist

https://www.gafutures.org

• Regularly review your GAfutures Dashboard. Start your year by looking over the Plan&Pay4CollegeGA 11th grade letter and check your HOPE GPA.
• Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and meet all necessary requirements for graduation, academic rigor and college admissions and investigate dual enrollment options.
• Continue to explore career options, how much education you’ll need and the earning potential.
• Continue to research colleges and what you should look for to make sure you find a good fit. Talk to your parents about your choices, and ask them to help you clarify goals and
  priorities.
• – Go to a PROBE College Fair. If your school has a financial aid night, be sure to attend.
• Review your family’s financial situation and make sure you’re planning for the cost of
  college appropriately. Visit the College Money Matters section and net price calculators on
  GAfutures.org for suggestions. The comparison tool at consumerfinance.gov is another
  helpful resource to compare college costs and financial aid offers.
• Consider opening a 529 College Saving Plan – it’s never too late to begin saving for college.
• Take the PSAT/NMSQT to qualify for scholarships and programs associated with the National Merit Scholarship Program.
• Register for and take exams like the SAT and the ACT for college admission. Check for free test prep classes in your area.
• Start drafting essays to use for scholarships and college admissions applications.
• – Search for scholarships you may be eligible for to help pay for college on GAfutures, as well as through your school counselor, community, family and friends. Ask your parents if
  their employer offers scholarships for the children of employees.
• Schedule campus visits or contact colleges you are interested in attending to request information about financial aid, admission requirements, applications and deadlines.

12th Grade Student Checklist

Fall Checklist:

• Sign into your student GAfutures account to review your status for the following: GSFAPP, ACT and/or SAT Score, Selective Service Registration and HOPE calculated GPA.
• Review your Plan&Pay4CollegeGA 12th grade letter found on your GAfutures Dashboard.
• Meet with your school counselor to make sure you’re on track to fulfill all graduation, admissions and academic rigor requirements.
• If you haven’t done so, take the necessary admissions tests – SAT, ACT or Accuplacer. Be sure to have your test scores send to GSFC (SAT-0472 or ACT-2225) by the deadline of high school graduation for the Zell Miller Scholarship Eligibility.
• November is Georgia Apply to College month where many colleges in Georgia will waive application fees. Ask your school counselor about College Application events at your high school or in your area.
• Ask your teachers and counselors to submit required documents (letters of recommendation) to your preferred colleges.
• Submit a request through your My GAfutures account for your high school to send your official transcript to any college you’ve applied to.
• The FAFSA will be available in December, begin this process now by creating an FSA ID for yourself, your parents, and any contributor to your FAFSA. GSFC will host FSA ID creation events in the Fall.
• Find out if your college requires the CSS/PROFILE, a supplemental financial aid form, in addition to the FAFSA.
• Stay involved in after-school activities and work hard all year. Your grades can still impact financial aid and scholarship eligibility.

Spring Checklist:

• Complete any additional scholarship applications. In addition to submitting the FAFSA, be
  sure to submit the GSFAPP to qualify for state aid like the HOPE Scholarship.
• Review your family’s financial situation and make sure you’re planning for the cost of
  college appropriately. Visit the College Money Matters section and net price calculators on
  GAfutures.org for suggestions. The comparison tool at consumerfinance.gov is another
  helpful resource to compare college costs and financial aid offers. Decision time! Review your college acceptances, compare financial aid offers and plan visits to where you have been accepted.
• If you have questions about the aid being offered, contact that college’s financial aid office.
• When you decide which college to attend, submit any required financial deposits, and confirm housing plans, freshman orientation dates and course registration. Also, notify the
  other colleges you were accepted to and withdraw your application.
• After you begin college, you will have access to your My College HOPE Profile allowing you to check your eligibility while in college.