Announcements

Attention Seniors: There is still time to complete the FAFSA. This is the best way for eligible students to get financial aid to help pay for college. Stop by the College and Career Center in room 122 for FAFSA completion assistance.

Attention Juniors: All juniors will be taking the SAT on Tuesday, April 9, during the school day. The SAT is not only an Illinois state graduation requirement, it measures what students are learning in high school and is used to determine a student’s college and career readiness level. All U.S. colleges accept the SAT and use these scores when making admission decisions. Students are encouraged to use Khan Academy, a free SAT prep website, to prepare for the upcoming April SAT. Khan Academy provides students with personalized practice based on previous PSAT scores. For the best SAT prep, students are encouraged to stop by the College and Career Center in room 122 to make sure their Khan Academy accounts and College Board accounts are linked. Students who spend 20 hours or more using Khan Academy to prepare for the SAT improve their scores by 115 points on average.

Attention Sophomores: All sophomores will be taking the PSAT on Tuesday, April 9, during the school day. The PSAT is a practice exam for the SAT and is used to determine a student’s college and career readiness level. Students are encouraged to use Khan Academy, a free test prep website, to prepare for the upcoming April PSAT. Khan Academy provides students with personalized practice based on previous PSAT scores. For the best test prep, students are encouraged to stop by the College and Career Center in room 122 to make sure their Khan Academy accounts and College Board accounts are linked.

Upcoming ACT and SAT Test Dates:

ACT

February 9, 2019 Registration Deadline: January 11, 2019 Late Registration Deadline: January 18, 2019

SAT

March 9, 2019 Registration Deadline: February 8, 2019 Late Registration Deadline: February 27, 2019

*** Stop by the College and Career Center (room 122) for assistance with registering ***

Upcoming Morton East Events

Morton College Admission Representative Visits:

- Tuesday, January 29 during all supervision periods in the student cafeteria.

* A Morton College recruiter AND a financial aid advisor will be present.

Financial Aid Information

Scholarships: A scholarship is a type of merit-based gift aid that does not have to be repaid.

Scholarships can be based upon a wide variety of criteria including academics, athletics, or

other values/accomplishments. Examples of scholarship providers include businesses,

community organizations/agencies, private donors, and universities (institutional

scholarships).

Here are some major scholarship opportunities with upcoming deadlines:

The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship - Through its Mentoring and Leadership Development Program, the Jackie Robinson Foundation provides scholarships of up to $30,000 over four years to minority high school students showing leadership potential and demonstrating financial need to attend an accredited 4-year college or university of their choice. For additional information, please visit https://www.jackierobinson.org/apply/applicants/  Deadline is February 1, 2019.  *The Dream National Scholarship – We think of our National Scholarship as the “Pell Grant” for highly motivated DREAMers with significant, unmet financial need. While we consider you GPA and test scores, we place great emphasis on your demonstrated ability to overcome the barriers and challenges that DREAMers face each and every day. The National Scholarship Award will cover your tuition and fees up to a maximum of $14,500 for an associate’s degree and $29,000 for a bachelor’s degree, at one of our Partner Colleges. Please note, some Scholars may be eligible for an additional stipend of up to $4,000 (or $1,000 per year) for books, supplies, and transportation. For additional information please visit: http://www.thedream.us/scholarships/national-scholarship/ APPLICATION OPENS ON NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE is February 28, 2019.

The George Pullman Educational Scholarship- The George M. Pullman Educational Foundation supports the dreams and aspirations of outstanding graduating high school seniors with merit-based, need-based scholarships and continuing educational support as they pursue their bachelor’s degree

at the college or university of their choice. The George Pullman Foundation awards up to $10,000 per year for all four years. To be eligible for the scholarship you must:

Be a graduating high school senior

Be a Cook County, Illinois resident

Be enrolling as a full-time student in the fall, for the first time, to receive a bachelor’s degree

Be attending an accredited bachelor’s degree-granting institution in the fall that is eligible to receive Title IV federal aid and is located within the U.S.

Demonstrate strong financial need

Have a cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA or higher

Be eligible to receive state and federal aid and will file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident

Not currently attending a college or community college, or hold any degree (This does not include dual enrollment as a high school senior)

For more information or to apply go to: http://www.pullmanfoundation.org/apply/ APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN! DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

*** Please go to the following link for a more complete list of scholarship opportunities ***

https://www.morton201.org/Page/1141

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application used to

determine a student’s eligibility for need-based federal and state financial aid. Colleges and

universities also use the FAFSA to determine a student’s institutional need-based aid eligibility.

By completing the FAFSA, students can become eligible for grants (gift aid that does not have

to be repaid), loans (aid that has to be repaid), and work-study opportunities (part-time

employment to help pay educational expenses). The FAFSA opened on October 1st and needs

to be completed every year for a student to continue to be eligible for financial aid. In

addition, it should be completed as soon as possible, as some types of aid are awarded on a

first-come, first-served basis. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information.

College and Career Timeline for December/January

Sophomores:

- Select a rigorous course load for your junior year through your career cruising account at

www.careercruising.com (See your counselor or visit room 122 if you have trouble logging into your account).

* Username: JSM-ID# (ex. JSM-410000) Password: ID# (ex. 410000)

* Explore AP and dual credit options.

- Prepare for the PSAT that will take place on April 9, 2019, by using Khan Academy.

* Make sure your Khan Academy account is linked to your College Board account. Stop by the College and Career Center-

Room 122 if you need assistance with linking your accounts.

Juniors:

- Select a rigorous course load for your senior year through your career cruising account at

www.careercruising.com (See your counselor or visit room 122 if you have trouble logging into your account).

* Username: JSM-ID# (ex. JSM-400000) Password: ID# (ex. 400000)

* Explore AP and dual credit options.

- Prepare for the SAT that will take place on April 9, 2019, by using Khan Academy.

* Make sure your Khan Academy account is linked to your College Board account. Stop by the College and Career Center-

Room 122 if you need assistance with linking your accounts.

- Identify possible dates to take the ACT during second semester.

* Colleges have reported that students tend to score better on either the SAT or the ACT, so it is a good idea to take both at

least once. If you are on free or reduced lunch, you can take the ACT up to two times for free with a fee waiver.

* Second Semester dates: February 9, April 13, and June 8 (all are Saturday dates)

* For more information on registration deadlines and to register for any of the above test dates, visit www.act.org. Stop by

the College and Career Center- Room 122 for assistance with registering.

Seniors:

- Meet any upcoming application deadlines.

* Request to send any application materials that you need sent for any January deadlines (i.e. transcripts, fee waivers,

letters of recommendation, etc…) at least two weeks before winter break begins.

* It is a good idea to follow up with the admission office for each college you have submitted an application for to make

sure all application materials have been received.

- Be on the lookout for financial aid award letters.

* All colleges you are accepted to should send you a financial aid award letter sometime during the winter or early spring.

* Make sure you review all financial aid award letters before you make a decision on what college you plan to attend.

* If colleges request that additional information be submitted before they can finalize your financial aid award letter, make

sure you submit this information ASAP. Failure to do so may result in you missing out on financial aid you are eligible for.

Career Corner

Click here to view the most recent job leads in the Cicero/Berwyn area:

https://www.morton201.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=96&ModuleInstanceID=639&ViewID=

6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=1816&PageID=210

Alternatives To 4-year Universities

Often times students think they have to attend a 4-year college to go into a high need, high

paying career. Below you will find alternative training options you can take part in to pursue a

particular career of interest.

Apprenticeship Program: An apprenticeship program can offer you a combination of on-the-

job training and related instruction in which you learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a

highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by individual employers,

joint employer and labor groups, and/or employer associations. Possible careers include

carpenter, electrician, plumber/pipefitter, brick and stone mason, and more.

Vocational/Technical School: Vocational/technical schools are educational institutions that

can provide you with the training needed for a specific job prior to joining the work force.

Possible careers include welder, auto body technician, construction equipment operator,

industrial machinery mechanic, and more.

Armed Services: The armed services can provide specialized training and educational

opportunities. The different branches of the armed services include the Air Force, Army,

Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. Research the different branches thoroughly to

determine specific eligibility requirements and benefits.

*** To figure out what type of training you need for a particular career, visit the following websites ***

www.careercruising.com www.careeronestop.org

Username: jsm-ID Number

Password: ID Number OR date of birth (MMDDYYYY)

https://www.morton201.org/Domain/96