tbiehl@fairburyjeffs.org

IMPORTANT FAFSA INFORMATION FOR SENIOR’S AND PARENT’S

Seniors…it’s time to prepare for the FAFSA!

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application for state, federal and college-specific financial aid. Follow these steps to prepare for the FAFSA and the financial aid process:

Contact the college(s) you applied to and ask for their FAFSA priority filing date (typically March 1 to April 1).

Complete your 2015 taxes early as the FAFSA requires current tax information.

Create an FSA ID for you and one for a parent at fsaid.ed.gov. You’ll need the FSA ID to access your FAFSA and other Federal Student Aid websites. For instructions, review this brief handout or video.

Gather these student and parent items:

2015 federal income tax forms and, if applicable, Schedule K-1 (Form 1065)
2015 W-2 forms
Student’s driver’s license number
Social Security numbers
Birth dates
Date parents were married, separated, divorced or widowed
Current cash, savings and checking account balances
Current investment values (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, etc.) excluding your home and retirement accounts
Value of business (if more than 100 employees)
Value of investment farm (Do not include the value of a family farm that you or your parents live on and operate.)
2015 child support (paid and/or received)
2015 Workers’ Compensation
Other untaxed income in 2015 such as housing/food/ living allowances for military and clergy
Alien Registration Number for eligible non-citizens

Be prepared to indicate on the form if anyone in your household received federal benefits such as Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, TANF, Free or Reduced Price Lunch, or WIC.

Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov before your college’s priority date.

Expect a Student Aid Report (SAR) acknowledging that your form was processed.

Expect Financial Aid Award Notifications in the spring from the colleges you listed on your FAFSA. The notifications will detail the financial aid assistance the colleges are offering (could be a combination of scholarships, grants, work-study, and student loans).

Check out these free FAFSA tools and resources

Visit “FAFSA Tools” at EducationQuest.org where you’ll find:

College Funding Estimator – estimates your FAFSA results
FAFSA Checklist – provides a list of items you need to gather before you complete the FAFSA
FAFSA Tutorial – explains each FAFSA question
FAFSA Demo and IRS Data Retrieval videos – walk you through the FAFSA process

If you are filing a FAFSA for the first time and want free personal help, call the EducationQuest location nearest you to make an appointment. Kearney: 308-234-6310 or 800-666-3721; Lincoln: 402-475-5222 or 800-303-3745; Omaha: 402-391-4033 or 888-357-6300, or Scottsbluff: 800.303.3745, ext. 6654.

Free webinars will help you prepare for the FAFSA

You and your parents can learn about financial aid and the FAFSA from the comfort of your home by participating in a free EducationQuest Financial Aid Program Webinar.

Wednesday, December 16 – 7:00 pm (CT)

Webinar link: http://eqf.org/1P9LFv4

Monday, January 11 – 7:00 pm (CT)

Webinar link: http://eqf.org/1LYxtnE

Wednesday, January 13 – 7:00 pm (CT)

Webinar link: http://eqf.org/1LYyjRj

To join a webinar, click on the link under your desired date. The password is college.

January “To Do” List

Seniors:

__ Attend a Financial Aid Program in your area and register to win a $500 scholarship!

__Complete your taxes early as you’ll need that information for the FAFSA.

15-16 CIVIC FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

FAIRBURY CIVIC FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARSHIP NAME	DESCRIPTION OF SCHOLARSHIP	CRITERIA FOR APPLYING	DUE DATE	AMOUNT	MICROSOFT WORD	PDF
HELEN V. SHEARON	Must be outstanding in music and/or drama	Upper 25% of the class academically	April 1^st	$200
FAIRBURY AREA JAYCEES	Must show a commitment to school, community, and mankind	Any senior showing an interest to further his/her education is eligible to apply and must include at least a 100 word essay explaining why you should be considered for this scholarship	April 1^st	$250
J.M. GOODSON	Must have indicated an interest to continue studies in the field of education, exhibit financial need, and have shown exemplary moral character	In the upper 25% of the class academically	April 1^st	$175
MABEL M. BURGER	Preference will be given to students exhibiting aptitude & ability in mathematics, indicated a desire to continue in the math field, exhibit financial need, and a member of the National Honor Society	Upper 25% of the class academically	April 1^st	$200

Macy Ohlde Earns Softball All-State Honorable Mention Honors in Class C

Macy Ohlde, sophomore, earned Softball All-State Honorable Mention in both the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald papers this season. Macy is a 2-year letter-winner and plays both first base and pitcher for the Jeffs. Off-season batting practice propelled Macy’s batting average from a .310 just a year ago to a .437 this year including 2 homeruns at the Crete Tournament this season. “The hard work and dedication to hitting in the off-season is proof that if you are willing to put in the time to getting better at something, it can happen!”

FAIRBURY JUNIORS AND SENIORS ATTEND SCC BEATRICE COLLEGE FAIR

On October 20th, Fairbury Jr-Sr High School juniors and seniors attended a college fair at SCC-Beatrice. Colleges from around the region had tables set up where students could briefly talk with each admissions representative as well as gather materials from those respective colleges. This information will provide an opportunity for students to make an informed decision about which college is best for them.

BLUE VALLEY COMMUNICATION ACTION PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP & VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

If you are senior and planning to attend either a 2 or 4 year college and meet the Income guidelines set by BVCA, you are eligible to apply for this $500 scholarship. Go to www.bvca.net for an application.

THE LADY JEFFS SOFTBALL TEAM IS DISTRICT RUNNER-UP

The 4th seeded Lady Jeffs Softball Team came away as district runner-up Friday at the Fillmore Central Softball Complex. The Jeffs began district play on Thursday vs. Fillmore Central winning 8-7 in the 8th inning. Executing hits were: Marah Shumard-single, Regan Schmidt-single & triple, Macy Ohlde-2 singles, Destini Warnke-triple, Sarah McCown-single & double, and Sydney Miller-triple. Delaney Miller was the winning pitcher giving up 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, and 6 walks. In the second game against top seeded Milford, the Jeffs prevailed again with a 3-2 victory after a huge 2 run homerun by Destini Warnke. Collecting hits for the Jeffs were: Shumard-single & double, Schmidt-double, Ohlde-single, Warnke-double & homerun, Sydney Miller-single, and Tara Schroeder-single. Delaney Miller was the winning pitcher giving up 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, and 2 walks. First round Friday morning the Jeffs played Wilber and once again prevailed 7-1. Collecting hits for the Jeffs were: Shumard-triple, Warnke-single, McCown-2 singles, Sydney Miller-single, and Caitlin Nimmich-2 singles. Winning pitcher was Delaney Miller giving up 3 hits, 7 strikeouts, and 1 walk. Going into the championship unbeaten, the Jeffs would have to be beaten twice. In the first championship game vs. Milford, the Jeffs were very sluggish and lost 11-1. Collecting hits for the Jeffs were: Ohlde-double and Sydney Miller-single. Delaney Miller gave up 11 hits, 1 strikeout, and 2 walks. In the if necessary game, it was a nail biter until the very end, but unfortunately the Jeffs came up short losing 6-8 and their hopes of a state birth. Collecting hits were: Shumard-double, Schmidt-single, Ohlde-double, Warnke-single, McCown-single, Sydney Miller-single, Rielee Achtemeier-single and Schroeder-single. Delaney Miller gave up 7 hits, 2 strikeouts, and 4 walks. The Jeffs had an outstanding season and showed so much improvement over last year and even from the beginning of the season. “To triple a teams wins from a year ago is an outstanding accomplishment and I am so proud of this team.” “This group as well as their parents truly enjoyed and loved each other and that is huge in girls athletics.” “It was definitely a family feel and I hope it only continues to grow.” “I am excited to have everyone back from this years team and to even add a few out of the 8th grade class!” The future of Fairbury Brand Softball is very bright!

APPLY2 COLLEGE CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY EDUCATIONQUEST FOUNDATION

The EducationQuest Foundation piloted an Apply2College Campaign in 2014-2015 where select schools would host a day or two where every senior applied to at least one college of their choice. Even if a student did not plan on pursuing a post-secondary education, they had to apply to at least a 2-year community college. The hope is to get every senior to apply and see that college is an option for everyone. Fairbury seniors will be joining this campaign on October 27th & 28th. The first half of the alphabet will be applying to their selected college(s) on October 27th and the later half on October 28th. In order to make this happen, students will need to have access or knowledge of specific information. There is a checklist that each senior was given last week at the senior meeting. Please help your child by having this information ready for them to bring to school. Contact Mrs. Biehl at the high school with any questions.

THE HAGAN SCHOLARSHIP

If you are a high achieving senior student who requires financial assistance in order to attend college you should apply for The Hagan Scholarship. You could be awarded up to $10,000/yr for four years if awarded. Apply at www.hsfmo.org