Welcome to The College and Career Center!

Welcome to the College Office! If you are a student then you belong here. Come to Room 230 and see Ms. DiGiorgio to start planning for your future!  The college and career planning process begins in the 9th grade.  

See me for a fee waiver today.

Look at the emails from my office for updated information. I will also be sending emails through your  Google Classroom 

Check out the School Calendar for Colleges to meet YOU!

Parents if you would like to set up an appointment to discuss you child's college plans please contact me by calling 718-361-2032 or by email at scuervo@schools.nyc.gov to schedule a time and date.

Ms. DiGiorgio, College Counselor

Start your college search. Go to: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org

Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) offers a wide range of virtual events that can connect students and families with the information, resources, and financial aid experts you need to help them navigate the college application and financial aid process. 

Click here to find an HESC event.

The 2025-26 FAFSA and NYS TAP applications are now available for students! 

• Students can access the TAP application through the state aid link at the end of the FAFSA submission process. 

• Students who missed the TAP link can apply directly at hesc.ny.gov/NYSTAP. 

• NYS DREAM Act Applicants: Eligible students can submit their TAP application through their DREAM Act portal. 

Students needing assistance with their FAFSA or TAP applications can attend a HESC FAFSA/TAP Completion Event
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Upcoming Financial Aid Presentations and Workshops:

College Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities

• Date: Wednesday, January 22, 6:00 PM 

• Learn about the financial aid programs available to New York State students with disabilities.  

• HESC financial aid experts will explain available programs and answer questions to help students and families navigate the process. 

Resume Building Workshop 

• Date: Monday, January 27, 6:00 PM 

• In partnership with the New York State Department of Labor, HESC will host a fun and interactive workshop on resume writing. Topics include resume-writing basics, how to read job descriptions, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). 

Senior Basics Presentation 

• Date: Every Tuesday & Thursday at 6:00 PM  

• HESC’s Senior Basics Presentation gives high school seniors the essential tools and information they need to apply for financial aid and prepare for higher education. 

• Available in Spanish 

Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account 

• Creating a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) is the first step toward accessing federal student financial aid. This 15-minute presentation will guide students through the quick and easy process of setting up their accounts. 

• Available in Spanish  

HESC Virtual Drop-In Lounge 

• Students can connect with HESC experts to get answers to their financial aid questions in HESC’s Virtual Drop-In Lounge. 

DREAM Act Support Session 

• Date: January 6, 5:00–7:30 PM 

• This session offers personalized assistance for students with their DREAM Act financial aid application. Students can join anytime during the session hours for one-on-one support in a safe and helpful environment. 

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Stay Connected with HESC Resources 

Students and parents can receive text message updates with essential financial aid information, key deadlines, and helpful resources to keep them on track toward college success. 

For FAFSA/TAP-related questions or inquiries about any event, contact precollegeservices@hesc.ny.gov.  HESC provides downloadable online resources to help students and families understand federal and state financial aid processes and plan for college.   

 Posted October 15, 2024

Take a moment to read the York College Newsletter

 York College Vol 2 Issue 2.pdf 

Click here for more information on the CUNY Aviation Institute.

Posted May 2024

Webinar Recording: How to Submit a 2024-2025 Form in Spanish/Grabación de Seminario Web: Cómo Enviar un Formulario 2024-2025 en Español

If you missed the April Webinar about to submit the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in Spanish, please view the YouTube video

Si se perdió el seminario web de abril sobre cómo presentar la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FAFSA) 2024-2025 en español, vea el video de YouTube

Update on Access to the 2024-2025 FAFSA Form for Individuals without a Social Security Number. 

The U.S. Department of Education has made temporary adjustments so that individuals who don't have an SSN can access the 2024–25 FAFSA form while completing the mandatory identity validation process. Once you create an account, you can immediately access and complete the FAFSA form by logging in with their StudentAid.gov account username and password. Students without an SSN (citizens of the Freely Associated States) must still meet eligibility requirements for federal student aid. These students must continue to verify their eligible noncitizen status through their school, if requested, before they receive any federal student aid. Click here for more information. 

May 16, 2024 Webinar

Upcoming Webinar: Understanding Financial Aid Offers and Special or Unusual Circumstances on webinar on May 16, 2024, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

This webinar is intended for students, families, and college access professionals. During this webinar, guidance and information will be provided on various federal financial aid programs, evaluating and comparing financial aid offers, and how special or unusual circumstances can impact aid offers. 

Click here to Register Now

Other Scholarship Resources

Many companies, foundations, community organizations and clubs sponsor grants or scholarships. Grants and scholarships from these private organizations are called outside, or private, scholarships. These can be big scholarships that cover a lot of costs, to small scholarships for books or expenses. Outside scholarships can be very helpful in funding your college education, but you are more likely to get financial support from the college or institution you attend. In most cases, you shouldn’t plan to rely entirely on outside scholarships to fund your education, but again, they can definitely help!

College Green Light- www.collegegreenlight.com for low income and first generation students

Fast Web - www.fastweb.com 

Federal Trade Commission Scholarship Scams Info - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0082-scholarship-and-fnancial-aid-scams 

FinAid - www.finaid.org 

Free Guide to Financial Aid: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/financial-aid/financial-aid-for-online-colleges/ 

Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards  - http://www.hispanicheritageawards.org/ 

College Peas Scholarship - http://www.collegepeas.com/scholarshipgreen/

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators - http://www.studentaid.org

Higher Education Services Corporation - www.hesc.state.ny.us 

Scholarship Database - http://www.free-4u.com/ 

United Negro College Fund  - http://www.uncf.org/index.asp

Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships - http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_contests_%20atlas >

Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships - http://www.baeo.org/

Brand Essay Competition - http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.html 

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation - http://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/

College Board Scholarship Search - http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp 

Easley National Scholarship Program - http://www.naas.org/senior.php 

Educator.com - Annual $2,400 Student Scholarship https://www.educator.com/scholarship/

Federal Scholarships & Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel -http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm 

FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships - http://www.finaid.org/ 

Good Call - https://www.goodcall.com/scholarships/

Guaranteed Scholarships - http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/ 

HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world) - http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/scholarships.htm

Hispanic Women’s Corporation - http://www.hispanicwomen.org/contentpage.php?id=10

Historically Black College & University Scholarships - http://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/scholarships/hbcu-scholarship
International Students Scholarships & Aid Help - http://www.iefa.org/ 

National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ) - http://www.nabj.org/?page=SEEDScholarships

New Visions - Tons of Scholarships for NYC Students - http://www.newvisions.org/scholarships-for-new-york-city-students/scholarships-for-new-york-city-students

New York Scholarships, Resources and Information - http://www.college-scholarships.com/new_york.htm

Presidential Freedom Scholarships - http://www.learnandserve.gov/home/site_map/index.asp 

Scholarship & Financial Aid Help - http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm 

Scholly - www.scholly.com

ScienceNet Scholarship Listing - http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/undergrad/scholarships.html 

Student Inventors Scholarships - http://www.invent.org/collegiate/ 

The Roothbert Scholarship Fund - http://www.roothbertfund.org/scholarships.php 

Tuck Sleep Foundation- https://www.tuck.com/sleep-scholarships/

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students - http://www.apsanet.org/opps/

Xerox Scholarships for Students - http://www.xerox.com/jobs/minority-scholarships/enus.html

Financial Aid Resources for Hispanic Students -  http://www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/financial-aid-hispanic-students/

New App for Undocumented Students To Find Scholarships - http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2016/04/03/new-app-helps-undocumented-immigrants-find-college-scholarships

 How will you pay for College?

 You can begin to apply for financial aid. Go to www.FAFSA.ed.gov (This is a free application). The sooner you complete your FAFSA the sooner schools can provide you with a Financial Aid Package. Please note if you have not completed the tax forms for 2017 , when completing your tax information in FAFSA you can put your information for 2017 and select will file as an option. Schools will then give you an estimated Financial Aid packet, but you MUST go back and make a correction once your 2017  taxes have been filed to have the most accurate information.

 Do Not forget to also apply for TAP!

 Do you want extra money for College that you won't have to pay back??

 Check out the thousands of scholarships and grants available to you located in our office!

Click on the links below under Resources for more links to scholarships, and come by the College Office and ask to see our Scholarship book! Please keep in mind that there are numerous deadlines you must pay attention to!

 Examples of Scholarships!!!!!

CSO Opportunity Scholarship, Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Dell Scholars Program, United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship, KFC Colonel's Twitter Scholarship, NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award, Scholastic Art & Writing Award, SAE Engineering Scholarships, and many more......

 Graduating Seniors please review the scholarship resource section.

Sources of Financial Aid Terminology

Information for Filing FAFSA (Students & Families, Class of 2023)

Step 1: Create an FSA ID for the student applying for aid and 1 parent. The FSA ID is the log-in information the student will need to begin their FAFSA, as well as the “digital signature” the student and parent will use to confirm their FAFSA at the end. 

• Go to THIS website to create a an FSA ID: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

• Follow this video for how to create your FSA ID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkLnKwSeOF0

Step 2: Gather financial documents from the year 2021. Your 1040 (federal tax form) from 2021 is the most important document you will need! The 1040 looks like this.

Step 3: Got to fafsa.gov (or https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa). Remember, it is the student’s FAFSA and the student should log in with their FSA ID to begin the process. NOTE: families must complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA not the 2022-2023 version (The FAFSA year matches the student's expected first year of college). 

Resources & Events for Completing the FAFSA!!!

• Video Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/0wtrxGJ8o-o

• Step-by-step walkthrough (for 22-23, but generally helpful)!

• New York State HESC - FAFSA Completion Events w/ Experts - 10/12, 10/18, 10/19, 10/20, 11/9, 11/10, 11/16, 12/8

• SUNY FAFSA Completion Events - Throughout Oct & Nov English & En Español! - https://engage.suny.edu/portal/fafsa_workshops

• uAspire (outside organization) - FAFSA Walkthrough Appointments / uAspire - CSS Walkthrough Appointments

Career:

•     Don't know what to major in when you get to College?
•        Wondering which career choices are best for you?

 If you are wondering about which career path to take or you are wondering which colleges may have the programs you might be looking for, below are a few helpful resources that may assist you in the process of figuring out what to do.

Feel free to provide the College Office with some feedback on these links, and feel free to share any additional helpful links you've found that could help your classmates with their search on careers!

 Helpful Career related links

 *Career One Stop: Provides information about the different career opportunities and career paths one can take. Have an idea of what you want to do but don't know where to start looking for colleges? Career One Stop has a link for students under the 'Education & Training' tab. Follow the instructions below in order to view the schools that may have the programs or occupations you may be interested in. It provides you with the list of schools in each state that has the program(s) you are looking for. It also provides a link to the schools admissions process.

            Follow these steps:

1. Click on Education + training
2. Select  Programs at colleges
3. Select Education and Training finder
4. Under Occupations browse or include key words with the occupations you are looking for
5. Select the state you are interested in attending
6. Browse the list of schools that appear with your intended major and/or occupation.
   
    Explore career- Careerzone.org this site assists students with exploring different careers and provides additional resources that could help you figure out the best career path for you.

Mapping  Your Future- Provides resources for students, families, and educators about career selection, career awareness, college planning, and other supportive tools. 'Explore Careers' tab has free tools that help students make the right choices with a link to assess skills and interests, develop career plans, resources about finding work, and additional guidance and job search resources.

NY Career Zone-  NYCareerZone is an online resource that aides with career exploration and planning. It includes current job market information based on the information from the NYS Department of Labor. Link also includes self- assessments and specific information about the careers that exist today.

O*Net- Provides information on a myriad of occupations that exist in the workforce today. Provides skills and interests self assessments, as well as additional resources that may help with your career search.

Careers  in the Military-  This link provides information for students inquiring about specific careers with the Army, Navy, Air force,  Marine Corps, Coast Guard and  National Guard. This is an opportunity to explore careers as well as information on job requirements and training needed for selected career paths.

 FAFSA Presentation 2019.pptx  

Resources

Campustours.com

Princeton Review College and Career Search

www.fastweb.com

SAT fee waiver guide lines

Scholarships.com

Great website on more scholarship

SUNY Colleges

The Online Financial Aid Application Event for New York Students

Useful Scholarship Search Sites

You can graduate Debt Free!

Financial Aid

Princeton Review Emails

Class of 2023 - College Acceptance Results

NYU, Hamilton College, Cornell University, Columbia University, Boston University, Vanderbilt University, University of Wisconsin - Madison, United States Air Force Academy, Lehigh University, John Hopkins University, University of Notre Dame, Becknell University, Case Western University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Union College, Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, University at Albany, Fordham University, Salve Regina University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, University at Delaware, University of Connecticut, Valparaiso University, Hunter College, Baruch College - City College of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Manhattan College,  St. John's University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, St. Joseph University, SUNY Farmingdale,  SUNY College at Plattsburg, SUNY College of Brockport, Vaughn College of Technology, Adelphi University

Congratulations!!

Please stop by my office to let me know where you were accepted to and will be attending. 

Class of 2025 WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

End of Year Announcements

Seniors

As we move into the end of the year, I am sending a few key reminders please check your Google Classroom Please stop by or email me if you have any questions.

👀 Keep Your Eyes Out for Admissions decisions!
It’s that time of year -- regular decision admissions results starting the next couple weeks and through mid-April. Please follow these reminders...

• If you heard a denial, remember, the most competitive colleges are receiving applications from top students around the world and are only admitting a small percentage. But, no matter what, I know rejection always hurts. I have tissues in my office, and I am happy to talk through the emotions and plan for next steps. More on next steps for waitlist/deferrals below.

📄 Check for any missing documents - admissions or financial!

Again, at this point, colleges are in the final decisions about admissions. PLEASE check your email & admissions portals to see if any necessary items are missing and follow up to complete these. Colleges may also add items - such as scholarship applications - through email or portals. Make sure you are frequently checking for any updates or changes.

💗💗 Get Ready to Make Your Choice. 
As you get admissions results, you’ll want to begin reviewing your options for after high school. Make a list of pros and cons and begin getting more information. Many colleges have Admitted Student’s Days or other events to help you get to know the school, either on campus, virtual, or sometimes receptions in New York City. But remember, don't rush your decision. YOU DON'T NEED TO COMMIT UNTIL MAY 1. 

💸💸 Review & Compare Your Aid Award Letters

Colleges provide financial aid award letters that explain their costs, the financial aid and scholarship, as well as loans that students and families are being offered. Unfortunately, sometimes these letters can be confusing and sometimes purposefully deceptive. 

💰💰Upcoming Outside Scholarship Apps

I've been updating a list of scholarships on this google page. (scroll down to see the posting of any new scholarship!)

✏ Following Up on Deferrals & Waitlists

If you have heard back and you were deferred or waitlisted, get ready to send more information to the institution. You can update them on academics, internship experiences, and more and reaffirm your interest in that institution!

 Continued Interest Letter Formats

As well, if the financial aid award you received is not sufficient -- and your family has a legitimate reason that you think you were not given enough aid (loss of job/change in income, additional unconsidered family circumstance) you can "appeal" for more aid. You can also appeal for more merit income, if the college often offers merit income to students.

Sample Need-Based & Merit-Based Fin aid appeals here:

 Sample Financial Aid Formats

Additional tips for appealing here.

💲💲Complete Your TAP Application (NYS Aid)

Many students have still not completed their TAP Grant application (an application for New York State Aid grant, free $ that can be applied to any New York State public or private college). It is recommended you complete the application NOW. If you haven't completed your TAP, you may have received an email notification from HESC, the organization that runs the TAP grant program. 

Direct Link to the TAP Application: https://webapps.hesc.ny.gov/hescpin/main

Who should complete the TAP Application: Students considering attending any college in New York City/State (public or private) whose family income is less than $80,000 a year, students interested in the Excelsior Scholarship (free tuition at SUNY + CUNY for families making less than $125,000 a year - TAP is a first step to later complete Excelsior), and students considering Macaulay Honors college.

Tips for completing the TAP: 

• Click "Start My Application" then click the blue link that says "First Time Users Click Here to Register With HESC" to set up your account.
• Much of your information will be automatically input from the FAFSA. The application is short, and usually takes 15-20 minutes.
• You'll need your parents' 2021 New York State taxes (NY-201, tax form with a little picture of NYS in the corner) to complete the TAP.
• Remember, you can only add one college to your TAP right now, and it doesn’t matter what that college is (as long as it’s located in New York). When you make a decision at the end of April about where you will attend, you will log back into your TAP application and enter the correct college.
• More information can be found here. To "sign" the TAP at the end, your parents need their driver's license number OR you can print out and hand sign the paper. 
• If you need to upload a supporting document, go to this direct link!

AGAIN PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS + PORTALS FREQUENTLY!

FEE Waivers for the SAT/ACT and applications, you must see Ms. DiGiorgio

SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER Center

Juniors

SAT March 2024

Your College Essay:  Make the topic your own and write from your heart. The more your parents and friends tinker with your writing, the less authentic it will read, and admissions counselors will be able to sniff out a doctored essay with ease. Instead, ask for help proofreading your writing and take any of their feedback into consideration, but make sure the emotions of the piece comes from you!   

In reference to letters of recommendations, students your deadline is more critical than the recommenders is. Do your part first, have you done that?

Juniors if you need to register for another SAT/ACT see Ms. DiGiorgio next test for you after March's test is JUNE

Students should have an account with College Board in order to register for your next SAT . To register please go to www.collegeboard.org . To Register for your ACT you need to go to ACT.org

If you need further assistance with registering for the SAT and/or ACT, please come to the College Office if you have not done so already. 

 Students who need a fee waiver for the SAT and/or ACT you need to bring your parents/guardian's 1040 Tax forms or documentation verifying their income to the College Office in order to get a fee waiver for your next exam and College Applications