College Resources

FAFSA Information from Mike Speck...Class of 2023

Click below for a newsletter on FAFSA

CHOOSING A SCHOOL AND FIELD OF STUDY

Deciding on a career path can be a difficult task. High school students may not have a clear idea of who they are and what they would like to do for a career. It is important for students to carefully consider their strengths and interests before deciding on a college or field of study. Researching schools, majors, and careers can also give students and their families a better idea of which path fits best with the student's interests and strengths. The links below can be very useful when researching college and career choices.

Montana Career Information System (MCIS)

Username: ennishs
Password: plan7ing

This site is AWESOME! Start by creating a portfolio and then work down the list on the homepage or use the links in the red bar at the top of the page to start your research about schools, majors, and careers. Ever wonder what an Actuary does? Click on "occupations" and then "occupations" again for an alphabetical list. Many careers even have short videos! The same type of list is available for schools and scholarships! All of this is FREE and provided by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Montana Entrance Requirements
Use this link to see what it takes to be accepted into a 2 or 4 year college in Montana.

Visit the website of any out-of-state schools to check their admission requirements. States like California require at least 2 years of a foreign language!

PAYING FOR SCHOOL


Most students use a combination of methods to pay for college. Federal grants and loans, scholarships, savings from jobs, and family contributions are all typical ways to pay for college. Use the links below to access some of the most important and helpful sites.

FAFSA.ED.GOV
The FAFSA is the application for federal student aid. It can be filled out starting January 1st of the year you will start college. Most 2 year schools and training programs also use the FAFSA to determine aid to students. Parents and students BOTH fill out part of the FAFSA.

FSA ID Website
Use this link to create your Federal Student Aid ID. This must be done before filling out the FAFSA and was formerly known as the "PIN". It uses a username and password instead of a simple PIN.

FAFSA 4caster
Do you wonder how you MIGHT come out on the FAFSA? Click on this link to enter your preliminary information for an estimate of your aid package.


Here is a link to the Montana University System's Prepare and Pay webpage with tons of great information!

Here is an article by USNews rating the top 5 scholarship search sites. It is informative and provides links to the sites.

TIME TO APPLY!


Almost all schools have an online application. Usually, you need to create an account on the school's website and then fill out the application. In most cases, you will be able to save and return to the application.

You will want to have the
list following things when filling out the application:

  • High school transcript

  • Cumulative GPA and Rank

  •  Ennis CEEB Code: 270300

  • A personal email address that you will have at least through the summer.