Did you just finish your junior year of high school? You’re almost there! Your senior year begins next month. It may seem like a whirlwind of activities and events, but have fun and don’t forget that you’ll have a whole new chapter waiting for you in 2025. Take time to develop your plan of action for education after high school.
- Satisfied with your ACT or SAT score? If you’d like to retake the ACT, log in to ACT.org to determine which date you’ll need to take the test. You can find a list of possible test dates here. The next available test date is September 14, 2024. To avoid a late registration fee, make sure to register by August 9.
The SAT test dates can be found here. The earliest SAT is scheduled for August 24, 2024. The deadline to register without a late fee is also August 9. - Know your deadlines. Caps and gowns, class rings, photos for the yearbook—they will all have important deadlines to follow. The same goes for scholarships. Commit to searching for scholarships as often as possible. We recommend seniors apply for 2-3 scholarships every week. Begin your search here:
To find even more scholarship websites, check out Are You Looking for Money?.
- Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025-26 academic year is scheduled to open October 1. The vast majority of high school seniors will be considered dependent students on the FAFSA, which means you’ll probably also need to submit one or both parents’ financial information along with yours on the application. The FAFSA is simply a snapshot of your family’s financial situation—it’s not a credit check or loan application, and it doesn’t ask for your grade point average (GPA). Federal Student Aid, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, will use the data from your FAFSA to determine how much federal financial aid you may be able to receive. Be sure to submit your FAFSA as soon as it becomes available.
- Create your StudentAid.gov account. Over the summer you can set up your StudentAid.gov account. This account’s username and password will be used when you access the FAFSA application. You’ll also use it to electronically sign the form. One or both of your parents will also need a StudentAid.gov account. Create it now and hang on to it until the 2025-26 FAFSA becomes available. You’ll use it every year.
- Wait for results. Watch for mail/email from the colleges that you included on your FAFSA. They will be able to tell you how much financial aid you may qualify for at their school, and they’ll let you know about important deadlines
Enjoy your last year of high school. We wish you a bright and prosperous future!