Connections Newsletter

FAFSA The FAFSA is open and all students and families are now able to access and submit their 2025-26 FAFSAs. We recommend you file as soon as possible. Here are some tips.

Seniors Check your applications for any letters of recommendation required from your counselor or your teacher(s). Staff does not work on vacation days. Come by Connections with any questions. For applications due on December 15, requests should have already been made to your teacher and/or counselor. For applications due on January 15, counselor letter requests were due December 2; teacher letter requests are due December 9.

At TCA

Thursday, December 12, 9:35: Marist College

Application Deadlines

Application: 1/1/25; Connections Rec Ltr: 12/2; Teacher Rec Ltr: 12/9

Application: 1/15/25; Connections Rec Ltr: 12/2; Teacher Rec Ltr: 12/9

In the Community

Friday, February 7, 7:00-2:00: UNC Future Teacher Conference, Greeley. Spots fill quickly.

Saturday, March 8, 9:00-11:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Pine Creek HS

Saturday, March 9, 1:00-4:00: RMACAC Spring College Fair, Cherokee Trail HS

If you qualify, here are two avenues to waive college admission testing (SAT, ACT, AP) or college application fees. If you qualify for an SAT fee waiver, or the ACT fee waiver, you can be approved for a fee waiver to most colleges. Another route is the NACAC College Application Fee Waiver. Please contact Ms. Peters at tcacollege@asd20.org for assistance.

Colorado Promise - Two Free Years of College Expanded: Beginning in Fall 2024, students who attend public institutions and have family incomes of $90,000 or less are eligible for a complete reimbursement of any out-of-pocket tuition and fees paid for their education. The program expands on individual institutional promise programs and extends financial support to middle-income Colorado residents.

The CMU Pathway Program at Carnegie Mellon University is a no loan initiative for qualifying students which ensures that 100% of their demonstrated financial need will be met with financial aid offers that do not include loans.

Ursinus College works hard to make a private, liberal arts education possible for all students with automatic merit scholarships of up to $40,000/year, application-based specialty scholarships, and need-based financial aid. The new full-ride Bomberger Leadership Scholarship covers full tuition, housing, and food.

Montana State offers many undergraduate scholarships to incoming freshmen to help reduce the cost of attendance including Achievement Awards, Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Presidential Scholarship, and Departmental Scholarships.

Watch for those out of state scholarships! For example, Ohio Wesleyan University’s Bishop Bound Award: New for this year, out-of-state students admitted to OWU receive a $2,000 renewable, stackable award ($8,000 over four years).

At South Dakota Mines, students with a 3.0 unweighted GPA and a 24+ ACT or 1160+ SAT score are automatically eligible for scholarships. The deadline to apply is January 1.

Lockheed Martin Space’s High School Internship Program gives students interested in pursuing STEM-related careers the opportunity to work with aerospace scientists and engineers. Interns will spend 9+ weeks during the summer working on world-changing projects and defense tech. For more information, sign up for an Info Session on December 17 at 5:30 p.m., or check out this video.

Lockheed Martin offers Engineering Apprentice jobs for high school graduates. Accepted candidates could be considered for other career opportunities in the future where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match.

Oklahoma State University offers an Agriculture Microbiome Program (AMP) on June 1-6, 2025, for 9th and 10th graders to introduce them to the microbiome sciences with interactive virtual modules and hands-on activities.

The National Student Leadership Conference allows students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership to explore a future career path before they get to college. Summer 2025 conferences will feature over 30+ careers to choose from. See Mrs. Dahl for a nomination to attend. Scholarships are available.

Colorado School of Mines will host the Girls Lead the Way - STEM & Leadership Conference for High School Girls on February 8 for women in grades 9-12 who are interested in being a leader in STEM. Participants will engage in a day-long interactive, lab and classroom-based conference hosted by the Society of Women Engineers - Mines Collegiate Section.

Applications are open for the 2025 incoming class Randall Research Scholars Program at the University of Alabama. This program pairs academically elite students directly with leading research professors and cutting-edge computing technology to complete scholarly research projects in any field of study.

Optical Engines, a local laser manufacturing company that produces high-quality, cutting-edge fiber technology, is offering a job shadow opportunity for students.

The Launch London program at Emory University offers first-year students an opportunity to begin their collegiate journey with a semester at London Center. The program gives students a variety of course options that align with Oxford College’s foundational and interdisciplinary goals, students can register for up to 16 credits.

Applications for several of Baylor’s elite academic opportunities are now open including the Honors College, Business and Computer Science Fellow and Hankamers Scholars. These opportunities give students better opportunities for flexibility within their major with individualized advising and immerse them in research.

Leeds Beckett University in the UK will host their next Online Open Days on December 11 for prospective students to connect with LBU’s academic schools and find out everything they would like to know about the courses and teaching.

Fordham University is launching a new initiative called the Fordham Internship Promise which means students will have the opportunity to land at least one internship, faculty-mentored research experience, or other type of meaningful experiential learning, prior to graduation.

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th- and 12th-grade students in the United States. A student is eligible if they enroll in or are eligible to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or their family's annual income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. Be sure to look at the current year's guidelines to verify.

The next SAT testing date is March 8, 2025. Register by February 21, 2025.

Additional test dates: May 3, 2025

Schoolhouse offers free SAT Turing Bootcamp.

March2Success offers free online SAT, ACT and ASVAB test prep

The next ACT testing date is April 13, 2025. Register by March 8, 2025.

Additional test dates: March 8, May 3, and June 7, 2025

Katina Dahl, Advisor - Freshmen, Sophomore, AP, PSAT/NMSQT

Jodi Hoffman, Office Manager - College & Career Visits, Community Service

Email: tcavisits@asd20.org
Website: tcatitans.org
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104