GEAR UP GAZETTE SENIOR EDITION

GEAR UP TN is excited to partner with you as your child enters hi/her senior year. This newsletter is our way of providing you and your student with important information they will need during this academic year. We have a busy year planned and I’m excited to share with you some of the activities in which your student will participate this year!

GEAR UP TN is a federally funded college access program that aims to expand the college-going culture in Tennessee and empower students to succeed. Funded through a seven-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, GEAR UP TN works with Collaboratives in counties across the state to promote college readiness and success. These Collaboratives receive direct services through the GEAR UP TN grant. GEAR UP TN also aims to provide educators, parents, and students across the state with resources and information on the college-going process.

Typical GEAR UP services include:

• Tutoring
• Mentoring
• Visits to Colleges
• Visits to Job Sites
• Youth Summit Summer Program
• Financial Aid & Scholarship Information
• Training for Teachers

• Increasing the academic performance and preparation for postsecondary education for GEAR UP students
  

• Increasing the rates of high school graduation and enrollment in postsecondary education for GEAR UP students
  

• Increasing GEAR UP students’ and their families’ knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation, and financing

GEAR UP serves over 560,000 students enrolled in over 3,525 secondary schools across 45 states! You are a part of a national group of parents and educators that work toward student success.

Checklist for Seniors

• Work hard all the way to graduation—second-semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.
• Stay involved in after school activities and seek leadership roles if possible. If you haven’t been involved in clubs or sports before this year, it’s never too late to start! Check out the list of activities below to get started.
• Ask your senior counselor or GEAR UP TN site coordinator about dual enrollment and advanced placement classes to get a head start on college credits!
• As soon as possible after its Oct. 1 release, complete and submit your FAFSA form, along with any other financial aid applications your chosen school(s) may require. You should submit your FAFSA form by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early February.
• After you submit the FAFSA form, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within three days to three weeks. This document lists your answers to the questions on your FAFSA form and gives you some basic information about your aid eligibility. Quickly make any necessary corrections and submit them to the FAFSA processor.
• If you haven’t done so already, register for and take the standardized tests required for college admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require. REMEMBER: Register for all tests in advance and be sure to give yourself time to prepare appropriately! If you have difficulty paying a registration fee, ask your school counselor about getting the fee waived.
• Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. Follow the instructions and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!
• Well before your college application deadlines, ask your counselor and teachers to submit the required documents (e.g., transcript, letters of recommendation) to the colleges to which you’re applying.
• Complete any last scholarship applications and housing applications if you plan to live on campus.

Checklist for Parents

• It is important to attend financial aid presentations and career day functions WITH your student. If you don't know when they're scheduled, contact your son or daughter's high school counselor. (Attend these events even if you did so last year or with a different student - there is new information all the time!)
• Ask them monthly, "Have you been to the Mapping Your Future websites? What are you working on and what scholarships have you applied for?"
• Sit down with your student and prepare a list of what they are looking for in a college and then help them sort through the information they receive from the different institutions to decide which ones offer what's on the list.
• Complete college applications with the student. In October, register for an FSA ID so you can assist your student with financial aid forms. In October or November, you will need to help your student complete the FAFSA. Your FSA ID will help speed up the process.
• In late winter or early spring, the award notices will start coming in. Look at the financing carefully and contact the schools with any questions. Make comparisons!
• Go on trips with your student to as many of his or her top school choices as possible. A visit to the campus is invaluable to making a decision.

This year, your child will receive a copy of the NEXT Guide for the Class of 2022. The Next Guide is a Tennessee-specific college and career handbook which contains information and activities for students as they begin to determine what their next step will be after high school: University, Community College, TCAT, Military, Apprenticeships, or entering the work force.

Your child has been dreaming for years about what they'll do after they graduate, and this is the year they'll take many critical steps to prepare for what’s “NEXT!” The Guide outlines the actions needed, depending on what your child wants to do after high school, and provides important information and resources to help them take those actions. You’ll find resources and information on everything from financing a college education to writing a resumé. You’ll also find helpful tools for tracking the status of college, scholarship, and job applications, and pages for recording important information your child will need to access regularly throughout the year. So ask your child questions about the NEXT Guide and become engaged in the process, because going to college and preparing for the world takes time, planning, and a lot of support.

She is looking forward to another year of working for the GEAR UP TN grant and supporting students as they get college and career ready!

Email: pittsm@fcsboe.org
Website: https://www.fcsboe.org/domain/2458
Location: 1800 Wilson Parkway, Fayetteville, TN, USA
Phone: 931.433.3158
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FHSGEARUPTN
Twitter: @FHSCounseling_

Fayetteville High School is a public high school in the Fayetteville City School District serving students in 9th through 12th grade. Admission is open to all Lincoln County residents. Transportation is provided within city limits for students.

We are dedicated to the academic growth of our students as they prepare for college and life after graduation. We attempt to inspire them to reach their potential as students and citizens. FHS has established a tradition of academic rigor that ensures excellence. Learning is at the heart of all we do and we try to encourage each of our students to become an independent and confident learner. From the classroom to the athletic field, our students are immersed in an educational environment.

Email: mccormicka@fcsboe.org
Website: https://www.fcsboe.org/fhs
Location: 1800 Wilson Parkway, Fayetteville, TN, USA
Phone: 931.433.3158
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FHSTigers
Twitter: @FHSTigersROAR