The financial aid application (FAFSA) opened on 12/1 for any seniors considering attending a school next year after graduating. For any student considering attending a community college in Massachusetts for free, completing the FAFSA is one of the requirements for free tuition eligibility.

To start a FAFSA, start here: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

The Shawsheen Tech Guidance Office created the following College Admissions Checklist as a tool to help you complete the steps required to apply to college. If you plan to apply to a 4-year college, please review the document and reach out to your counselor if you have any questions or need clarification. Counselors will be visiting students in Related to give a general overview of the college application process but a 1-1 appointment with your counselor is recommended, especially if you plan to apply to college with an “Early Action” deadline (typically on or around November 1st).

Please see below for a link to our presentation given at our Junior Parent/Guardian College & Career Informaiton Night on Wednesday, January 22nd.

The Shawsheen Tech Guidance Department will be hosting college admissions representatives beginning at the end of January through early spring. College representatives will be available for small group question & answer sessions. Please check Naviance regularly as colleges will be scheduling visits on an ongoing basis.

To register for an upcoming college visit, please login to Naviance and follow the steps below:

**you must receive permission from your instructor before attending these sessions**

Scholarships are being updated regularly in Naviance. Seniors are encouraged to review often and apply. Naviance can be accessed via ClassLink. Please contact your guidance counselor with any questions.

Please see below for Horatio Alger Scholarship Application Information including eligibility criteria and application procedures:

Dear A-L Students and Parents/Guardians,

As you all know from my previous email, Monday, January 6th marked my first day in my new position as SOAR Program Coordinator and Mental Health Clinician. As I mentioned in the email, even though I am no longer your child’s Guidance Counselor, that certainly does not change the fact that I care very much about all our students, and I will continue to care for them in my new capacity. That said, I am happy to avail myself to you during this transition, but when possible, please contact Matthew Smith at masmith@shawtech.org and James Carlson at jcarlson@shawtech.org for immediate assistance. We will provide more information regarding my official replacement when available. Meanwhile, you can still reach me by email at acaira@shawtech.org if you wish to connect with me directly.

Thank you for your wonderful show of support during this transition. I appreciate all the well wishes and notes of congratulations that I’ve received since my email announcement. This is a very bittersweet adjustment for me, but one that I am excited for as I embark on my next professional journey.

As I told you before, I wish everyone peace, comfort, faith, hope, and love as we begin 2025.Thank you for being part of my Shawsheen story and I hope our paths cross again. Be well!

Sincerely,
Ms. Caira

Are you looking to get involved? Check out our list of clubs & activities we have to offer. Be sure to listen to the morning announcements for meeting dates & times.

If you are looking for additional counseling services or resources for your child, please take a look at the following links for information and contact info:

Outside Counselor Referrals

Community Resources

Students and families can visit the School Nurses' Office website for up-to-date information from that department, by clicking on the following link: Nurses' Office / Nurses' Office (shawsheentech.org).

Please click on link below for more information:

The New England High School Journalism Collaborative (nehsjc.org) will be offering a free week-long summer workshop for New England high school students who represent under-served populations This year our workshop will be from June 21-28, 2025 at the Gwen Ifill School at Simmons University in Boston. In addition to Simmons, our other partners include The Boston Globe, Regis College, and the New England Newspaper and Press Association.

For application information, click here, and to see last year's work, click here.

RMV/Union paperwork: Parents/Guardians must email your request to guidanceoffice@shawtech.org

*Please give 48 hrs. notice for this request*

Work Permits: Please complete the following form and submit to the Guidance office: Work Permit Application

Email: guidanceoffice@shawtech.org
Website: shawsheentech.org
Location: 100 Cook Street, Billerica, MA, USA
Phone: 978-667-2111
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawsheentech/
Twitter: @shawtech_hs