At the end of September and early October, senior students throughout the state of Idaho received Idaho Campus Choice letters notifying them that they are guaranteed acceptance to specific state funded colleges in Idaho. Once a student is notified, they can complete an application through Apply Idaho.
What steps should Seniors be completing during first semester?
1. Research Colleges
- Attend College Events during October. Information on College Events provided below
- Finalize college list (3-6 Colleges)
- Create spreadsheet of College requirement and deadlines
- Apply
2. Create FSA ID and Submit FAFSA
- Create an FSA ID now. It takes 3-5 days to create and verify. Both parent/guardian and student will need to have an FSA ID to electronically sign the FAFSA!
- FAFSA opens up on December 1st, 2024!
- More information on FAFSA and Financial Aid provided below.
3. Research Scholarships
- Further scholarship information provided below
College Planning Resource: Next Steps Idaho and SCOIR
Apply Idaho is a free, common application platform for up to 10 Idaho colleges and universities. The application is available to current Idaho high school seniors.
Scholarship Idaho is the common application for state-managed scholarships and grant programs. Idaho Opportunity and Idaho Launch applications open in early October. Check Scholarship Idaho or Idaho State Board of Education for further details and information, as well as other Idaho scholarship opportunities!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is scheduled to open December 1st for Seniors!
Seniors planning on going to college in Fall 2025 are encouraged to have parents complete the FAFSA to receive Financial Aid.
Information on the FAFSA and Financial Aid can be found at
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa or Next Steps Idaho.
Did you know…many scholarships and other forms of financial assistance require the FAFSA be completed prior to distributing funds. Deadlines for specific post-secondary programs and financial assistance opportunities vary for each educational institution.
Check with your college or university for financial assistance deadlines.
Students are encouraged to check the following sites for scholarships and begin “mapping” out deadlines & criteria!
Types of Scholarships to Research:
College Scholarships
- Check college website for scholarship opportunities available to incoming students!
Regional/Idaho Scholarships
National Scholarships
- Graduate from an accredited Idaho high school or equivalent
- Public School
- Charter School
- Private School
- Homeschool
- GED
- Be an Idaho resident
- Be enrolled in or have applied to an in-demand career program at an eligible Idaho institution
- Begin enrollment by fall semester after graduation, unless granted an extension from one of the approved extension reasons
- Complete a Career Pathway Plan in Next Steps Idaho, submitted for approval by each district
- Review the approved list of eligible in-demand careers
- NOTE: During the application process, students will be required to pick a program (major or subject area of focus) and the school they plan to attend. While they are required to make selections now, these decisions can be revisited and updated by students later. If students make updates after they have been offered a contingent offer, it may impact their final offer.
- Visit nextsteps.idaho.gov for a complete listing of the eligible in-demand career programs.
Amount:
Up to $8,000, one-time lifetime use
Covers 80% published tuition and fees
Receive up to 1/2 of funds in year 1 ($4,000), unless enrolled in a program that is less than 12 months
Eligibility:
Application Process:
Submit an application through Scholarship Idaho
Deadline:
April 15
*NEW: Starting with the graduating class of 2025, students may only be awarded either Idaho LAUNCH or Idaho Opportunity, but not both.
Amount:
Up to $3,500 per year
Renewable for up to 4 years
Eligibility:
- Have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of at least 2.7
- Be an Idaho resident
- Graduated or will graduate from an accredited Idaho high school, Idaho homeschool, or its equivalent (GED/HSE from Idaho)
- Must attend during the upcoming academic year (fall semester)
- Must pursue a certificate, associate, or first bachelor’s degree
- Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1
- Must attend one of these eligible Idaho colleges or universities:
- College of Western Idaho
- College of Eastern Idaho
- College of Southern Idaho
- North Idaho College
- University of Idaho
- Boise State University
- Lewis Clark State College
- Idaho State University
- The College of Idaho
- Northwest Nazarene University
- Brigham Young University – Idaho
- Western Governors University.
Application Process:
1. Submit an application through Scholarship Idaho
2. Submit a FAFSA by March 1
3. Receive and accept a final offer, emailed by Scholarship Idaho
Deadline:
March 1
SCOIR can help students navigate the college selection and application process. Seniors will use SCOIR to request high school transcripts. Virtual School House seniors received an email inviting them to Scoir on October 14. Students are encouraged to set up their Scoir account.
SCOIR will help students with:
- Sending Transcripts
- Managing College Applications
- College Visits
- Finding A College Fit
Resources:
- SCOIR College Research
- Creating and Exporting Resume in SCOIR
- Requesting Transcripts through SCOIR
Any school moved to your "applied" column on the far right, or added to your applied column by clicking "add college" at the top of the "applied" column, will have a transcript sent to it.
