Central Catholic - Find Your Path

Save the date! The 20th annual NW Youth Careers Expo will take place on March 19 at the Oregon Convention Center during the school day. Pre-registration is required.

The Careers Expo shows students the region's amazing diversity of career opportunities, along with the skills and education needed for those jobs. The Expo includes hands-on learning, demonstrations, mock interviews, career workshops and the chance to talk directly with professionals about college-and-career options. Portland Workforce Alliance is excited to return to in-person programming! Public health guidelines are closely followed and the format of the event may be adjusted accordingly.

Interested? See Mr. Blue for details.

Not interested in going to college? Do you like learning in a hands-on environment while earning money at the same time? An apprenticeship might be a great training opportunity for you.

But how do you decide which apprenticeship program to pursue? Some things to consider when you are contemplating career choices are whether there will likely be job openings available once you complete your training and whether the job pays enough to support your needs. The State of Oregon Employment Department can help you.

Click HERE to view a list of jobs where paid apprenticeships are offered to help you learn the skills of the job.

For more information about apprenticeship opportunities in Oregon, visit the apprenticeship website of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. For Washington residents, visit the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries site - click HERE.

Keep up your grades! Senior year grades matter!!! We will be sending out mid-year transcripts to all Common Application colleges that require them in February. If you did not apply using the Common Application and need mid-year grades submitted to a college, please email collegecounselors@centralcatholichigh.org and include 'Mid-Year Transcript Request' in the Subject line. List the names of any colleges requiring mid-year grades in your email.

College Applications - Do you have a January or February deadline? Be sure to submit the Transcript & Recommendation Request Form. If recommendations are required and this is your first request, please submit the form as soon as possible. Recommendations are completed in Naviance and then uploaded to colleges. You do not need to wait for them to submit your application.

Check Application Portals - Once you apply, your college will send you a confirmation email with instruction on how to access your portal. You must check your emails and application portals regularly for guidance on next steps or find out if there is missing information. Hopefully, you will have good news! As you hear back from a college, please update the admission decision in your "Colleges I'm Applying to" list in Naviance Student.

FAFSA & Financial Aid - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required by both two- and four-year institutions for all federal and state financial aid, federal student loans and work study. Get this submitted as soon as possible. Check college application portals for financial aid timelines and scholarship award information.

Scholarships - Get serious about looking for and applying to scholarships. We have included a list of upcoming scholarships in this newsletter for you. Also, check out the November Newsletter for advice on applying for scholarships.

Application Drop-In Sessions - We are continuing to host sessions for seniors who would like assistance with their college or scholarship applications. You are welcome to join us for any or all of the following sessions:

• January 10 at lunch in the Counseling Center Conference Room
• January 12 from 2:40 to 3:30 pm in the Commons
• January 31 from 8:15 to 9:10 am in the Commons or at lunch in the Counseling Center Conference Room

Continue to support your senior - Gentle reminders about checking email from colleges and accessing each college's application portal should help your student keep track of important dates and deadlines. Involve them in the conversation about financial aid and paying for college now will also be key.

Complete the necessary financial aid documents as soon as possible:

FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required by both two- and four-year institutions for all federal and state financial aid, federal student and parent loans, and most scholarships --including OSAC scholarships!

Not eligible to complete FAFSA?

• ORSAA - The Oregon Student Aid Application is an alternative to the FAFSA for undocumented Oregon students, including students who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Not sure which form to complete? Click HERE to learn more.
• WASFA - The Washington Application for State Financial Aid is for Washington residents who are undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of their immigration status.

CSS Profile - Some colleges require the Profile in addition to FAFSA. Check to find out if any college on your student's list requires it. Click HERE for a list of participating institutions. Check out these helpful tips and resources before starting the Profile - HERE.

If you missed out on attending the Paying for College webinars live, we recorded them. Please feel free to watch the videos:

• Paying for College
• Pagar la Universidad

Once a student has applied for admission and the FAFSA (and CSS Profile if required) is submitted to a college, the financial aid process is initiated for you. A financial aid award letter from the college will be sent based on their awarding timeline. Some colleges will complete this process shortly after a student is admitted, while many others will not send this out until March or early April. The award letter provides the details of your financial aid package.

Next month's newsletter will provide more details inlcuding how to compare awards letters.

PCC offers Preview Days to introduce students to their different opportunities on each campus from 9 am to 11 pm. Meet instructors and staff plus explore financial aid and learn about scholarships.

Upcoming Preview Days:

Febuary 16 - Southeast Campus

April 19 - Cascade Campus

Seniors who would like to participate in a group visit with other CC students on either date need to indicate their interest HERE by February 6.

You're invitied to this year's free, in-person Gap Year Fair from 6 to 8:30 pm at Cleveland High School. Each year, the Go Overseas team coordinates annual USA Gap Year Fairs events across the country to connect students, parents, and educators with gap year program providers from all over the world. Learn everything you need to know about taking a gap year, including tips for researching and planning your trip, navigating the college deferral process, and which programs are accepting applications. Click HERE to learn more about taking a gap year.

Reserve your spot soon as space is limited - Register HERE.

1. Must be an Oregon resident
2. APPLY HERE. You will need to wait to complete your application until you have final grades from 1st semester; however, you can complete most of the application beforehand.
3. TRANSCRIPT - Central Catholic will automatically upload ar 7th Semester transcript to OSAC. There is no need to request one.
4. FAFSA/ORSAA is required to complete your OSAC application.
   

Early Bird Deadline - February 15 by 5 pm PT. Error-free applications will be entered into a drawing for one of several Early Bird scholarships.

Final Deadline - March 1 by 5 pm PT

JANUARY

APIA Scholarships - Scholarships are available to low-income students of Asian and/or Pacific Islander heritage with an unweighted GPA of 2.7 or higher who will be the first in their families to attend college. Due January 9 by 2 pm PT

CXR Foundation Scholarship - The Foundation will be award a scholarship to a U.S. resident who is connected to someone working in the talent industry and will be attending an accredited, U.S. college or university. Preference will be given to need-based candidates and those in underrepresented demographics. Due January 31

Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Latino Scholarship - The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber invites all Hispanic students with a 3.0 GPA or higher and planning to enroll in a four-year college to apply for scholarships. Due January 28

Jet Future Business Leaders Scholarship - This scholarship is for graduating seniors interested in pursuing a career in business. Due January 31

Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship - Full tuition and fees as well as a stipend for students interested in serving as a Naval Reserve Officer. Due January 31

Sparkling Ice Flavorful Futures Scholarships - Talking Rain is offering $5000 scholarships for students planning to enroll in part-time or full-time study at a 2-year, 4-year, college, university, trade or vocational school. The scholarships are open to all seniors with a 2.5 GPA; however, the Go Green Scholarship is specifically for students who intend to pursue a degree related to environmental studies and can show proof of involvement in sustainable initiatives and projects. Due January 31 at 3 pm

Storytellers of Tomorrow Contest - All high-school-age students are invited to submit unpublished, original English-language stories of up to 2,000 words in length for the Annual “Storytellers of Tomorrow” Contest. The sole criterion for earning prizes in this contest is simply overall quality, meaning that well-edited, engaging, and evocative stories have the best chance of winning over the judges. Due January 15

FEBRUARY

Association for Women in Mathematics Student Essay Contest - The contest is open to all ages. Students must submit a biographical essay based primarily on an interview conducted with a woman currently working in or retired from a mathematical career. Due February 1

CASA of Oregon Sister Adele Scholarship - Up to $5000 for Oregon students of farmworker families. Due February 16

Hispanic Scholarship Fund - Applicants must be of Hispanic heritage with at least a 3.0 GPA, and U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA. Due February 15 at 5 pm PT

Mente Summit Scholarship - Scholarships for Latinx males who live in Oregon and are planning to attend a two- or four-year college. Due February 1

Portland Community College Foundation Scholarship - Students are able to be conisderd for multiple scholarships to attend PCC. Due February 1 by 11:59 pm

Rent-A-Center Make a Difference Scholarship - Applicants must be customers or their dependents in good standing (current customers or customers within the past two years) of Rent-A-Center, Get it Now!, Home Choice or Acima OR dependent children of current employees. Due Feburary 1 by 1 pm PT

Volunteers of America Oregon Al Forthan Scholarship - Up to $2,500 per year for seniors in Oregon who have been impacted by addiction and poverty. Due February 5 by 11:59 pm PT

DEADLINE VARIES

Black United Fund of Oregon Scholarships -The following scholarships are available to students who identify as Black, African-American, or of African descent.

• Amina Anderson Scholarship - planning to attend an accredited college or university in Oregon and priority will be given to applicants with an unweighted GPA between 2.5 and 3.5
• Ron Herndon Scholarship - graduating senior planning to attend an accredited college or university and priority will be given to applicants with an unweighted GPA between 2.5 and 3.0
• Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams Scholarship - graduating senior and priority will be given to applicants with an unweighted GPA between 2.5 and 3.0
• Inspiring Hope Scholarship - Student may also identify as African Diaspora and should have an unweighted GPA between 2.0 and 3.0