In This Issue:

• Meet our Team!
• Services We Offer
• Scholarship Season
• Opportunities & Events
• Prepare for the FAFSA
• UNC System FAFSA Priority Filing Dates
• RDS & CSS
• Finish the FAFSA Parent Agreement

CROSBY SCHOLARS SCHOLARSHIP SEASON

MARK YOUR CALENDARS...

We offer over 30 scholarships that are ONLY available to Crosby Scholars beginning on

OCTOBER 1^st!

In addition to scholarship opportunities specifically for Crosby Scholars, we also have an Outside Scholarship Database to help narrow down your scholarship search!

OTHER SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Outstanding Youth Leaders of the Year Scholarship award is a half-tuition, renewable scholarship that will be awarded to three prospective college students who demonstrate success within their respective mentoring programs.

The scholarship covers a total of $20,000 over four years, or $5,000 yearly. Each recipient will be featured in a video to be shown at Youth Mentoring Collaborative's Carolinas Youth Mentoring Symposium and will be awarded a laptop.

The scholarship is presented by Youth Mentoring Collaborative, in partnership with the Ciara Arts and Science Foundation.

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS

HOW TO COMPLETE THE FAFSA WEBINAR

Monday, October 3 | 6:00-7:00 pm | Virtual

This webinar will lead you through the process, step-by-step, of completing the 2023-24 FAFSA.

Please note that you will not actually complete your FAFSA during this webinar. If you need assistance completing your FAFSA, you can schedule a meeting with Ashly Wilson, Financial Aid Coordinator, below or attend one of our FAFSA Labs offered in November.

Seniors: You can earn Academy Credit by attending this webinar.

Parents: We strongly encourage you to attend.

WHAT IS THE FAFSA?

The FAFSA is Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For many students, filling out and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the first step towards figuring out how to pay for college. Submitting a FAFSA will let you know which types and how much financial aid you may qualify for. The 2023-24 FAFSA will be available on October 1st and will require you to use your 2021 Tax Return information.

WHY DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A FAFSA?

Colleges require a submitted FAFSA to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid, which can include a combination of scholarships, grants, federal work-study and federal student loans.

Colleges send each student who submits a FAFSA a detailed Financial Aid Award Letter outlining which types and how much financial aid the student can expect to help cover their educational costs. The only way to know exactly how much financial aid you qualify for is to submit a 23-24 FAFSA.

HOW DO I FILL OUT A FAFSA?

Submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or (FAFSA) is FREE, only takes about 25 minutes to complete, and can be submitted electronically at www.FAFSA.gov on a desktop computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone.  

If citizenship requirements impact your ability to submit the FAFSA, please reach out to Ashly Wilson at awilson@crosbyscholars.org for guidance.

FAFSA AWARENESS EMAIL SERIES

Our FAFSA Friday Email Series will begin the first week of September and continue until the FAFSA opens on October 1st.

Check your inbox and our social media weekly for quick tips on how to submit the FAFSA, what steps to take next, and how to find help if needed!

UNC SYSTEM FAFSA PRIORITY FILING DATES

In addition to the federal FAFSA deadline, many schools will also have a specific deadline by which they ask students to submit their FAFSA. Certain types of financial aid are awarded on a first come, first served basis and can run out of funding.

Make sure to check your college or university's FAFSA priority filing deadline to ensure you receive as much financial aid as you qualify for!

HOW NC RESIDENCY DETERMINATION IMPACTS TUITION COSTS

You may already know that you need to complete the North Carolina Residency Determination Service or RDS interview once you begin filling out your college admission applications. While this is true, you also need to complete the RDS Interview to know if qualify for In-State Tuition costs.

Under North Carolina law, in order to qualify for In-State Tuition, you will need to show that you have established your legal residence in North Carolina and have maintained that residence for a certain period of time before enrolling in college. If you forget to complete the RDS interview, you may be subject to paying Out-of-State Tuition costs, which can be significantly more expensive.

Completing your Residency Determination is quick and easy, and can be completed entirely online at www.ncresidency.org. 

THE CSS/FINANCIAL AID PROFILE®

The College Board's CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by almost 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government. Check your Crosby Scholars Student Portal for a list of colleges that required the CSS Profile.

Applications can be accessed beginning on October 1st. If your school requires the CSS Profile, you should complete the Fall 2023/Spring 2024 Profile.

The CSS Profile Application is customized for the student and their family following registration. It contains questions about the student's and parent's households, income, assets, and expenses. Applicants are provided step-by-step instructions and a customized Pre-Application Worksheet.

Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile is not free! It costs $25 to fill out and submit the form to one school. After that, you will pay $16 for a submission to each additional school. Make sure that your school requires the CSS Profile before you submit it!

WHAT IS IT?

Crosby Scholars Finish the FAFSA Agreement allows Crosby Scholars Financial Aid Coordinator to provide support to students and families who need help submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, during their senior year o high school. The Finish the FAFSA Agreement DOES NOT disclose any personal financial information. The Finish the FAFSA Agreement does not disclose any information on family or student income, citizenship information, social security numbers or any other personally identifiable information. The Finish the FAFSA Agreement data is not used for any purpose other than to offer students assistance with FAFSA completion. The Finish the FAFSA data will not be used to identify your student in any way.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Crosby Scholars Financial Aid Coordinator will only be able to confirm if your student has submitted and signed their FAFSA form, or if they have been selected for an additional FAFSA screening process called Verification. The Crosby Scholars Financial Aid Coordinator will then contact you or your student to offer assistance with completion.



Submitting a FAFSA is a critical step toward creating a financial plan for college. The Finish the FAFSA Agreement allows the Crosby Scholars Financial Aid Coordinator to provide one-on-one professional financial aid support to your family.

Questions about Finish the FAFSA? Contact Ashly Wilson, Financial Aid Coordinator, at 336-582-0015 or awilson@crosbyscholars.org

QUESTIONS? CROSBY SCHOLARS IS HERE FOR YOU!

Schedule a one-on-one meeting with Ashly Wilson, Financial Aid Coordinator, to have all of your financial aid questions answered. Check out the video below to learn more!