Please submit your college/university or technical school acceptance letters and military enlistment to the counseling office.
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Published by the Henry County High School Counseling Department
April 28, 2008
Final Senior Newsletter!!!!!!!!
senior exams
the End of Course Test’s (EOCTs) will be administered online to seniors the week of May 12th-16th. All seniors in Economics will take the EOCT that week. Additionally, any senior taking Semester B of an EOCT course will be called into the computer lab to take the appropriate test.
Senior exams will be May 22nd and 23rd. We will be on a regular bell schedule and each teacher will give Part I of the exam on Thursday and Part II on Friday. Graduating seniors will not need to return to classes after Memorial Day unless they have work they need to complete for a teacher.
certificate of performance
There are a few seniors who still have to pass a graduation test, in order to receive a high school diploma. Remember, that you will not receive a high school diploma until you pass all portions of the graduation tests. We should receive scores from the March Georgia High School Graduation Test administration in early May. If you do not pass all portions of the graduation test, you will receive a certificate of performance if you participate in the graduation ceremony. According to state standards, a certificate of performance is equivalent to a high school dropout. You can not do anything with a certificate of performance. In worst case scenario, if you do not pass a portion of the test, please continue to take advantage of the remediation opportunities that will be offered through the HenryCounty summer remediation program. When we receive the test scores back in May, we will provide summer remediation information to all students who fail the test. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Bridge the Financial Aid Gap
Stephen Borkowski
For many college-bound students the anticipation of higher education is overshadowed by financial anxieties.
With tuition rising faster than financial aid dollars, more students are finding gaps in their financial aid packages. The gap appears when the student's expected family contribution (EFC) plus the school's financial aid package don't equal the cost of attendance. This gap appears as unmet need on a student's financial aid award letter.
How can families meet unmet need?
Appeal the financial aid offer. If the college's package of loans, grants, scholarships and work-study come up short, meet with the financial aid office. Write a letter to request a meeting and explain why the school should consider adjusting your aid offer.
Some pointers for the meeting:
- Prepare documentation for the financial aid office to review in support of your case, particularly circumstances not revealed on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.)
- Demonstrate that your family's financial circumstances have changed dramatically since you filed your FAFSA (i.e. death, unemployment, medical expenses).
- Different schools have different attitudes toward financial aid appeals. Some schools like to see the aid packages offered by other schools you're considering, while others might be put off by its inclusion.
- Be courteous when requesting additional assistance. You're not trying to drive a bargain on a used car. Approach the aid officer as an ally, not an adversary.
Look for scholarships. Continue to review the results of your FastWeb scholarship search. Keep your profile updated to be sure you're getting the most relevant results. You can also expand your search to offline sources. Check with your local library, organizations in your community and your employer for additional scholarship opportunities.
Consider a part-time job. If work-study isn't part of your aid package, ask if it's a possibility. Research the campus and surrounding community to find other viable employment options.
Get the most from your loans. First, be sure you're borrowing the maximum you can in subsidized loans. For instance, Stafford loans allow dependant undergraduate students to borrow up to $2,625 their freshman year, $3,500 their sophomore year and $5,500 for each remaining year. You can find more student loan information at FinAid.org.
If you still don't have enough money to cover the gap after maximizing your subsidized loans, you can approach a private lender for a supplemental loan. This loan won't have all the advantages of a Stafford loan, but it could get you to your dream school.
Reduce expenses. Explore ways to reduce the cost of attending school. Is the school in an area where the student might be able to live at home or with relatives in the area? Can you meet the same academic goals at a lower cost institution? Considered accelerated programs where you might complete a degree in three years rather than four. Consider attending a community college for two years, then transferring in to complete your degree.
EVENTS OF INTEREST
The Federal Aviation Association is taking applications for air traffic controller school.Young adults between the ages of 18-31 with a high school diploma may benefit from this opportunity. With some effort you could reach a salary of over $100,000 with benefits in about 3 years. You need only a high school diploma to apply and credit is given for college on the exam.If interested, visit details and to fill out the application immediately - even if youare not sure if you want to attend immediately - it's the federal government and it may take them months to call. The key is to apply NOW. There will be a lot of retirements coming up rather quickly and they need to line up training to accommodate these openings. The FAA rarely has an open application such as this and the jobs are coveted. This is a great opportunity and it should be noted that choosing a site like Anchorage or Indianapolis to train is a likely acceptance into the training program - after-which you can transfer anywhere in the country that has a tower.
ANY SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS TO CONGRATULATE?
I know that some of you are receiving scholarship offers already…let us know and we will send you a “shout out” in the senior newsletter. Let’s get a little class spirit going and celebrate your accomplishments! Drop by Ms. Davis’s office to share your accomplishments. Also, if you have been accepted to any college/university or you have joined a branch of the military, please take a moment to let us know in the counseling office. We will need a copy of the official acceptance or scholarship award letter. We would love to share your accomplishments!!!!!!!
See Ms. Davis if you would like to share your accomplishments. We would love to hear about them!!!!! We will also post your name on the bulletin board outside of the counseling office once you are accepted to a college/university, technical school, or if you decide to enlist in the military!!!
Congratulations to the following seniors:
Mason Ballew has enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Jennifer Berger has been accepted to EmoryUniversity and she is the valedictorian for the class of 2008.
Elizabeth Bitner has been accepted to ClaytonStateUniversity and she is an honor graduate.
Anushka Boyd has been accepted to ValdostaStateUniversity.
Benjamin Bruce has enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Yonique Cousins has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
Antonio Covarrubias has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Chanelle Daniel has been accepted to XavierUniversity, MercerUniversity and SpelmanCollege. She is also an honor graduate.
Iesha Davis has enlisted in the United States Army.
Jeff Dezormo has been accepted to Georgia Southern University.
Zanetta Geohagen is an honor graduate.
Laquavia Green has been accepted to XavierUniversity. She has also been accepted into Xavier’s Howard Hughes Biomedical Honor Corps, a special academic year organization for students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology-Premed.
Amber Henegar has been accepted to GeorgiaStateUniversity & Clark-AtlantaUniversity. She is also an honor graduate.
TasheraHeights has been accepted to SavannahStateUniversity.
Amber Holley has been accepted to KennesawStateUniversity. She is also an honor graduate
Chris Jackson is attending theUniversity of Alabama.
Ketia Josey has been accepted to GramblingUniversity and Ketia Josey. She is also an honor graduate.
Lakeira King has been accepted to ValdostaStateUniversity.
Anastasia Manning has been accepted to StillmanCollege.
Ashley McCoy-Collins has been accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is also an honor graduate.
Blake Newalu has been accepted to the University of San Diego. He is also an honor graduate.
Vanessa Nunnally has been accepted to Georgia Southern University. She is also an honor graduate.
Raheim Parris has been accepted to GeorgiaCollege & StateUniversity & has received the Atlanta Gas Light Scholarship.
Kimberly Powell has been accepted to Clark-AtlantaUniversity.
Jennifer Pritchett is an honor graduate.
Jade Sims has been accepted to Georgia Tech. She is also an honor graduate.
Andrew Stevenson has been accepted to FortValleyStateUniversity.
Chris Stewart has been accepted to Georgia Southern. He is also an honor graduate.
Donnie Stroud has been accepted to GeorgiaPerimeterCollege.
Sheneice Tarpley has been accepted to MilesCollege.
Jasmine Thomas has been accepted to EdwardWatersCollege.
Uyen Tran has been accepted to GriffinTechnicalCollege and GeorgiaStateUniversity. She is also an honor graduate.
Jarune Uwujaren has been accepted to GeorgiaStateUniversity. She is the salutatorian for the class of 2008.
Rebecca Waltrip has been accepted to BostonUniversity. She is also an honor graduate.
Robert Whisnant has been accepted to GordonCollege.
Brittany Works has been accepted to OakwoodCollege in Birmingham, AL.
PREVIOUS SCHOLARSHIP REMINDERS
DO YOU NEEDMONEYFORCOLLEGE? BELOW ARE SCHOLARSHIP REMINDERS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN PREVIOUS SENIOR NEWSLETTERS IN WHICH SOME OF YOU CAN AND SHOULD APPLY FOR!!!!
APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!! APPLY!!!
Scholarship / Deadline Date / WebsiteBlackNews.com Spring 2008 Scholarship / April 30, 2008 /
Call Me Mister Scholarship Program / Visit website /
GA PerimeterCollege Foun. Scholarship / May 1, 2008 /
GA Southern Univ. scholarships / Various deadlines / or
GriffinTechnicalCollege Foundation Textbook Scholarship / September 1, 2008 / See Ms. Davis for an application
Southern States Veteran’s Dependent Scholarship / April 21, 2008 / See Ms. Davis for an application
APRIL SCHOLARSHIP Announcements
GEORGIA ENGINEERING FOUNDATION: The Georgia Engineering Foundation is offering engineering scholarships of $1,000 to $5,000. Scholarship applicants must meet the following criteria: (1) U.S. citizen, (2) resident of Georgia, and (3) enrolled (college bound) in ABET-accredited program leading to BS degree in engineering or engineering technology. Visit for an application and additional information. The deadline for this scholarship is August 29, 2008.
FASTWEB SCHOLARSHIPS
ADMISSION FACTS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP: The Admission Facts Student Scholarship is available to college-bound students or students currently in college. You must be a U.S. citizen and have a minimum 2.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is April 30, 2008. Visit
ALL-INK.COMCOLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: The All-Ink.com College Scholarship Program is available to students who are enrolling or planning to enroll in an accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be considered for this award. To apply for this scholarship, you must submit a 50- to 200- word essay on who has had the greatest impact on your life, and a 50- to 200- word essay on what you hope to achieve in your personal and professional life after college. The deadline to submit an online application is December 31, 2008. Visit for an online application and complete instructions.
BLACKNEWS.COM SPRING 2008 SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST: The BlackNews.com Spring 2008 Scholarship Essay Contest is available to African-American students. One or both of your parents must be African-American. You must be a United States resident and attend or plan to attend a trade school, college or university in the US to be eligible for this award. To enter you must submit a 500 word essay answering the question, “Why is there a need to have the Black press?” The deadline to submit essay is April 30, 2008. Visit
CiRADIO SCHOLARSHIP: The CiRadio Scholarship is open to college-bound high school students and college students. To be eligible for this award, high school students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA. The deadline to submit an application is April 30, 2008. Visit for additional details.
CREATE-A-GREETING CARD SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST: The Create-a-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest is open to high school, college, and graduate students in the US. To enter, you must design a greeting card and submit your work to be judged. The deadline to submit your entry is January 15, 2009. For additional information, please visit
DECISION 2008 ESSAY CONTEST: The Decision 2008 Essay Contest is available to students who have resided in the US for at least one year. You must be at least 16 years of age prior to the deadline to qualify. Applicants must submit an essay of no more than 1500 words answering questions regarding the 2008 Presidential Election. The deadline to submit your essay is June 12, 2008. For additional information, visit
Go to to set up a scholarship profile to get FREE scholarship information. Search, search, search and find money to help you pay for your postsecondary education.
Please submit your college/university or technical school acceptance letters and military enlistment to the counseling office.
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