Category Archives: General Information

General Information about financial aid at NOVA.

The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia Scholarships

Community Foundation_2016 has a few unique scholarship opportunities available for Northern Virginia Community College students

Students may access all scholarship applications and view detailed information through our website http:ljwww.cfnova.org/scholarships/foundation­ managed

*Please note you may upload unofficial transcripts and unofficial test scores with you completed application.

All scholarship applications  must be submitted by

March 31, 2016 by Spm EST.

 

The Vance International, Inc. Scholarship

The Vance Scholarship was established by Chuck Vance, a former United States Secret Service agent and founder of a private security firm in Oakton, VA. The scholarship is for men and women who seek a career in law enforcement or private security including studies in the administration of justice.

Amount: $500-$2,000 (2 scholarships/year)

Must be a resident of Northern Virginia pursuing careers in law enforcement or security including the administration of justice. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required. Students may attend accredited universities as full-time or part-time students. Applicants must complete an online application and submit transcripts from all high schools attended and letters of recommendation

 

The Charles Homer Barton Memorial Scholarship

The Charles Homer Barton Scholarship was established for the dependent children of police officers in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Scholarship awards will be made with consideration for academic achievement and good citizenship.

Charles Homer Barton dedicated his life to keeping his community safe, first as a police officer in Fairfax County,and later as a Deputy for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s office. Although Deputy Barton was a “cop’s cop” who brooked no nonsense from criminals,his colleagues describe him as “a big man with a huge heart,” who earned their respect with his fairness and compassion.

Deputy Barton was also a hero who literally gave his life to the service of others. In 1995,Deputy Barton was escorting a prisoner on an airplane that crashed, trapping the passengers in burning wreckage. Deputy Barton risked his own safety to stay aboard and help other passengers to escape. Because of his courage and selflessness, almost all of his fellow passengers survived the crash. However,Deputy Barton sustained severe injuries,and died in a hospital soon after the crash.

Amount: $2,000 {10 scholarships/year)

Criteria: Open to the legally dependent children of police officers or sheriff’s deputies who are employed by the Fairfax County, VA Police Department,the Loudoun County, VA Sheriff’s Office and the Police Departments in Leesburg, Middleburg, and Purcellville. Primary attention  will be given to children of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

The scholarship is for undergraduate education at a two or four year accredited college or university.

The scholarship selection committee  will consider both academic achievement and community service

 

The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia has a few unique scholarship opportunities available for Northern Virginia Community College students that have a minimum GPA of 2.5

Students may access all scholarship applications and view detailed information through our website http://www.cfnova.org/scholarships/foundation­ managed

*Please note you may upload unofficial transcripts and unofficial test scores with you completed application.

 

All scholarship applications must be submitted by: March 31, 2016 by Spm EST.

 

Ashworth Grogan Scholarship

The Ashworth Grogan Scholarship Fund was established to benefit high school seniors residing in Northern Virginia and college students at the Northern Virginia Community College advancing their education through the pursuit of an advanced certification  or degree in the fields of education and health.

Amount: Two,non-renewable scholarships of $5,000 awarded annually

Criteria:Graduating High School seniors must have a high school transcript with a GPA of 2.5 or higher

Northern Virginia Community College students must submit a high school transcript and a current NOVA transcript with a GPA of 2.5 or higher

*Applications must include a completed  FAFSAform

A brief essay regarding the applicant’s financial need, academic goals, how the scholarship will help to advance their educational goals,and what other financial aid (scholarships,loans,work study,etc.) have been awarded to the applicant.

 

Leslie V. Forte Scholarship

The Leslie V. Forte Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Leslie V. Forte who was the first African­ American faculty member in the English Department at the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Annandale Campus. The award will be given to a minority student attending NVCC. Scholarship awards will be made with consideration for involvement in community and extracurricular activities and academic achievement at NVCC.

Amount:$2,000

Criteria: Full-time students at NVCC

GPA of 2.5 or better

Demonstrated involvement in community and extra­ curricular activities

Minority  student – African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic,Pacific Islander,American Indian, Eskimo,or Aleut origin

Required essay of 250 words or more describing reasons for attending college and emphasizing future academic and career goals. Assistance in editing the essay may be obtained from the Writing Centers on each campus.

Applicants must be currently enrolled college students at Northern Virginia Community College.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents.

The New Message Center

The Student Information System (SIS) within MyNOVA has a new feature to increase communications between students and the College Financial Aid Office (CFAO). The “Message Center” allows the financial aid office to provide direct communications to financial aid applicants. These messages will range from updates on the application processing cycle to important actions students need to take to keep their applications moving.
Accessing the Message Center is quite simple. Within the SIS, use the following Navigation: Main Menu > Self Service> Student Center > Click on the Message Center hyperlink (in the Student Communication Center). Once you have accessed the Message Center, you will be able to view received messages which can be read via hyperlink. Students will have the ability to archive old messages, yet still have the ability to access archived messages at a later date as well.
The College Financial Aid Office will be using the message center to give students increased awareness of the financial aid application process and other important information. Messages are pertinent for the student and applicable to the student’s financial aid application. Be sure to log in and access the message center today. For additional information and screenshots, click here. – Message Center – Student View

FAFSA Changes for 2017–18

Reprinted from Dept. of Education at: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/fafsa-changes

On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) process that will impact millions of students. Starting next year, students will be able to do the following:

  • Submit a FAFSA® Earlier:  Students will be able to file a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year. (There is NO CHANGE to the 2016–17 schedule, when the FAFSA will become available January 1 as in previous years.)
  • Use Earlier Income Information: Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students will report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2017–18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2015 income information, rather than their 2016 income information.

If you’d like more details about the upcoming changes, you may read the following informational pieces from the U.S. Department of Education.

Complete College Planning Calendar

Going to college is one of the biggest decisions that people make. Not only is it a choice that influences everything from social circles to careers, it’s also often the largest financial investment a person will make following the purchase of a home. College requires extensive preparation: money needs to be saved, good grades earned, and schools evaluated. It’s a lot to do, but spread out over four-years of high school, it’s undoubtedly doable. The important thing is to anticipate and meet the major milestones. To that end, here are the key dates to watch out for.

Check out the Complete College Planning Calendar here.

FSA ID Resources

To further assist you in your outreach, particularly with the 2016–17 FAFSA application, we have attached a number of FSA ID resources for your use:

Additional Resources

FSA ID website: https://fsaid.ed.gov

FSA ID Q&A: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/pub/faq.htm

How to Create an FSA ID

The first step to applying for federal student aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or the FAFSA®). Before you fill out your FAFSA watch this video to learn how to create an FSA ID―a username and password― that replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN.

You will need an FSA ID to electronically sign and submit your FAFSA, as well as to make any needed corrections later. And if you are a dependent student, your parent will need his or her own FSA ID, too.

Do not allow someone to create your FSA ID for you, and you should not create one for someone else. Not even for a family member. This can cause problems with your financial aid down the road.

Check out this video for helpful information about creating an FSA ID and filling out the FAFSA, and for more resources, visit http://StudentAid.gov/fsaid.

 

 

 

Financial Aid Newsletter – GREENBACK (Dec_2015)

Financial Aid Newsletter – GREENBACK

Check out the latest issue of The Financial Aid GREENBACK, our quarterly Financial Aid newsletter. This issue: Default Prevention/Responsible Borrowing,  CashCourse Contest winners selected, the New Financial Avenue, financial literacy tool, and more. This newsletter is designed to help students and staff members stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the world of financial aid.

Questions and Answers: Financial Aid and Undocumented Students

The questions and answers that follow provide information about student financial aid for undocumented students (sometimes referred to as “Dreamers”) as well as guidance for a specific subgroup of undocumented students who have received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). We have grouped the questions and answers into three categories: General Information, Eligibility for Financial Aid, and Completing the FAFSA. See the financial-aid-and-undocumented-students.

Scholarship Application Workshop

The Woodbridge Financial & Administrative Services along with the AC&H English Department will be holding a scholarship application workshop on Monday, September 21, 2015 from 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm and Tuesday, September 22, 2015 from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm in room WAS 223. Join them to learn how to locate scholarships. Writing professors will be available to guide you in writing your applications and provide feedback. Click here for more information.

FAFSA Links and Assistance

Below are links to some of the FSA publications and sites for the FSA ID. If you or your parents do not find the answers below, you can always call the FSA ID helpline at (800) 557-7394.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid

What is FSA ID?

http://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/050415FSAIDReplaceHowToCreateFSAIDGuideATTACH.pdf

How to Create an FSA ID

https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

Create or Edit your FSA ID

https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/FSAIDfaq01.htm

FSA ID FAQs – Forgot Username or Password