CC@PCS! Tuesday Edition, V.1, E.20 – 2/14/2023 – 10th & 11th GRADERS – Check out BIG FUTURES!

February 14, 2023

I love y’all, Bobcats! Happy Love Day!

Today’s edition is a doozie and involves quite a bit of reading…but it could result in MONEY FOR COLLEGE if you are in 10th or 11th grade. Please take a minute to read through the description of Big Futures as you can earn entries in monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships by completing simple steps to plan for life after high school.

Every month, BigFuture will award hundreds of $500 scholarships and two $40,000 scholarships until February of your senior year. The scholarships awarded by BigFuture can be used at two and four year institutions. These drawings will continue throughout the next two years, so sign up NOW if you are in 10th or 11th grade!

Students should…

Create an account if they do not already have one (from AP Classes) or log in to your College Board account created for your AP classes.

Complete activities planning for college. By completing these activities, you are entered in a drawing EVERY MONTH to win money for college. It sounds gimmicky, but the objective is clear: get students to plan for college so that they make more informed decisions about college.

Here’s where they can sign in to start the process: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/bigfuture-scholarships

HOW TO ENTER!

Step 1: Eligible Students who wish to enter should create a College Board account or link an existing College Board account (“Student Account” or “Account”), at bigfuture.collegeboard.org (the “Website” or the “Site”).

Step 2: Eligible Students may complete one or more of the following activities to be entered into drawings. By completing each step, students will automatically earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships:

Step 1. Start a Career List: Start a career list on BigFuture (bigfuture.collegeboard.org) with at least three (3) careers saved between December 5, 2022, and February 28, 2025. Eligibility for monthly drawings will close at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on the last day of each month from January 31, 2023 to February 28, 2025. Students will earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month when they save three (3) or more careers on their career list. Unselected entries in a drawing period will automatically roll over to the next drawing period. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
Step 2. Build Your College List: Build a college list on BigFuture (bigfuture.collegeboard.org) with at least six (6) schools between December 5, 2022 and June 30, 2024. Eligibility for monthly drawings will close at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on the last day of each month from January 31, 2022 to June 30, 2024. Students will earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month they create and save their college list with six (6) schools on it. Unselected entries in a drawing period will automatically roll over to the next drawing period. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
Step 3. Start Your Scholarship List: Save three or more scholarships on a scholarship list on BigFuture (bigfuture.collegeboard.org) between July 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025. Eligibility for monthly drawings will close at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on the last day of each month from July 31, 2024 to February 28, 2025. Students will earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month when they complete prompts to access the list of scholarships. Unselected entries in a drawing period will automatically roll over to the next drawing period. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
Step 4. Strengthen Your College List: Create or edit a college list on BigFuture (bigfuture.collegeboard.org) so that it has a minimum of one (1) “safety,” two (2) “match,” and three (3) “reach” colleges between July 1, 2024 and October 31, 2024. Students must save their college list. Eligibility for monthly drawings will close at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on the last day of each month from July 31, 2024 to October 31, 2024. Students will earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month when they create and save their college list with the minimum “safety,” “match,” and “reach” colleges specified above. Unselected entries in a drawing period will automatically roll over to the next drawing period. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
Step 5. Complete the FAFSA: With the assistance of a parent or legal guardian, as necessary, students must complete and submit the FAFSA between October 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025. Eligibility for monthly drawings will close at 11:59:59 PM EST on the last day of each month from October 31, 2024 to February 28, 2025. If the student is not a citizen or does not meet the residency requirements and is thus legally ineligible to complete the FAFSA, the student can still earn an entry by completing their state’s financial aid form, if available. If the student’s state does not offer a state financial aid form or if the student is also legally ineligible to complete their state’s financial aid form, by so attesting, the student may still earn an entry for this step. Students will earn one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month when they confirm their submission of the FAFSA or the state financial aid form. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
Step 6. Apply to Colleges: Apply to at least two (2) colleges between October 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025. Eligibility for this drawing will close at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on February 28, 2025. Student will earns one (1) entry for $500 Scholarships and one (1) entry for $40,000 Scholarships in the month that they submit the second of their two (2) college applications. If student applied to a college through binding Early Decision, they may indicate that within the site and still earn an entry for this step. Unselected entries in a drawing period will automatically roll over to the next drawing period. Limit: Two (2) entries (one for $40,000 Scholarship and one for $500 Scholarship) per student total.
THE SIX STEPS LOOK LIKE THIS once you create and account and set up your profile:

PRIZES!

$500 Scholarships: Seventy-five (75) winners per month from January 2023 to February 2025. Additional seventy five (75) winners per month from January 2023 to February 2025 will be selected among entrants who are Lower Income Students. Students may win more than one $500 Scholarship.

$40,000 Scholarships. One (1) winner per every two (2) months from January 2023 to January 2025. Additional one (1) winner per every two (2) months from February 2023 to February 2025 will be selected among entrants who are Lower Income Students. Limit: One $40,000 Scholarship per student. The odds of winning the $40,000 Scholarships for $500 Scholarship winners shall be the same as for other student entrants.

______________________________________________________________________________

DATES TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR!

2/17 – Ole Miss Accepted Student Day! Register: https://umiss.my.salesforce-sites.com/events/#/search

2/20 – STATE Freshman Preview Day! Register: https://goto.msstate.edu/portal/spring-preview-day

2/24 – Belhaven STEM Discovery Day!

3/1 – USM Priority Housing Deadline!

3/3 – Ole Miss Accepted Student Day!

3/4 – Ole Miss Saturday Visit Day!

3/7 – The Spring ACT @ PCS

3/25 – Going GOLD Day @ USM!

3/27 – STATE Freshman Preview Day! Register: https://goto.msstate.edu/portal/spring-preview-day

4/15 – National ACT Test