WHAT IS COLLEGE?
College is any education beyond high school that leads to financial stability. It can be a four-year degree, a two-year degree, a certificate in career and technical education, or beyond.
Plan for College
- Track your progress and timeline for your college journey in writing.
- Learn and memorize your social security number.
- Create a professional email address. (Do not use your high school email).
- Set up a professional voicemail greeting and delete old messages.
- Start documenting your extracurricular activities, community service, work experience, and academic achievements for your high school resume.
- Prepare for the ACT®.
- Visit our ACT® Prep page to access workshops and resources.
Prepare for College
- Find the college or university that is the right fit for you.
- Explore the various types of colleges.
- Research the cost of attendance at the colleges you’re interested in.
- Identify potential career paths and majors associated with them.
- Take the O*NET Interest Profiler through My Next Move to find your career interests and major.
- Take the ACT®.
- Make a list of three to five top colleges or universities that interest you.
- Apply for admission to colleges on your list during senior year.
- Use the Net Price Calculator found on your top college’s website to find the estimated cost of attendance to prepare to apply for aid.
Pay for College
- Federal Aid
- Create a studentaid.gov account (FSA ID) for the student during senior year of high school and parent(s) if parent does not already have one.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after October 1 each year.
- State Aid
- Complete the Mississippi Aid Application (MAAPP) after October 1 each year.
- Institutional Aid
- Identify the various scholarships at your top institutions and take note of the different deadlines.
- Outside Aid
- Visit the Get2College Scholarship Search Tool to find a comprehensive list of national, statewide, and local private scholarships.
- Learn more about each of the four types of financial aid available in Mississippi on our website!
Finalize the Process
- Have you maximized your potential with your ACT® score?
- Visit our ACT® Prep page on our website to access workshops and resources to help increase your score.
- You may be eligible for fee waivers to take the ACT® again. See your high school counselor for more.
- Rank the college(s) you have been accepted to including the total cost, and financial aid or scholarships offered.
- If you plan to live on campus, complete your institution’s housing application and submit a deposit by the deadline.
- Complete your institution’s required immunizations and submit documentation.
- Request your final high school transcript be sent to your institution.
- If dual enrollment courses have been taken, request your transcript to be sent to your top college(s).
- Register for orientation and familiarize yourself with the other enrollment needs and student services.
- Accept your financial aid award package.
