Please encourage your students and families to attend our College Fair at Plymouth State University (PSU) in the Hartman Union Building from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registration is not required to attend this.

With your high school juniors beginning their college search process, you might be looking for tools to use in your counseling process. Check out this list of resources we are happy to provide.

Book your College Overview for Juniors Night ‑ Click here to schedule your junior night presentation. We are available to present these before your academic year ends ‑ even in May or June!

Downloadable Curriculum ‑ School counselors and/or teachers can download curriculum such as The Write Stuff, Understanding the Common Application, Destination ‑ Where Students Meet Their Future and Put Your Best Face Forward to share with students in small groups or classroom settings. This curriculum covers topics such as creating a resume, writing the college essay, how to create an appropriate list of colleges to explore and how to avoid overexposure on social media. For more information and to download curriculum click here.

College Guru's Suggested Timeline ‑ This guide could be used with freshmen, sophomore and juniors as a guide to the college planning process. Use this timeline as a guide when counseling your juniors and print a copy for students to take with them.

On February 22, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) announced the launch of Granite Guarantee, a program designed to expand access and increase affordability for Pell‑eligible students accepted to our state's flagship university for the Fall of 2017. This program guarantees all full‑time, first‑year New Hampshire students receiving Federal Pell Grants will pay no tuition to attend the university's Durham and Manchester campuses.

According to UNH's website, first‑year New Hampshire students who receive Federal Pell Grants in their UNH financial aid awards will automatically receive the Granite Guarantee. The commitment remains in place for four years, provided the student is enrolled full‑time, remains Pell eligible and makes satisfactory progress toward their degree. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at the University of New Hampshire at 603.862.3600.

For the first time, students will be able to take the SAT^® and SAT Subject Tests^™ on Saturday, August 26. Taking the exam in the summer is great news for juniors because it allows them time to meet early application deadlines and focus on classwork as they begin their senior year. Talk with your students about testing in August; registration opens in late April.

Remember you can help your students prepare for the SAT by using resources found here.

Did you know over 70% of youth in foster care want to go to college? What they know is that any postsecondary education can mean more money, more job options, and more freedom. We have recently updated our YouTube presentation which covers the basics of college admissions and financial aid for youth-in-care and unaccompanied youth. In addition, our website has resources you may find helpful when with working with students and colleagues.

Looking for professional development opportunities? The Center for College Planning is offering two workshops this spring for school counseling professionals. Join us on April 7th for Exploring New Hampshire's Concurrent Enrollment Programs. Did you know that there are many NH high school students graduating from high school with their Associate Degree completed? Representatives from the Running Start and eStart programs will share information about ways students can earn college credit while completing their high school coursework (and save money while doing so). Do you have students who are looking for the most cost effective and streamlined way to complete their college degree? Professionals from the University System of New Hampshire's NH Transfer and DualNH programs will share their expertise regarding these exciting opportunities for NH students.

On Wednesday, May 10th, NHHEAF will host part two of our discussion regarding the new FAFSA initiatives implemented on October 1, 2016. In May of 2016, a panel of financial aid and admission professionals shared their insight, answered attendee questions and discussed the changes aimed at increasing the number of high school seniors applying for financial aid. “Early FAFSA” and “Prior Prior Year” ‑ The Year in Review is a follow-up discussion to review, one year later, how these initiatives affected this year's college admissions and financial aid processes for students and families, school counselors and postsecondary education institutions.

We will announce our trainings for the 2017‑2018 academic year, including a School Counselor 101 training day for new counselors, soon! For more information or to register for one of NHHEAF's school counselor workshops click here.

Are your students asking you for more information about scholarship opportunities to help pay for their college education? Point them to www.goodcall.com/scholarships. This site allows students to search the database of more than 6,500 scholarships based upon criteria such as gender, ethnicity, intended major, level of education and location, among others. There is more than fifteen million dollars in scholarship awards available. The site is easy to use and students do not need to create a profile to search the database.