SAT

Starting with SAT registration for the 2018-2019 school year, students who take the SAT or the SAT Subject Tests with a fee waiver will be able to send their official score reports to as many institutions as they want ‑ for free. Currently, students eligible for an SAT Fee Waiver can send up to four score reports for free, in addition to the four free score sends they receive with registration‑for eight total. This change will apply to all income‑eligible students who take the SAT, whether they take it during a weekend national administration or through a School Day administration.

And starting in fall 2018, CSS Profile will also allow an unlimited number of CSS Profile applications for first‑time, domestic college applicants who take the SAT with a fee waiver or meet income‑eligibility criteria.

This new policy means that low‑income students can take the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests, apply to college, send their scores, and apply for financial aid for as many colleges as they choose, all for free. You can see more from SAT here.

ACT

Starting in September 2018, students from low-income families who take the ACT with fee waivers will be allowed to send ACT score reports for free to colleges and/or scholarship agencies at any time during their college search process.

Currently, students may elect to send their scores to up to four colleges or scholarship agencies for free during the registration process and up to five days after they take the test. After that point, the fee for each additional score report they send is $13.

ACT's new policy will waive that fee for students who register for the test with a fee waiver. The free score reports‑up to 20 for each test students take with a fee waiver ‑ will never expire, so students may use them whenever they wish. You can see more from ACT here.

During the 2017‑2018 academic year, the University of New Hampshire began guaranteeing free in-state tuition through the Granite Guarantee to first‑year New Hampshire students whose families qualify for need based federal Pell Grants. This program has expanded to include Keene State College and Plymouth State University for 2018‑2019. More information about this expansion can be found here.

Questions about the program? Please contact Marylynn Costa, Director of Shared Services Projects at USNH Partnerships and Shared Services via email at Marylynn.Costa@usnh.edu.

Each year, The Common Application staff conduct a review of the Essay Prompts with college admission offices, high school counselors, students and parents. They look to see if the current questions are effective and meeting the needs of both the writers and the readers of the essays.

This year, CommonApp found there was no need for changes in the questions and have decided to continue to use the same questions used this academic year. Click here, to see a list of the 2018‑2019 essay questions.

(Article provided by Dena Soled Johnson, Director of State and District Partnerships. The College Board)

Recognizing that the culture and practice of high-priced test preparation have the potential to drive inequality, the College Board is proud to partner with Khan Academy^® to provide free, world‑class online practice for all students. Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy creates a personalized plan for each student to prepare for the SAT^®, which includes thousands of interactive questions with instant feedback, video lessons, full‑length practice tests, and more. Each student has access to a plan built just for them. By linking their College Board and Khan Academy accounts, students are able to use their scores on the new SAT, PSAT/NMSQT^®, PSAT^™10, and PSAT^™8/9 to see what areas to focus on.

For the first time, there is equality of access to SAT preparation. Millions of students are already using Official SAT Practice. A little practice goes along way ‑ regardless of gender, race, income, or high school GPA. In fact, 20 hours on Official SAT Practice was associated with an average 115‑point increase from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT. Moreover, out of nearly 250,000 Official SAT Practice users from the class of 2017, more than 16,000 students gained200 points or more between the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT.

Did you know funding is available for students to take up to two (2) STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Running Start courses per year for FREE?

Once approved by local school boards, students in designated STEM and STEM related courses can be reimbursed for these Running Start courses after successful completion of the course by obtaining a final grade of C or better. Reimbursements will occur after final grades are verified.

What a great way to help students save money while earning college credit! Contact your school's Running Start Coordinator for more information.

Throughout the summer, CCP offers both a College Essay Workshop and College Admissions Boot Camp for rising seniors. These boot camp style workshops are designed to get students working on their college admission essay and application while taking advantage of professional guidance and feedback.

For dates and times of all our summer boot camps and to learn how to register, click here. Please share this link with your current juniors. Space is limited.

• Consider applying to any of our CCSNH colleges. They have rolling admission and accept applications throughout the spring and summer.
• Search for a four‑year college that is still accepting students. After May 1st, visit nacacnet.org to see a full list of colleges across the country still accepting students for Fall 2018.
• Students looking for free money to assist with a two‑year degree can apply for a scholarship through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation through June 15th.
• Still need to file a FAFSA? It is not too late. CCP is still filing FAFSAs. We take appointments throughout spring and summer to provide free filing assistance to any student looking to start college in the Fall of 2018.

Are you looking for programming to deliver to your students as the school year winds down? How about one or two of our college awareness, admissions, or financial aid programs? Each year, school counselors from across the state utilize our free curriculum to help students plan for college! Many of your favorite CCP classroom presentations are available for K‑12 students. See (and download) all of our programs here. PowerPoint presentations, detailed lesson plans and applicable handouts and NHHEAF giveaways are provided to guide you and make your program a success!