Greetings Class of 2024!

Over the winter break, the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) opened and are now available to submit. The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for a variety of aid including federal, state, and school-based, as well as
grants and scholarships. Please use THIS CHECKLIST to ensure that you are prepared to fill out FAFSA or CADAA and to verify which one of the two financial aid applications you should complete: FAFSA or CADAA.

Although the FAFSA/CADAA are due April 2nd, 2024, the sooner you complete the FAFSA or CADAA the better, as some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit Studentaid.gov to begin the FAFSA application or visit Dream.csac.ca.gov to begin the CADAA application.

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION WORKSHOPS

• The California Student Aid Commission is hosting various online Financial Aid Workshops to help with applications. Check out their free resources and sign up for a free webinar HERE.
• Da Vinci School Counselors usually host a Parent Financial Aid Workshop Night in which we cover the steps of filling out the FAFSA. Our Parent Financial Aid Workshop Night will happen this semester and we are working on finalizing a date. Expect an update soon!

If you need assistance or have questions, please reach out to Ms. Aldrete (maldrete@davincischools.org), Ms. Thomas (athomas@davincischools.org) or Mr. Jackson (cjackson@davincischools.org). We are here to support you and your child through this important process.

Thank you for your support and engagement,

Your DVC College and Career Readiness Team

Good morning Juniors and Seniors,

We’re in the final stretch of Fall Semester! For this upcoming Spring semester, Da Vinci is offering three dual enrollment courses. 2 of these courses are asynchronous online, and one is in-person at our Da Vinci Schools Campus (Room # TBD) on Mondays & Wednesdays from 3:00 pm- 4:25 pm. Course details are listed below:

Who:   Juniors and Seniors from DVC, DVD, and DVS. Based on academic performance and review, 10th grade students are able to take COMS 100. Check with your school counselor to see if you’re eligible.

What: College courses at Da Vinci, through El Camino College. Courses meet transfer requirements for most Cal State and U.C. campuses, as well as most private colleges and universities.

Why:   Get a start on your college credits! It looks great on your college applications. (Dual Enrollment classes do not count towards high school credits)

Cost:   Free! The state of California and Da Vinci Schools pick up the costs, including textbook fees. Donations to help cover the cost of the textbooks from families that can are appreciated.

Where: Classes will be held virtually on the El Camino College student portal (Canvas & MyECC), or they will be in-person in a DVC/DVD/DVS classroom.

If you are interested, make sure you apply to El Camino College Spring 2024 term and turn in the attached completed dual enrollment form with your student ID number and/or the application confirmation number to Ms. Aldrete by Friday, February 2nd, 2024.

To be eligible to take a dual enrollment class, the student will need to pass all their academic classes, have no credit recovery for a-g classes, and be a rising senior or junior student. Space is limited and we are accepting forms on a first come first serve basis!

If interested in signing up for the following classes, please schedule an appointment with Ms. Aldrete via Calendly before 1/25/24:

https://calendly.com/aldretedvc

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For more information click on the following links:

Applying to El Camino College

Do I Need to Apply Again?

Application for Admission Help

Dual Enrollment Application

Da Vinci Schools will be closed for Winter Break December 22nd through January 8th. The El Camino College Dual Enrollment office is able to assist Monday-Friday from 9:00 am- 5:00 pm.

Good luck on your POLs!

Ms. Aldrete

College and Career Counselor

Good morning Senior Families,

November 30th was the application priority deadline for UC applications and most CSU applications.  There are a number of CSU campuses that are continuing to accept applications and a list can be found here.  Students can also apply to UC Merced until January 15, 2024.

Other highlights: 

• Community College: Applications are open! Most students submitted Community College applications during our “Press Submit Event”.  In the spring, we will continue to submit Community College applications during our College & Career Readiness Class and we will take prospective seniors to El Camino College and Santa Monica College to help them complete the enrollment process.
• Private Universities: Many seniors submitted their applications during the months of November and December.  Some seniors are still working through their private university applications via the Common App as some are due on January 2024.
• University Portals: Once applications are submitted, many universities will require students to create a portal.  Portals are the main method of communication for many universities.  Please encourage your student to keep a close eye on their email, including spam, to access important information from prospective universities.

Financial Aid Update: 

The Department of Education just announced that the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available by December 31, 2023.  We encourage you to create an FSA ID, which allows you to digitally sign the FAFSA, prior to the launch. Both student and at least one parent need FSA IDs. Financial aid updates and resources are below:

• Create an FSA ID – it takes 2-3 to process so creating one now will allow you to start the FAFSA when it opens. Student and one parent should create a FSA ID.

• Changes to the FAFSA (video)
• The California Student Aid Commission announced that the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), financial aid application for undocumented students, will be launch at the same time as the FAFSA.
• Complete the CSS Profile,  if applicable.  The CSS Profile is used by private universities.  Here is the list for participating schools. Please check each university’s financial aid website for CSS and FAFSA deadlines as they vary.
• Any scholarships are announced via College and Career Readiness Canvas.  Below is a list of scholarships with upcoming deadlines:

• 1. Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – due 12/15/23
  2. Edison Scholars – due 1/23/24
  3. Equitable Excellence Scholarship Program– due 12/18/23

Deadlines for FAFSA/CADAA:

• University of California: March 2, 2024
• Cal State University: April 2, 2024
• Private Universities: Check each university site as deadlines vary

USC Pre-College Programs

Application for High School Programs

The online application for the USC Summer 2024 Program is NOW OPEN!

USC Summer Programs offers current high school freshmen, sophomore and junior students a preview of “freshmen year” through their college immersion experience. Students explore Los Angeles as a laboratory for cultural learning beyond the traditional classroom. Their programs are designed to combine college level course work, academic field trips, and structured extracurricular activities.

USC Summer Programs offers 4-week courses in a variety of subjects from which students choose one course for intense study. Courses are interactive, engaging, and challenging, and students receive 3 units of transferrable USC elective credit upon successful completion. Students can choose from courses in the following subject areas:

• Architecture
• Business
• Engineering & Info Tech
• Global Studies
• Communication & Journalism
• Performing Arts
• Pre-Health/Science
• Pre-Law
• Writing & Critical Thinking.

To find out more about the program, visit the USC Summer Program website HERE.

Happy Sunday DVC,

Here are the list of college/career reps that will be visiting DVC during lunch this upcoming week:

• Tuesday, November 7th @ 11:45 am: U.S. Army

All college/career rep visits will take place in Mr. Jackson’s room (3203), and no sign-ups are required to attend. Students are able to grab lunch after the presentation as I will give out excuse slips to extend their lunch time.

DVC Students of all grade levels (9-12) can attend these rep visits.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me or stop by my office,

Ms. Aldrete

maldrete@davincischools.org

College & Career Counselor