FAFSA Information

All parents of students attending college in the fall should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after October 1st. Complete it as early as possible. You will need to register for a pin number to sign the FAFSA electronically. Visit the FSA ID website to apply for a pin and the Federal Student Aid website to complete the FAFSA.

Cal Grant Information

There are three kinds of CAL Grants: Cal Grant A; Cal Grant B; and Cal Grant C. Cal Grants can be used at any UC, CSU, California Community College, almost all independent colleges, and many career and technical schools in California.

To be eligible for a Cal Grant you must:

• Submit a FAFSA application.
• Meet minimum GPA requirements (Your GPA will automatically be submitted to the California Student Aid Commission by LHHS per Assembly Bill 2160)
• Be a US Citizen
• Be a California Resident
• Have a Social Security Number
• Attend a qualifying CALIFORNIA college
• Have financial need based on your college costs and your EFC (Expected Family Contribution)
• Be in a program leading to an undergraduate degree or certificate
• Be enrolled at least half time

To find out more about the Cal Grant program please visit Cal Grants.

 

The California Dream Act Application allows students interested in attending eligible California Colleges, Universities, and Career Education Programs to apply for state financial aid. 

 

CSS Profile Information

If you're applying to private colleges anywhere in the United States and also applying for financial aid, fill out the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. Visit the College Board website to see a list of the colleges requiring the CSS Profile as well as to apply.

Please review the other tabs within this section for additional information.

A number of colleges have developed financial aid policies that limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, reducing costs for students and families. See the link below for a list of colleges (2010) that limit loans or replace loans with grants. Click on "the bottom line" and "quick summary" icons to see the best outline and compare colleges.

• List of Schools and Pledges

If you need help with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), the financial aid department at Saddleback College has help available every Wednesday from 4-6 pm in its Career Center. Students can attend alone or with parents. Parents cannot attend without a student. This resource is available to students going to ANY college next year, whether Saddleback or not.

Financial Aid Assistance at Saddleback College (doc)

While you're looking for scholarships and other ways to fund a college education, it is important to exhaust all of the other available resources. Below you will find some links that provide valuable tips about financing your future...

How much money is my family expected to contribute to my college education?

Financial aid is intended to fill the gap between the cost of a college education and what a family is expected to contribute toward that cost. For example, if a family is expected to contribute $7,000 per year and the cost to attend the student's selected university is $35,000, the financial aid package will cover the remainging $28,000. If your expected family contribution is $7,000 and you'll be attending a community college for less than that cost, your financial aid package may be slim to none. The types of financial aid include: grants (free money), loans (money that has to be paid back), and work study (income earned through a job on campus). Use the "net cost calculator" or "net price calculator" on each college's website to ESTIMATE what your expected family contribution will be. All colleges are also supposed to have a Net Cost Calculator or Net Price Calculator on their websites. This will give you an idea of how much money from your family, savings, work, and/or scholarships that you will need to come up with in order to fund your college education. Nothing is final until your FAFSA (see below) with very detailed information is processed. The categories include grants (free money), loans (money that has to be paid back after graduation), and work study (income earned through a job on campus). Scholarships from the colleges may also be included as part of your financial aid package.

Federal Website with a Wealth of Information

• Financial Aid Toolkit - This site has a wealth of information

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

All Seniors should fill out the FAFSA. This form, once you fill it out completely and send it off, gives the government finance people a chance to review your financial needs and to offer you some options regarding your eligibility for different types of aid. It is an intense application that needs to be completed by your parents using their tax return information. The FAFSA can be submitted between October 1st and March 2nd of your senior year. Visit the following website to get started:

• FAFSA
• FAFSA ID

If you follow all the steps related to the FAFSA, you will receive a financial aid package that will detail the financial aid for which you qualify. The categories include grants (free money), loans (money that has to be paid back), and work study (income earned through a job on campus). Grants can come from the federal government or from California. Federal grants will be included in the financial aid package based on the information included on your FAFSA.

CSS PROFILE

Some private schools will require you to fill out the PROFILE in addition to the FAFSA. This is used to find financial info that is not provided on the FAFSA. The PROFILE has different due dates depending on the college so check your college/university financial aid websites to determine if this is required and when it is due. The PROFILE can be found at the following website:

• CSS Financial Aid Profile

CAL GRANT

Students who may possibly attend a 2 or 4 year college in California should apply for a Cal Grant. There are specific GPA/income/family size criteria to qualify but typically it covers the cost tuition to a CA public college. You must submit the FAFSA in order to be considered for a Cal Grant.

• CA Student Aid Commission

For other information regarding federal aid and scholarships, review these sites:

• Financial Aid Toolkit
• U.S Department of Education Financial Aid
• College Scholarships
• FastWeb
• FinAid
• Quest Bridge
• Cappex

Don't forget to check the scholarship page regularly for new scholarships. They come in all shapes in sizes with varying criteria.

 

SVUSD will host a virtual Financial Aid Night on Thursday, October 14th starting at 6:00pm.

Click here for details on how to register: bit.ly/3u3g5bL

Scholarship List

The attached Google document contains a list of corporate scholarships for students to apply.

LHHS Scholarships Google Doc

Students are encouraged to register for one or more scholarship directories to help elevate and manage their scholarship search.  Click on the links below and register today!

Big Future

Cappex

Fast Web

Fin Aid

Going Merry

Unigo

Scholarships.com

Sallie Mae Paying for College Resources

Most University of California campuses offer campus based scholarships for prospective undergraduate students.  Click on the links below for the Financial Aid/Scholarship Office for each of the University of California campuses:

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

Most California State University campuses offer campus based scholarships for prospective undergraduate students.  Click on the links below for the Financial Aid/Scholarship Office and explore the scholarship/grant opportunities available for prospective undergraduate students:

California State University, Fullerton

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, San Luis Obispo

California State University, San Marcos

San Diego State

Clink on the links below to explore the different financial aid available at our local community colleges:

Orange Coast College

Irvine Valley College

Saddleback College

Class of 2024

Class of 2024 Senior Scholarships

The PTSA, LHHS Alumni, and other local scholarship applications are now open.  Click on the buttons below to complete the application.  As always, remember to read the eligibility requirements carefully to make sure you are eligible.  Winners will be announced at the Senior Awards Night in May.  See Mr. Van Dyke in the Guidance Office if you have any questions.

PTSA Scholarship Applications (Click Links Below)

Service Scholarship

Creative Student Scholarship

Hawk Inspiration Scholarship

Occupational Award Scholarship

Senior of the Year Scholarship

Working Student Scholarship

 

LHHS Alumni Scholarship Applications (Click Links Below)

Hawk Service Scholarship

Sally Van Buskirk Memorial Scholarship

 

Other Local Scholarships

Laguna Hills Chamber of Commerce Scholarship

Mission Viejo Activities Committee (MVAC) Scholarship

Catherine Fish Memorial Scholarship (Female Seniors only)

Capo Valley Republican Women Federated Scholarships

Kenneth Samuel Chiu Memorial Scholarship

The Patrick "Patty" Turner Memorial Scholarship  (For students planning on attending Community College or Vocational/Trade School in the Fall of 2024).

The Rotary Club of Mission Viejo Scholarship

The Saddleback Valley Education Foundation Dr. Walter Cascell Scholarship

Junior League of Orange County, California Scholarship

Assistance League of Saddleback Valley Scholarship

2024 PLV Scholarship