OKcollegestart - Financial Aid Timeline

Financial Aid Planning Timeline

8th Grade

Start your scholarship search. Scholarships are called "free money" because they don't have to be paid back! They're given to students based on financial need, talents or life experience. Your counselor will have information about scholarships available in your area. You can start to apply for scholarships right now if you do some research for eligible programs. Check out the scholarship pages on OKcollegestart, and visit UCanGo2.org to find more scholarship links and resources.	Find Scholarships Scholarship Search
Study hard! Make sure you use good study habits and keep your grades up.	Successful Study Techniques
Socialize. Are you involved in any clubs, special interest or service groups? Find a group that sparks your talents and interests. Keep track of your extracurricular activities and volunteer work for college scholarship applications.
Save away. When you get extra money for work, birthdays or holidays, stash some of it away in your savings account for future college expenses. See OklahomaMoneyMatters.org for savings ideas and money management tools. Sign up for a college savings account from Oklahoma's 529 college savings plan, Oklahoma529.com, or continue to add money to an existing account. It's generally best to keep most savings in your parent's name.	College Savings Calculator
Make courses count. Start thinking about the courses you'll take in 9th grade. Choose challenging classes that will give you a head start for high school and college. Learn more about graduation and college entrance requirements at UCanGo2.org.	Plan of Study
Visit a college campus. Many colleges now offer virtual tours. Find a list of the Oklahoma tours on the Explore Schools page.	Explore Schools
Stay motivated. Look into participating in academic enrichment programs, summer workshops and camps with specialty focuses such as music, arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).	Summer STEM Academies
Counselors, teachers, parents and friends are all good sources of information. Ask them any questions you have about attending college or a career technology center, in addition to doing research on your own.	Postsecondary School Profiles
Sign up. Don't miss out on this opportunity to earn free college tuition at an Oklahoma college or career technology center. Eligibility criteria is listed below. Qualifying students can sign up between 8th grade and December 31 of the senior year. You may also qualify if your parent or guardian is an Oklahoma public school teacher. Talk to your school counselor or visit OKPromise.org to learn more.	Oklahoma's Promise

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