Juniors and Seniors are required to attend a total of 3 Crosby Jr/Sr Academies (CSA), prior to January 31st of the students Senior Year.  Each student must complete at least 1 during junior year, however, if the student chooses to complete 4 academies during their junior year, they will be complete with their senior year requirement.  This gives students the flexibility to attend the sessions they think will be most valuable based on their post-secondary path. 

Crosby Scholars offers Jr/Sr Academies year round.  Virtual and In-Person Options are available.  Students who use more than one session, tend to be more successful in achieving their goals.  All Academies are free to the student.  However, Crosby Scholars spends resources providing sessions. 

Suggested Topics for Junior Year

• Test Prep (ACT & SAT)
• Career Exploration
• YouScience Apptitude Evaluation
• College 101 - What you want from College and how to create your list.
• Resume Writing - Crafting an Activities List
• Essay Writing

Suggested Topics for Senior Year

• CommonApp Workshop
• Essay Writing
• Understanding Financial Aid
• How to Read a Financial Aid Award Letter
• FAFSA 
• Registering for College Classes

Online registration is required through the Crosby Scholars Student Portal. Within a few days following an academy, student can check their Academy status through their student portal. 

• Plan wisely in order to complete this requirement-- Students must complete 3 sessions by January 31st of the students senior year.  
• To receive credit for attending an academy, scholars must: arrive on time, sign in, stay for the entire academy, and submit a confirmation of attendance at the end. Scholars who skip any of the steps to this process DO NOT receive academy credit. 
• Students who register for an academy but do not attend and do not cancel their registration prior to the event will jeopardize their status in the Program and their ability to attend more exclusive events. 
• Read the special instructions listed in the Crosby Scholars Student Portal on accessing a webinar academy.

When attending Virtual session please follow Zoom Meeting Guidelines.

Watch your Student Portal for opportunities to complete the Senior Academy requirement.  We will be offering a variety of online, self-paced, recorded, and live zoom meetings.  

Click Community Service Form 2022-23 to complete an online community service form for the 2022-23 school year!

2022-23 Deadlines:

Grades 11 - 12:  January 31, 2023

Crosby Scholars are required to complete two hours of community service, although five are recommended. Scholars must submit a form documenting their hours.

Scholars who completed the Crosby Scholars Program during the previous school year may count hours volunteered after the previous year's deadline, including summer volunteer hours, toward the following school year's requirement.

Community service must be performed with a non-profit agency or be an activity that benefits a non-profit agency. The volunteer commitment can be fulfilled through scouts, school clubs, civic organizations, and/or certain church activities. While membership in a club or organization does not count as service, volunteering in the community in a club-sponsored activity does. For example, being a member of a youth choir doesn't count, but singing at a nursing home with the choir qualifies as service hours. If you have questions about whether your community service idea meets the requirement for the Program, please contact Crosby Scholars at 704.873.5005. Crosby Scholars Program staff reserves the right to determine if a community service activity fulfills our requirement. 

List & Links to Spring College Fairs 2023

Feb 19, March 18 & April 23, 2023 - NACAC Virtual College Fair

Feb 22. 2023 - HBCU Virtual event - Showcase

March 1, 2023 - In Person - Black College Expo -- Charlotte NC March 1, 2023

March 14, 2023 - In Person - Colleges That Change Lives - Charlotte, NC 

March 19, 2023 - In Person - NACAC College Fair - Charlotte, NC

College Fair/College Visit Requirement:

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS

 It is important to research your list of colleges.  Students are required to explore 4 colleges.  We encourage you to participate in In-Person or VIRTUAL college tours offered by most colleges and universities.  Colleges are also offering Zoom, Instagram, Facebook, and other sessions as a way to learn about their school. Click here to complete the college visit form. 

When you have completed your visits and research into 4 schools, please complete this google form to get credit for this requirement.  Due by August 30, 2023, for the Class of 2024.

To fulfill the college fair/college visit requirement, Crosby Scholars must speak with four college admission reps about their respective schools. Students typically fulfill this requirement by attending one college fair and submitting a college fair form during their sophomore year, junior year, or senior year; however, juniors and seniors may fulfill this requirement by visiting four college campuses.  

The most popular way to fulfill this requirement is to attend the local college fair.  

NACAC offers In-Person & Virtual Options.  Visit their site for details.

Spring 2023 Virtual College Fairs

CACRAO is offers a college fair in Iredell County during the month of October each year.  Crosby Scholars and Your Guidance Team should have information. 

The JR/Sr Program publishes 2 monthly newsletters, one called destinationcollege2023 & the other Junior Newsletter. They are published monthly for Crosby Scholars in the Class of 2023 & 2024 to keep them informed of activities, deadlines, and announcements. Each newsletter offers appropriate advice and assistance for a specific month. Newsletters are posted on this website and in the Crosby Scholars student portal.  The link to the newsletter is e-mailed to senior parents and Senior Advisors.

Jr Newsletter - August                                           destinationcollege2023-- August

Jr Newsletter - September                                     destinationcollege2023 -- September "Scholarships"

Jr Newsletter - October                                         destinationcollege2023 -- October

Jr Newsletter - November                                     destinationcollege2023 -  November

Jr Newsletter - December                                     destinationcollege2023 - December

Jr Newsletter - January                                         destinationcollege2023-- January

Jr Newsletter - February                                       destinationcollege2023 - February - 

Jr Newsletter - March                                           destinationcollege2023 -- March - "Making Decision"

Jr Newsletter - April                                             destinationcollege2023-- April - "Senior Gala Info"

Jr Newsletter - May                                              destinationcollege2023-- 

The key to the college admission process is to stay organized.  Seniors should maintain a calendar and follow the timelines below.  Seniors will receive a monthly reminder in their student portal to follow the timeline. Each month beginning in August, we will post a timeline to guide you through the month's activities. This guide will help you to stay organized. 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships.  The Crosby Scholars Program offers several scholarships and awards.  As each scholarship application becomes available, it is posted in the Crosby senior portal.   Read each description carefully for instructions on applying, including what documents to upload.

Crosby/Mitchell Scholarship - Video Link with Details! 

Last Dollar Grant.  The Crosby Scholars Last Dollar Grant is need-based financial aid. Scholars must demonstrate not only financial need but also remaining need after the school of choice has awarded aid.  For more information, go to the Last Dollar Grant tab on this page.

Other scholarships.  Students can begin by researching institutional scholarships offered at the colleges where they plan to apply.  The financial aid web page of every college lists scholarships unique to their school and the qualifications necessary for consideration.  Crosby Scholars provides a link to the scholarship page of all colleges in North Carolina and lists them in the senior portal as well.  Students applying to schools in other states can easily locate this information on their web pages.

Every high school in the Iredell Statesville School System has a school counselor designated to serve as the scholarship coordinator.  Seniors should make sure they know who is in charge of scholarships and how to access their high school's scholarship newsletter.  High schools provide information on local, state, and national scholarships.

FINANCIAL AID

The first step to applying for financial aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which opens online October 1 annually.  It is important to submit the FAFSA as early as possible.  Every college has a priority filing deadline for filing the FAFSA, and students who meet the deadline receive first consideration for aid.  Follow these steps to the financial aid process and then review these Helpful Hints.

While all colleges require the FAFSA, some schools also request the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE, which is the institution's analysis of the family's financial circumstances.  Unlike the FAFSA, the PROFILE costs $25 for the first application and $16 for each additional one.

College costs vary widely, and the sticker price at some schools discourages students from applying because they are convinced they couldn't afford to attend. However, the only way to discover the true cost of attendance is to submit the FAFSA and review the school's financial aid package upon receipt. Private colleges with large price tags frequently provide merit aid that makes their overall cost comparable to, or in some instances, more affordable than, public universities.

Outside scholarships can further reduce the cost, depending on how they are factored into the aid package. Students should ALWAYS check with the financial aid office to determine how private scholarship funds will affect other aid they were offered. Ultimately, students and families are best served by waiting until they compare all financial aid packages before deciding which college is the best choice financially.

HELPFUL LINKS

• How to Create Your FSA ID
• 3 FAFSA Deadlines
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• Line by line demo - How to complete the FAFSA
• When completing the FAFSA online, use the "live help" button or the online chat feature
• Call the FAFSA hotline at 800.433.3243 or 800.730.8913
• The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is up and running. Learn more about this tool here.
• #AskFAFSA Office Hours—the last Wednesday of each month on Twitter or watch the stream live at  http://bit.ly/AskFAFSA2
• CSS/PROFILE
• UNC Schools Priority Filing Deadline Dates
• Crosby Scholarship Database
• Scholarship websites
• CFNC: NC Student and Parent Assist Loans
• CFNC: Financial Aid for 2020-21
• CFNC: Borrowing Wisely Worksheet
• Differences between Federal v.s. Private Student Loans Infographic
• Need help comparing your Financial Aid Award Letters? Check out this Compare your Aid Award tool from College Board & Big Future.
• Have a financial aid question? Contact Jenniffer Jamison, Crosby Scholars Senior Program Coordinator at 704/873-5005 ext 11407 or jjamison@crosbyscholarsiredell.org

Application Opens May 1, 2023 

Newsletter with Information

Video Instructions of LDG Process 2023

Submittable Link to apply for LDG 

The Last Dollar Grant application and instructions on how to complete the application will be posted in your Crosby portal in the spring.  Read these instructions before starting your LDG application. The LDG application will open on May 1,2023.

Iredell LDG Flyer

The Crosby Scholars Last Dollar Grant is need-based financial aid. 

****A scholar must apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA to be considered for a Last Dollar Grant.   Link to the line by line demo of how to complete the FAFSA

****A scholar must demonstrate not only financial need but also remaining need after the school of choice has awarded aid.

****To determine eligibility, the Crosby Scholars staff completes a need analysis form on each scholar individually. 

Three supporting documents must be uploaded to the application. These documents include:

1. a copy of the scholar’s letter of admission from the institution he/she will attend,
2. a copy of the financial aid award letter from the institution he/she will attend, and
3. a copy of pages 1 and 2 of the SAR- Student Aid Report

If the scholar does not have the three supporting documents, he/she must submit the application and then upload the supporting documents when they are received. Priority is given to those applications received prior to the deadline.  The deadline for grant requests is June 30. 

Scholars are notified of our decision by letter posted in their Crosby portal beginning in July. An award is made payable to the institution and is sent directly to the institution to be credited to the scholar's account. The funds will be mailed in the summer and are to be used for the Fall Semester.   You are responsible for submitting your grades at the end of each semester. You do not have to submit an official college transcript. Submitting a copy of your grades printed from your college account is acceptable provided it includes your cumulative GPA.

Crosby Scholars who complete the Program their senior year with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher are eligible to apply for a Last Dollar Grant for up to 4 years. Even if the Last Dollar Grant is not awarded the first year, the scholar may still reapply 3 times. 

A scholar who does not graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, may apply once his/her college cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. 

Students must apply for Last Dollar Grant funding within two years of high school graduation. The Last Dollar Grant policy states that scholars are eligible for funding consideration for up to four years of undergraduate studies within six years after high school graduation.

Each Spring we celebrate our students that have completed the Senior Program Requirements.  At our Senior Gala we will: 

• Award Scholarships
• Recognize each Senior
• Present Graduation Chord & Certificate
• Recognize Officers
• Announce Board of Director Award Winners

Two Programs offered exclusively to Students participating in the Crosby Scholars Senior program are Essay Review & Mock Interviews.  We have some of the best volunteers that help in reviewing student writing and helping students to practice their interviewing skills.  

Want to Volunteer to assist in these areas?  Contact Jenniffer Jamison jjamision@crosbyscholarsiredell.org