1. ACT, CollegeforTn, & Financial Aid Overview
GOAL Academy

2. ACT - The Basics The ACT is a college entrance exam
Many colleges & universities use ACT scores to determine admission and course placement
It’s a standardized test that covers 5 core areas: English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional)
4 multiple-choice sections, plus an optional essay writing section

3. Registering for the ACT
Students may register online at
You’ll have to create a log in for your ACT Web account
Test fees:
ACT (no writing) - $38
ACT plus writing 0 $54.50
If you can’t afford the registration fee for test, you may be eligible for an ACT fee waiver

4. Preparing for the ACT
There are plenty of FREE resources to help you prepare
has a sample test to get you familiarized with the different types of sections & questions
has FREE ACT practice questions and online informational sessions
Play2Prep - a FREE app that helps you study and prepare for the ACT in the form of games
The library is another great resource to find FREE ACT prep books
Practice, practice, practice!

5. ACT Test Day Tips Get plenty of rest the night before test day
Lay out your pencils, calculator, admission ticket, and photo identification the night before the test
Eat a real breakfast, even if you normally don’t - it’s a long test and you don’t want to get hungry half way through
Get to the testing site early
Do your best to stay focused on the material
Don’t panic when you don’t know an answer

6. CollegeforTN
A great resource to use for career, college, and financial aid planning
Explore your interests and careers that match
Plan your education and search for financial aid
Résumé and interview prep
ACT prep

7. Financial Aid - The Basics
Financial aid is money that is given, earned, or lent to help students pay for their education
There are 4 types of financial aid:
Grants: money that is awarded based on a student’s financial need and DOES NOT have to be paid back!
Loans: money that a student borrows to pay for college - this money must be paid back!
Work Study: money earned by working at a part-time job on the college campus
Scholarships: another form of aid that DOES NOT have to be paid back

8. FAFSA The FREE Application for Federal Student Aid
Form used to determine a student’s financial need
All students planning to attend college must complete the FAFSA starting January 1st
Financial aid is often awarded on a “first come, first serve” basis, so complete your applications early!

9. TN Promise Scholarship
Two years of community college or technical school for FREE
Deadline to apply: November 1st
Two mandatory meetings - January & March
FAFSA & college application due by February 15th
8 hours of volunteer service between January 1st and August 1st

10. Scholarships - The Basics
Money that is awarded for exceptional academic achievement, volunteer service, outstanding talent, athleticism, financial needs, special circumstances, etc
Unlike loans, scholarships do not have to be paid back!
You can be awarded multiple scholarships, so apply to as many as you can!
There are thousands of scholarships out there - the more effort you put into it finding and applying, the better your chance of getting FREE money to pay for college

11. Scholarship Tips Start early!
Check everywhere for scholarships: employer, your parents’ employer, your church, organizations that you and/or your parents belong to, etc.
Check BCHS and WVHS websites
Check newspaper for local scholarships
There are a ton of FREE websites to help search for scholarships

12. Scholarship Tips
Check out local organizations - many offer scholarships for local students
Be aware of scholarship deadlines! Get applications in early!
If a letter of recommendation is needed, be sure to ask someone who knows you well. Give them plenty of time to get it done, and give them an activities résumé to help them write the letter.
Always check to see if scholarships are renewable - a renewable scholarship can become a 4-year scholarship if certain requirements are met each year
Make sure that your applications are completed correctly, are neat, and that you’ve included everything that is requested

13. Questions?
Time to explore