Financial Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA) is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students (undergraduate and graduate) in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. Financial aid helps students pay for college and is provided through the federal government, state, school, or a private business or organization.
For the 2025-2026 college year, seniors can start applying for financial aid after December 1, 2024. Visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. For free assistance in filling out the FAFSA, contact the College Planning Center. Appointments can be made at https://www.risla.com/en-us/college-planning-center.
How Aid is Awarded:
Need Based: Awarded based on a a family's financial need.
Merit Based: Awarded for a talent--academic, athletic, etc.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Seniors need to check the Scholarship Drawer in Guidance for scholarship information. Scholarship information will also be emailed to the JSHS senior listserv as well as saved on Google Drive. Seniors should check their email regularly. The link to Google Drive will be emailed to all seniors and parents/guardians. More scholarships will be posted at the beginning of the New Year. Students should also be conducting their own scholarship searches online. More and more organizations require online applications. Please also refer to the Post Secondary Options Binder by Johnston Senior High School Guidance Department available on livebinders.com. Each tab and subtab contains many websites with valuable content regarding post secondary schooling/careers.