Gisselle Washington | Big Stick Editor |
The Campus held its annual Senior College Information Parent Night in the Auditorium on Tuesday, September 24 for parents and seniors of the graduating class.
“Every senior has a need to know about their college admissions process, what are the steps they need to do in order to meet their own goals for themselves, and how to begin that process with the free application for federal student aid application (FAFSA) process and other scholarship opportunities and financial aid from the federal government,” counselor Linda Howe said. 
Howe also discussed how applying for the FAFSA, which covers work study, grants, and loans, along with scholarships are important goals seniors should be concerned with.
“Also your parents need to know this information, need to know what they need to do to support their senior student,” Howe said. “I believe that parents also are an important part of that evening [senior college information night] so that they feel better prepared to help their student make sure their process for senior year and figuring out what’s next for them and making plans so that they can be successful, that’s very important to the parents.”
Senior regional advisor, Shahrzad Sameri, from Texas A&M discussed the different elements to a college application such as transcripts, GPA, and standardized test scores.
“I mean, she was well spoken and friendly,” senior Eliana Negron said. “I just wish she could have provided more specific information for getting ready for college apps [applications].”
Alamo community college representative, Ashley Moore, introduced a new initiative called the Alamo Promise for seniors of Roosevelt that if they decided to attend one of the Alamo colleges as a freshman, the cost of attendance would be waived.
“Speakers were excellent,” Howe said. “I feel that they gave the parents and their students valuable information that they needed to move forward in their senior year and plan for college, plan for education after high school, whatever that may be. So I felt we met our objective for the evening very well.”
College Advisor Logan Lippert discussed financial aid and the opening of the FAFSA on Oct. 1. He hopes to see a new format to discussing college information with the parents next year.
“[I’d like to see] maybe setting out some stands or something outside the auditorium so we can stand and talk to the parents rather than they come and leave,” Lippert said.
