By: Daphne Castro

  Twenty-four credits are needed in order to graduate high school. Are you keeping up with this requirement? Many students are not. We all know about GPA (grade point average), and most of us keep up with it, but we ignore the fact that credits are also important. Half a credit is earned at the end of each semester. By the second semester students should have one credit per class. At the end of your high school career you should have earned twenty-four in order to be admitted into a college.
     Many students are not getting that half a credit per semester, and will get an unpleasant surprise at the end of their four years. Just because you have all of your service learning hours, have a decent GPA, and have a good rank, that does not mean that you will be graduating. You can still get demoted just because of your lack of credits. So make sure that you talk to your counselor and ask for a copy of your transcript, which is a record of all the grades you have received since your freshman year. If you do not have your credits up to date it’s never too late to make them up. Do not wait until your senior year to make up your credits. You can start now. Here are some options:
Get enrolled in night school.
Enroll in summer school.
Or if you have room in your schedule take a class in which you did not receive a credit.
 Your credits are just as important as your GPA so don't delay.

By: Laura Guzman

Becoming a senior in high school or having a son or daughter that is a senior may be a lot of stress for both the student and the parent. We have fees, graduation, prom, etc., but worst of all, college and financial aid applications. Most students aren’t able to pay for college themselves, so they apply for financial aid.

Parents want the best for their kids so they often fall into financial aid scams. It is becoming very easy for organizations to scam parents. First, they ask you for money to get you a scholarship. Then they make false promises such as: "Money back guaranteed," "You can’t get this information anywhere else," "We do all the work," "You've been selected by a national foundation," and "You’re a finalist!" Somewhere in these fake letters, organizations say, "Hurry, hurry- send this back before our deadline!" They try to get you interested fast and make you send in money as soon as possible.

These scams work like this: first, a student and their families receive mail informing their qualification for thousands of dollars in scholarships. Next, they provide a toll-free number and when you call, you are informed that you will complete a questionnaire and pay a fee. Next, they will guarantee the scholarship money. After paying the fee, you will most likely never hear from the organization again. When asked for a refund, the organization claims that in order to receive a refund, a proof of scholarship rejection must be submitted. Of course, there was no real scholarship, meaning, you will not get a refund. When an organization ASKS you for money to GIVE you money, it’s a fraud!

To help avoid such scams, begin early (a substantial amount of time before deadlines,) read carefully, and take your time. It’s better to find scholarship information for yourself other than use the information you receive in the mail. Many students receive letters at the start of sophomore year. Scan all letters you receive or have them checked by your school counselor.
 
A certified safe website where you can get information on scholarships is www.fastweb.com. It is a free search and it gives out 1.3 million scholarships for over 4,000 colleges. You may also want to try www.collegezone.com. It gives out college planning information, finding and applying for college, as well as financial aid. The website also has a scholarship search engine.