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First Shot At A Million scholarship winner announced
Skyla Degrasse, a 17-year-old senior at Hammond High School, won the first $100,000 Shot At A Million (SAAM) Student Tuition Assistance & Revenue Trust (START) program scholarship.

Degrasse says the scholarship is a welcome blessing. As someone who loves science and seeing how COVID affected the world, she wants to pursue a career as a doctor.

Before receiving the news about the scholarship, she was planning to enroll at Northshore Technical Community College. Now she is hoping she may be able to attend Southeastern Louisiana University or Ohio State University.

Degrasse's mother says without this scholarship, attending a university would not be possible.

Click the video above to see Degrasse receive her check; click below to read more.
Summer Transition Institute prepares students for senior year
Students from Destrehan High School and Hahnville High School recently attended the St. Charles Parish Public Schools Senior Summer Transition Institute to learn how to maintain balance during their senior year.

While it is a significant social year with homecoming, prom, and sports, students also heard about why college applications, financial aid, and resumes are a part of their senior experience.

Students attended breakout sessions about self-care, how the military can lead to careers, and a session called Show Me the Money (which, according to the article, centered around finances with excellent advice provided by LOSFA's representative, Britt Kelly).
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In partnership with Louisiana GEAR UP, Southeastern Louisiana University held a four-day Build a Drone (pictured below) summer camp where students from East Baton Rouge Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish learned how to design, build, and race 3D-printed drones.
"I'm glad I learned how to make my own drones. I'm going to use this to video different events for my friends and family."
Breilyn Ross, 10th Grader at Woodlawn High 
Students also took a tour of Southeastern's campus.
Other Related News
New UL System program aims to cultivate 'diversity we need to change the world'
Eighteen black male sophomore students (two from each of the University of Louisiana System's nine-member institutions) will have their tuition covered for the next three years as part of the R.F. Lewis Scholars program, an initiative by the UL System.

The program, which aims to enhance the educational experience of exemplary black males, will focus on academics, social advancement, and community service.

Carl Whitlock, who attends the University of Louisiana at Monroe, says he worked part-time with his church and two nonprofits to pay for books. He was able to quit one job after saving enough for spring classes. He says this opportunity has affirmed he's on the right path.

"I'm the first in my family to make it to sophomore year of college," Whitlock said.
Fewer college students will have to verify financial aid information this school year, Education Dept. says
The U.S. Department of Education announced it would temporarily relax verification requests for the 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) cycle due to the financial impacts caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Instead, the department will focus on finding identity theft and fraud during the upcoming FAFSA cycle.

Verification is an audit of a student's FAFSA information. Students must comply with a verification request or lose access to grants, scholarships, and loans. The process presents a challenge for some, who never complete the request and fail to receive funds.

Earlier this year, The Washington Post analyzed federal data and found the U.S. Department of Education disproportionally audited Black and Latino students for the past decade. Both populations have shown steep declines in college enrollment since the pandemic began.
7 Benefits You Didn’t Know About 529 College Savings Plans (But Should)
The College Savings Plans Network says only 35% of Americans have heard of 529 college saving plans, and of those, only one in four recognize the plans help save for higher education expenses.

Financial planner and college savings expert Brian Boswell writes there are many perks to 529 programs other than tax benefits.

For example, Boswell says qualified withdrawals may be made from a 529 plan for registered apprenticeship programs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are more than 24,000 apprenticeship programs nationwide, ranging from healthcare to engineering and manufacturing.

Funds can also be withdrawn for students to attend a postsecondary outside of the U.S. and its territories.

The article also suggests if there are remaining funds in a 529 account after a student graduates, those funds may be used to repay up to $10,000 on certain student loans.

Click here to read about the Student Tuition Assistance & Revenue Trust (START) Program, Louisiana's 529 college saving plan, and open an account.
Five ways K-12 can better prepare students for college success
GreatSchools.org recently surveyed high school principals across 24 states (including Louisiana) about practices that help students enroll and succeed in college.

The survey found the majority of the school leaders provided students with access to at least one advanced academic program. Having equitable and early access to advanced courses (Advanced Placement, Honors, Dual Enrollment) is critical for all students. College professionals say students who have some advanced coursework in high school are more likely to succeed in a postsecondary setting.

A supportive school environment, focusing on college affordability and one-on-one support through the college application process (particularly among lower-income schools), were best practices.

To view the Strategies for Postsecondary Success report by GreatSchools, click here.
About LOSFA
The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), a program of the Louisiana Board of Regents, strives to be Louisiana's first choice for college access by promoting, preparing for and providing equity of college access.