FAFSA Is For You

 Did you know that each year about $80 million goes to waste because people don't fill out the FAFSA. That's right, $80 million throughout the United States just sits there because student's didn't bother to fill out the FAFSA. So, what is the FAFSA? FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is the form you will fill out to get federal financial aid for college and post-secondary training. It may also help you qualify for financial aid from the state of Ohio and at the college of your choice. The form is free, but it could save you thousands of dollars. Please do not pay to fill out the FAFSA. There are many sites that are misleading and will ask you to submit a payment to fill it out. NEVER pay to fill out the FAFSA. The legitimate site for filling out the FAFSA form is: www.fafsa.gov 

So how does the FAFSA work? By filling out the FAFSA, you will find out what you qualify for. You may qualify for grants, which you don't need to repay. If you qualify for loans, federal loans have lower interest rates and you don't start repaying them until you graduate. When filling out the FAFSA, you will need to have certain information available such as, your social security number, your parent's social security number, your drivers license (if you have one), federal tax returns and information on cash and savings. The form takes a little while to fill out but you can work on it for a little while, save it and then go back at a later time to complete it.

There are some common misconceptions about the FAFSA, so I would like to clear up a couple of them. Yes you can apply for FAFSA if you are going to school for a trade. Every year there are many Ohio students who complete the FAFSA and get funding for career training. Yes you should complete the FAFSA even if you haven't been accepted yet. There is a great website that just became available and it is an initiative of the Ohio Department of Education, it is called "FAFSA Is For You". Just click here to take you to the site. 

Remember, if you have any questions regarding the FAFSA, please stop by student services and we will be glad to help you.

National Technical Honor Society 2021-2022

 On Tuesday evening, October 5th, Vantage Career Center held our annual National Technical Honor Society induction ceremony. The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is a way to honor student achievement and leadership in career and technical education, promote educational excellence, award scholarships and enhance career opportunities for the NTHS membership. This year we were able to hold the ceremony in our commons area and welcomed family, friends and associate school representatives. It was great having everyone together again to celebrate this great evening.

To become an NTHS member, a student must first be carrying a 3.5 GPA or above, have 95% attendance for their Junior and Senior years, no discipline problems in both years and have passed all of their End of Course Exams. If the student meets the above mentioned criteria, then they must write an essay stating why they feel they belong in the NTHS, have three teacher recommendations, submit a resume and complete their application. Once all of this is turned in, a committee of teachers and staff meet to discuss each candidate and determine which students best represent the National Technical Honor Society. As Mr. Knott mentioned that evening, the fact that these students held at least a 95% attendance rating during the Covid shutdown's, quarantines, and everything else that was thrown at them, is an outstanding feat in itself.

As a member of the National Technical Honor Society, each member has met the seven character attributes, and at the induction ceremony, vowed to continue these attributes. They are: Skill, Honesty, Service, Responsibility, Leadership, Citizenship and Scholarship.

I am so proud of these students because they have made so many great choices in their lives. They not only have been successful here at Vantage and their home school, but I know they will be successful in their future college or work careers. If you happen to see these students in the hallway, in your classes, or in the community, please congratulate them on a great high school career and a great honor in being selected for the National Technical Honor Society. I always say, these students are the best of the best.

These are the following members of our National Technical Honor Society: 

Samuel Adams (Paulding), Kameryn Altenbach (Parkway), Dylan Barricklow (Crestview), Brayden Bolenbaugh (Ft. Jennings), Mackenzie Burgei (Fort Jennings), Wyatt Davis (Continental), Allison Dingus (Crestview), Lily Haver (Parkway), Emily Jackson (Parkway), Taylor Lucas (Paulding), Elizabeth Mahler (Delphos Jefferson), Jude Marshall (Continental), Garret Martin (Delphos Jefferson), Gabrielle Martz (Fort Jennings), Gwyneth Martz (Ottoville), Jonathan Meyer (Antwerp), Parker Mihm (Parkway), Nolan Miller (Ottoville), Faith Nestleroad (Antwerp), Cole Nienberg (Kalida), Megan O'Donnell (Antwerp), Lexi Ordway (Continental), Emilee Phillips (Van Wert), Samantha Rigsby (Antwerp), Sydnee Savage (Van Wert), Gavin Schimmoeller (Fort Jennings), David Speiser (Continental), Nicholas Steele (Fort Jennings), Carson Stoller (Antwerp), Alexis Teman (Delphos St. John), Molly Westrick (Kalida), Zoey Westrick (Kalida)