ICAN Senior Alert: The FAFSA is open!

The FAFSA is now available! ICAN is now scheduling appointments to assist with FAFSA completion.

Scheduling

Online scheduling with ICAN is now open. Our Eastern Iowa Student Success Centers-Iowa City Area & Quad-Cities, Lupe Hernandez, has begun taking in-person FAFSA appointments in Bettendorf. Click here to schedule an appointment: https://calendly.com/ghernandez-ican

Things to remember.

Priority will be given to students considering the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa because they have a priority dates in early December and early January.

  • University of Iowa – December 1, 2026
  • Iowa State University – December 18, 2026
  • University of Northern Iowa – January 15, 2027
Students interested in schools with later priority dates should schedule in mid-February.

StudentAid.gov Accounts

Students and parents MUST have their StudentAid.gov Accounts set up and verified PRIOR to their FAFSA appointment. This ensures a smoother appointment and reduces the risk of delays in completing the form.

FAFSA Completion Assistance Events

There are many options available for seniors and parents who are looking for assistance in completing the FAFSA form.

FAFSA Ready Iowa sites are continuing to be scheduled and you can view events at www.icansucceed.org/fafsareadyiaevents.

ICAN offers community- and school-based assistance events both in-person and virtual, when grant funding or a sponsor is available. Contact your student success advisor to learn more about this option.

ICAN will host FAFSA Step-by-Step virtual completion assistance events each month beginning in October. Students and families can register for these free events and follow along, asking questions and getting virtual assistance to complete the form. All events begin at 5:30 pm.

Dates include:

Iowa Legislative Page Program – 2027

Each year the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, and Legislative Services Agency employ high school juniors and seniors of high academic standing to serve as Pages for the legislative session. This is a full-time job in Des Moines, Monday through Thursday. To be eligible, applicants shall be at least 16 years of age by January 2, 2027. Pages may be permitted to participate in official school functions, sports, and social activities whenever possible. Pages will start work on January 11, 2027, through the end of the legislative session, roughly April 30, 2027, but session may extend into early May. By submitting an application, you are applying for the House of Representatives, Senate, and Legislative Services Agency. If selected to be a Page, you will be placed with one of these bodies.

The Legislature is a professional working environment. Pages learn to accept a large degree of personal responsibility for their work, and the experience helps prepare for future demands of academic and professional careers. They learn to respond to organizational priorities, directives, and to uphold standards of confidentiality and professional service. Pages gain a greater understanding of the lawmaking process.

Deadline to Apply is Friday, October 19th 

Click here for details

The Quad City and Engineering Science Council (QCESC) Scholarship

The Quad City and Engineering Science Council (QCESC) Scholarship Program was established and is administered by the Council. This program provides multiple one-time grants or scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 each. Must plan to pursue a STEM-related degree (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) at an accredited four-year college or university, earn an associate degree at a community or junior college, or complete a skilled trades certification.

Deadline: January 26, 2027

Click here for application


Elks 2027 Most Valuable Student (MVS) Scholarship

Lois E. Kindel, Iowa State Elks Association Scholarship Chair | Davenport Elks Lodge #298 | Davenport, IA 

Applicants will be judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need.

Eligibility:

    • Current high school seniors, or the equivalent, who are citizens of the United States are eligible to apply.
    • Applicants do not need to be related to a member of the Elks.
    • High school graduates are not eligible to apply.
    • Applicants must be citizens of the United States on the date their applications are submitted; permanent legal resident status does not qualify.
    • Scholarships are available only to students who enroll in four-year undergraduate degree programs at accredited U.S. American colleges or universities.

                   Apply here – ElksMVS

The 2027 application deadline is November 12, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time.

Awards:

    • The Elks National Foundation will award 500 four-year scholarships.
    • Male and female students compete separately.
    • Ranging from $1,000 per year to $7,500 per year, Most Valuable Student scholarships are for students pursuing a four-year degree, on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), in a U.S. college or university. All scholarships are in the form of certificates of award conditional upon the full-time enrollment of the winner in an accredited U.S. college or university.

Declan Murphy named as a National Merit Semifinalist

We are proud to announce that Declan Murphy has been named a Semifinalist in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. This prestigious honor recognizes Declan as one of the top scorers for the Class of 2027 and is a significant step toward the National Merit Scholarship competition.  Congratulations to Declan and his family!

 

PSAT/NMSQT

The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) tests will be given at Assumption High School on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 7:45 a.m. If you have a student who is interested in taking the PSAT test, please have your student stop in Student Services to register and pay the $18.00 fee by Tuesday, September 15, 2026. (Checks can be made out to Scott County Catholic Schools.)

WHAT IS THE PSAT?

The PSAT is a test given once a year in October. Many students take the PSAT, not only as preparation to take other standardized testing including the SAT, which is widely used as a criterion for college admissions, but also, as juniors, to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. The PSAT has sections covering Reading and Writing, Vocabulary, and Math. The Reading and Writing, and Vocabulary sections measure a student’s potential success with college and career readiness in literacy. The Math section measures math fluency, understanding, and ability to apply concepts, skills, and practices.

Though it is only the scores from the PSAT taken in your junior year that are considered for the National Merit Scholarship competition, some students will take the PSAT as sophomores for practice with standardized testing. The selection process starts with the choosing of National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists and Commended Scholars. Cutoffs vary from state to state but typically Semi-Finalists score in the top one percent of students in their state and Commended Scholars between the top one to four percent.

For more information on the PSAT, click on the following link. https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt

Click here for PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide