Questions you’re
allowed to ask.

Start with three things: your graduation year, a list of colleges to explore, and the next deadline. You do not need to understand every scholarship today. Your counselor can help you connect course planning, testing, and financial aid.

Your next step: Read the starting chapter, then choose one task for this week.

Planning advice from The Map Nobody Gave You.

You still have time to build a thoughtful plan. Focus on your current grades, a realistic testing schedule, and one or two commitments where you can contribute consistently. Avoid creating a long list of new clubs just to fill an application. Some opportunities have earlier preparation windows, so check those first.

Your next step: Use the 90-day junior plan and confirm your school’s PSAT arrangements.

Planning advice from The Map Nobody Gave You.

Need-based aid considers financial circumstances. Merit scholarships recognize qualities such as achievement, leadership, or talent. Some programs consider both. Start exploring both routes in sophomore year; a family income estimate alone does not tell you every award you could qualify for.

Your next step: Make two lists: awards based on achievement and awards that also assess financial need.

Use the listed price as a starting point, then estimate the cost after grants and scholarships. Compare housing, food, transportation, and other expenses too. Keep options with realistic funding paths on your list, and compare actual offers before committing.

Your next step: Use each college’s net price calculator and record the estimate.

No. Full tuition generally pays tuition; housing, meals, fees, and other costs may remain. “Full ride” is used for broader packages, but you must read what the particular award covers. TCU’s Chancellor’s Scholarship, for example, covers full tuition for eight semesters for first-year students.

Your next step: Write down the expenses the award covers and the expenses it leaves to you.

Requirements vary by scholarship. UT Austin considers incoming students for scholarships without a financial-need requirement even without FAFSA/TASFA, but encourages the appropriate aid form for wider consideration. Do not assume another school follows the same rule.

Your next step: Check the aid-form requirement for every scholarship on your list.

Use the FAFSA if you are eligible for federal student aid. TASFA is for certain students who cannot use FAFSA and qualify for Texas state aid; the college determines eligibility. Do not submit both hoping to receive extra aid. Residency and eligibility questions need current guidance from the college.

Your next step: Ask the financial aid office which form applies to your situation.

Being a FAFSA contributor does not by itself make you responsible for paying college costs or taking on a loan. A parent who separately borrows a Parent PLUS loan does take responsibility for that loan. Students and required contributors should use their own accounts.

Your next step: Read the parent instructions together before starting the form.

Help with time, transportation, documents, and a short weekly check-in. Ask what is due next and what support your student wants. Let the student write their own essays and communicate in their own voice. Ask counselors to explain unfamiliar terms, and request language support when needed.

Your next step: Use the parent roadmap’s 15-minute check-in.

Planning advice from The Map Nobody Gave You.

No. Some awards use the admission application, while others need scholarship questions, a portal application, departmental materials, or a separate organization’s form. An admission confirmation is not proof that every scholarship application is complete.

Your next step: Track admissions and scholarship requirements as separate tasks.

For incoming-student scholarship questions, UT directs applicants to the Scholarship Interest Form in MyStatus. LASSO lets students explore scholarship opportunities and is also used for continuing and transfer applications. Follow the instructions for your applicant type rather than submitting a form intended for current students.

Your next step: Open MyStatus after applying and check your scholarship-interest tasks.

Apply for admission first, then submit the Freshman Scholarship Application through BOSS, the Bobcat Online Scholarship System. The official page currently lists December 15 before the first summer/fall semester. Check your entering year and any individual award’s additional requirements.

Your next step: Activate your access early and save the BOSS submission confirmation.

Use the scholarship portion of the freshman admission application as directed by Texas A&M. Some opportunities have additional requirements. The scholarship process and deadlines depend on whether you are a freshman, transfer, or current student.

Your next step: Read the incoming-freshman instructions and check that the scholarship portion was submitted.

Applying to UT Austin through the supported admission application makes you a candidate for Forty Acres consideration. You can indicate interest through the Scholarship Interest Form in MyStatus. Being considered or invited to take a next step is not the same as receiving the scholarship. Follow the program’s current selection instructions.

Your next step: Check MyStatus and the Texas Exes application page for your cycle.

Apply through a participating university, not directly to the Foundation. Terry considers financial need alongside academic achievement and leadership. Applicants must meet its eligibility rules, complete FAFSA as required by the nominating university, and be nominated for an interview.

Your next step: Open the Terry application instructions for each participating university you are considering.

You can pursue nominations through multiple participating universities, but you can interview with the Foundation for only one university. A nomination is a step toward selection, not an award. If multiple universities nominate you, follow the Foundation’s instructions for choosing your interview university.

Your next step: Keep each university’s application and nomination status separate.

For the currently published first-year process, submit the TCU application by November 1 and the John V. Roach Honors College application by November 15. Finalists interview. TCU says test scores are not considered at any stage of Chancellor’s review; strong scores alone do not secure this award.

Your next step: Record both deadlines and prepare writing, recommendations, and activity examples.

Our suggested preparation window is sophomore spring or summer, ahead of the PSAT/NMSQT usually taken in junior fall. PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 do not qualify students for National Merit. Starting early leaves room to learn from practice rather than cram.

Your next step: Ask your school how to register for the qualifying PSAT/NMSQT.

No. National Merit has eligibility and selection stages beyond the test, and college awards have their own conditions. Do not treat a predicted cutoff or another student’s package as your offer. A strong result can open opportunities, but you still need to follow the required application steps.

Your next step: Read the official student guide and the scholarship rules at each target college.

That may be too late for an earlier admission or scholarship deadline. Our suggested plan is a first serious attempt in junior spring, with time to review and retake if useful. Check when each school needs scores, not just when applications are due. UT Austin currently requires SAT or ACT scores for freshman admission.

Your next step: Work backward from your earliest score deadline and leave a retake buffer.

There is no universal winner. Compare course rigor, workload, high-school weighting, and the receiving college’s credit rules. AP credit depends on exam results and college policy. For dual credit, check course equivalency and whether the course fulfills your intended degree rather than only an elective.

Your next step: Check both your high school’s course guide and your target college’s credit tools.

Sometimes. A college may award credit for an accepted CLEP exam and score, but it controls which exams count, credit limits, and restrictions. Useful credit must also fit your degree. Check the policy before paying for a test or studying for one.

Your next step: Find the exact exam, minimum score, and degree requirement it could replace.

UT Austin has a different automatic-admission threshold: its published cutoff is top 5% for summer/fall 2027 and spring 2028 applicants who meet the eligibility requirements. Automatic admission does not mean automatic admission to your chosen major, or a scholarship. Check the rules for your entering year.

Your next step: Ask your counselor for your official rank and review UT’s requirements.

Use your own school’s written GPA and rank policy. Do not assume that a weighted GPA number from another school uses the same scale, courses, or calculation. Ask which classes affect rank and whether the policy differs by graduating class before choosing courses for a GPA advantage.

Your next step: Get the course guide and rank policy for your graduating class.

Planning advice from The Map Nobody Gave You.

No particular activity is a universal requirement. Choose work you can sustain and explain: a job, family responsibilities, tutoring, research, or a club can all give you meaningful examples. If you start something, be clear about the need, what you actually did, and what changed.

Your next step: Write one activity example using the activity record.

Planning advice from The Map Nobody Gave You.

Read the award notice for acceptance, enrollment, and payment instructions. Tell your college about outside awards and ask how they affect your aid package. For example, UT provides donor payment instructions that identify the student and semester. An award email alone does not complete the payment process.

Your next step: Save the acceptance confirmation, payment instructions, and renewal rules.