Learn the basics of financial aid and how to advise students and families to consider cost in different ways when making college selections.
Professional Development
The Center for College Planning is proud to offer a variety of professional development sessions for school counselors throughout the year. Please visit our Event Calendar page to register for an upcoming live session, or view our previously recorded sessions and other resources below.
Professional Development Workshops
Professional Development Recordings
Considering Cost in the College Search
Understanding Financial Aid
An overview of the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms, types of financial aid offered to students, when and how to apply for aid, and special circumstances your students may encounter.
The Financial Aid Offer and College Funding Options
In the final webinar of the three-part Financial Aid Series, we review the financial aid offer; what students will see, how they vary from one school to the next, and how to interpret each offer. We also discuss the options students have to cover their balance from savings, to payment plans, and finally the financing options. A demonstration of the NHHEAF College Financing Tool shows one way students can compare financing options and make informed decisions about funding their education.
Writing Letters of Recommendation
Writing letters of recommendation provides an important service for your college-bound student(s). A good recommendation brings the applicant to life, but can be challenging to write if you are unfamiliar with the current conventions. This webinar will provide some guidelines for writing a solid recommendation including what to ask a student to provide to you before writing, what format the letter should follow, and how (or if) to incorporate sensitive or negative information.
Introduction to YouScience
The NHHEAF Network is excited to provide YouScience, an aptitude and interest career assessment tool, for FREE to all New Hampshire students. We are also providing free access for professionals such as yourselves to oversee your students' participation, view their results, conduct one-on-one counseling, and facilitate group or class activities.
In this recorded webinar, Melissa McClure, YouScience Customer Success Manager, shares the basics for getting started with this platform, how to use your students' results, and where to find the tools and resources you will need to have conversations with your students about the career opportunities they discover. CCP Counselors shares how you and your students can access and make the most of this platform to connect with personalized career pathways and how these pathways align with post-secondary plans.
In this recorded webinar, Melissa McClure, YouScience Customer Success Manager, shares the basics for getting started with this platform, how to use your students' results, and where to find the tools and resources you will need to have conversations with your students about the career opportunities they discover. CCP Counselors shares how you and your students can access and make the most of this platform to connect with personalized career pathways and how these pathways align with post-secondary plans.
Admissions and COVID-19: What School Counselors Need to Know
Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the college admissions process for those involved at every level. As a school counselor, have you been wondering how best to address the concerns of your students and families? This interactive panel discussion will address topics such as whether or not COVID-19 is a good topic for the college essay, what will happen if students have been or will be unable to take the SAT/ACT, what should a counselor do if a student had been MIA for several months due to family concerns/lack of access to internet or laptop, what should be included in a letter of recommendation or on the school profile to allow admissions offices to understand a school’s remote learning process, how will a school’s decision to go pass/fail during remote learning affect admission for a student, etc. In this live webinar event, a panel of admissions experts will address these issues and more.
Financial Aid Workshop
This workshop provides a comprehensive and easy-to-understand overview of the financial aid process, the role of the school counselor, resources for students and families and updates to the process. We will also discuss some of the specific scenarios you may encounter as a school counselor – from divorced parents or undocumented students to homeless or foster youth – and dispel some of the common FAFSA myths.
Professional Links
NH School Counselor Association
An organization of School Counselors that work for and with School Counselors to help meet the needs of all students.
Federal Student Aid for Counselors
Provides federal student aid information and tools for counselors, college access professionals, and other advisors.
American School Counselor Association
Professional development, publications, research & advocacy for school counselors.
CollegeBoard SAT Fee Waiver Guide for Counselors
The SAT Fee Waiver Service School Counselor Guide for 2022-2023
CollegeBoard SAT Fee Waiver Directory of Colleges
College Application Fee Waiver Directory of Colleges
NH Transfer - Connecting NH's Colleges and Universities
Provides resources and support for NH students to obtain their degree.
New England Association of College Admissions Counseling
Supports and advances the work of counseling, admission and enrollment professionals.
NH Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Educates NH's financial aid professionals to encourage student access to, and completion of higher education.