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Student Services
Kelsey Steele, School Counselor
barbourk@gcs.k12.nc.us
Visit NC Careers to explore different careers. Explore different occupations and take career assessments to find potential career matches. You can learn what level of education is required for each job, the job responsibilities, the median wage ($), and more!
Research Programs/Majors - This tool on CFNC allows you to read about different majors/careers and see what colleges offer degrees in that field.
CFNC College Search - A lot of information about NC colleges. Read about admissions, academics, student life, and more.
Which website should I use to apply?
Universities: CommonApp, CFNC, CommonBlackApp (for HBCU’s), or the school’s
website.
NC Community Colleges: CFNC
Trade Schools: The school’s website
When should I apply?
Apply during your senior year! I suggest applying during first semester (between August and December), so you can get your admissions decisions in faster. Google "name of college + admissions deadlines" to see what the deadlines are for each school.
If you are planning on applying to college (2 or 4 year), you need to complete the FAFSA! This is how you apply for federal loans/grants/scholarships to help pay for school. It is the primary source of financial aid for most students.
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA opens on October 1st each year. You must complete the FAFSA that correlates with what your first year of college will be, not the current year. If you are starting college in August 2026, you would complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA, since that is the academic year of your first year of college.
You will need your parent(s)/guardian(s) tax return(s) to complete the FAFSA. You are still able to do the form if your parent(s) did not file taxes and/or if your parent(s) did not earn income. You can use this tool to determine which parent(s)/guardian(s) tax information FAFSA will need. You can also us this Student Aid link to enter information and receive an estimate of how much student aid you may get.
In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges also require applicants to complete a form called the CSS profile. The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges
and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. Like the FAFSA, it opens on October 1st.
Click this College Board Link to see a list of colleges that require completion of the CSS Profile.
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Visit NC Careers to explore different careers. Explore different occupations and take career assessments to find potential career matches. You can learn what level of education is required for each job, the job responsibilities, the median wage ($), and more!
-
Research Programs/Majors - This tool on CFNC allows you to read about different majors/careers and see what colleges offer degrees in that field.
CFNC College Search - A lot of information about NC colleges. Read about admissions, academics, student life, and more.
-
Which website should I use to apply?
Universities: CommonApp, CFNC, CommonBlackApp (for HBCU’s), or the school’s
website.
NC Community Colleges: CFNC
Trade Schools: The school’s websiteWhen should I apply?
Apply during your senior year! I suggest applying during first semester (between August and December), so you can get your admissions decisions in faster. Google "name of college + admissions deadlines" to see what the deadlines are for each school.
-
-
If you are planning on applying to college (2 or 4 year), you need to complete the FAFSA! This is how you apply for federal loans/grants/scholarships to help pay for school. It is the primary source of financial aid for most students.
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA opens on October 1st each year. You must complete the FAFSA that correlates with what your first year of college will be, not the current year. If you are starting college in August 2026, you would complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA, since that is the academic year of your first year of college.
You will need your parent(s)/guardian(s) tax return(s) to complete the FAFSA. You are still able to do the form if your parent(s) did not file taxes and/or if your parent(s) did not earn income. You can use this tool to determine which parent(s)/guardian(s) tax information FAFSA will need. You can also us this Student Aid link to enter information and receive an estimate of how much student aid you may get.In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges also require applicants to complete a form called the CSS profile. The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges
and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. Like the FAFSA, it opens on October 1st.
Click this College Board Link to see a list of colleges that require completion of the CSS Profile.