A $20,000 per year scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design is available to top senior students. The student must be nominated by his/her counselor and must meet the following requirements:

- Minimum SAT combined math and critical reading score of 1410, or ACT composite score of at least 30.

-GPA of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale.

-Outstanding visual arts, performing arts, and writing capabilities. 

- Leadership skills demonstrated through co-curricular or extracurricular involvement. 

     To be nominated, the student must complete all SCAD admission requirements, including transcript and portfolio submissions, prior to March 1. The nomination deadline is March 1.

Atlanta Black College Expo, Saturday, February 04, 2017, Cobb Galleria Center, ALL STUDENTS WELCOMED!

Application Fees Waived!  Acceptance into College on the Spot!  Scholarship Opportunities Throughout the Day!  Seminars & Workshops!  Entertainment & Step Show!  Scholarship Opportunity for Seniors & Juniors  Band Auditions for Scholarships! Go to www.blackcollegeexpo.com

The Athens Area Human Relations Council, Inc. will soon be selecting a deserving student to receive our $250 Annual Youth Step Show Scholarship on Saturday, April 8, 2017.  This will be our 14^th year of awarding scholarships to qualified students.  To qualify, you must be a high school senior attending high school in one of our member represented counties: Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Morgan, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, or Oglethorpe.  You must graduate at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.  Please complete the application found at https://goo.gl/7m2NBc.  Remember to include an official high school transcript, copy of your S.A.T. or A.C.T. scores, and two letters of recommendation forms.  Members of the Athens Alumni National Pan-Hellenic Council may not write recommendations for applicants.  In addition, you will need to write an essay on an assigned topic.  The application package must be postmarked by Tuesday, February 28, 2017 with supporting materials (official transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation).

Students selected as Furman Scholars are eligible for at least $20,000 per year in scholarships to Furman University. Current juniors who have a genuine interest in Furman and meet the following criteria are able to be nominated:

 - A genuine interest in an education in the liberal arts and sciences.

- A high school weighted GPA of a 3.5 or higher.

-At least a 1300 on the SAT, a 1360 on the SAT-R, a 1360 on the PSAT, or a 29 on the ACT.

-Significant involvement in extracurricular activities and community service.

-Demonstrated leadership potential. 

Please see Mr. Guthas in the Counseling Office by March 27 if you meet the criteria and are interested in being nominated.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) will host the 7^th summer language academy for high school rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in June and July 2017. The Federal Service Language Academy (FSLA) is a three-week residential program for students interested in an immersive intensive language experience, fitness, and exploring international-related careers with the federal government. Last year around 60 students from over 15 US states and one foreign country successfully completed FSLA. 

During the two three-week sessions, students will be immersed in intensive language instruction in First-Year Arabic, Chinese, Russian, German, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese or Second-Year Arabic, Chinese, Russian, German, Korean, Japanese, and Portuguese from highly qualified teachers, participate in a daily fitness program, receive career counseling from federal agency representatives (possible agencies include the CIA, DEA, FBI, NSA, Department of State, Homeland Security, the Peace Corps and US Armed Forces).

We are also pleased to announce the addition of FSLA Germany 2017 in Berlin and FSLA France 2017 in Angers, a three-week (July 01-22) language immersion experience. These programs will feature intensive language instruction, cultural excursions, and home stay arrangements with German or French families.This is a Dual Enrollment program with both high school and university German or French credit.  Accepted students must be admitted to UNG. Please see the FSLA website for further details. 

Please forward this information to any high school teachers, counselors, or administrators in your contacts who may be interested in passing this information to their students and/or may be interested in an employment opportunity at the UNG Federal Service Language Academy.

For further information, see below for more complete details and visit our web site: www.ung.edu/fsla

UNG informed us yesterday that they were changing the priority deadline for Move on When Ready (MOWR or joint enrollment) to March 15^th instead of the May 1^st deadline listed on their website.  This is because the UNG Oconee campus could reach capacity in March which is significantly earlier than normal.  Students planning to apply for MOWR at UNG are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.  Students can print an application from the UNG website, there is not fee to apply.

If your student is interested and has not taken the SAT or ACT, UNG offers an institutional version of both tests.  You can find more information on the ISAT and/or IACT here:

www.ung.edu/testing. 

If you have questions for UNG or any of our other MOWR Partners (UGA, Athens Tech or GMC) please plan to attend the FYI Fair on February 2^nd at 6:15.  There will be MOWR admissions officers from each school here to explain more about their programs.

The Gene Higginbotham Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2016. Honoring Gene Higginbotham, who dedicated 50 years to the Pest Management Industry, this scholarship is worth $2,000 to a graduating OCHS student. American Pest Control was founded by Gene Higginbotham in 1971. His children now carry on the mission that was started.

Applications can be picked up in the counseling office and must be postmarked or emailed back to American by March 31. The applicant must have a 3.0 GPA and a 900 combined SAT score. Please pick up your application as soon as possible so that enough time can be dedicated to completing it. 

The Oconee Little League will recognize and award outstanding seniors who have the love for softball or baseball. There will be five scholarships awarded throughout the county for seniors who have played baseball or softball for at least two years of their high school career. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and four runners up will receive $500.00. Applications may be picked up in the counseling office, and must be returned to Oconee Little League by February 25, 2017. 

The purpose of the Oconee Lions Club scholarships is to recognize the achievements of two OCHS graduating seniors who provide the evidence of the following criteria: (1) good citizenship, (2) an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community, (3) academic achievement, and (4) a record of service to the community.  The award is not intended necessarily to recognize students with high grade point averages. In the evaluation, consideration will be given to need, recommendations, personal achievements, and a statement of the applicant's goals. Special weight will be given to community service accomplishments.  The amount of the award is $1,000 each. Applications may be picked up in the counseling office and are due by 3:00 PM on April 21 to the counseling office. 

The Georgia Development Authority would like to recognize and assist deserving senior students who are planning to pursue a degree in agriculture or a related field. The scholarships are in the amount of $1,500. Applications may be picked up in the counseling office and must be postmarked to the GA Development Authority office by May 1. 

Ga Tech is hosting a Junior Visit Day on Friday, February 19, to sign up go to https://application.gatech.edu/portal/preview?id=dc853b23-b5f6-4109-be8a-b11697bac85b

 The Asian Pacific Islanders for Professional and Community Advancement(APCA) seeks qualified applicants for both its “national & “state” scholarship program. APCA is a non-profit Employee Resource Group within the AT&T corporation. We are proud to announce that (21 or more) $2000 National APCA scholarships will be awarded for the 2017 academic year. We are also offering (15+) $2000 scholarships specifically to students who attend high schools within the State of Georgia.  Our program is an excellent opportunity to recognize students who excel in the classroom, as well as demonstrate awareness of and participation in community diversity related activities. 

Past winners of APCA scholarships have gone on to attend prestigious institutions of higher learning such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Vanderbilt, John Hopkins, Georgetown, and our own state universities of Emory, Georgia Tech & The University of Georgia. (Previous year’s winners can be viewed on our APCA website.)

The APCA scholarship program is open to ALL high school seniors of any ethnic or cultural background with a minimum GPA of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. FAQ information about our scholarship program and the process for submission can be found at our web site: http://apca-att.org/scholarships  All scholarship applications need to be submitted online by 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time onJanuary 31st, 2017.

For the past 51 years, Walton EMC has invested in our area's young people by sending them on an all expense paid trip to Washington, D.C.  All sophomore and junior students who live in Walton EMC's service area are eligible to apply for the Washington Youth Tour (June 8-15). Entry forms may be picked up in the counseling office and are due to Walton EMC by February 10. If selected, you must commit to the trip. Students may also download applications at www.waltonemc.com/index.php/community/scholarships/

An admissions representative from The University of North Georgia will be here at OCHS on January 25 during Warrior Period. If you are interested in meeting with the representative, please sign up in the counseling office. This will be held in the main conference room.