Financial Aid
Pay for College Night Presentation
PHS hosted a Pay for College Night on 3/6/25 with financial aid representatives from UNG, KSU, and Chatt Tech present as well as a GSFC Advisor. Please feel free to review the PHS Pay for College Night Presentation here. This presentation is a healthy review of ALL things financial aid related such as local scholarships, HOPE Program, GSFAPP, and FAFSA.
FAFSA Information and How to Apply
Please make sure to fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for financial aid for college. Completion of the FAFSA is required to receive any financial aid for college and is the first step in moving forward with applying for the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships/grants. Students and parents will have to complete this application together. All seniors planning to attend college will have to complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA is open each year from October 1st until June 30th; however, the FAFSA will be available beginning in December for this coming school year.
Access an article on the, "10 Common FAFSA Mistakes Not to Make."
Check out the "FAFSA Checklist" made specifically for Georgia students by the GSFC.
GSFAPP
The Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP) is a quick application that can be completed through your GA Futures account. Completing this application applies you for the GA HOPE Program scholarships and grants and remains active for 10 years once completed.
GEORGIA MATCH
GEORGIA MATCH is a program started by GAFutures and the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) as a simple way for students to learn where they are eligible for admission to college, based on their HOPE GPA through 11th grade.
GEORGIA MATCH letters will be sent out from the GSFC (not the student’s high school) in October to all GA high school seniors and their families. The colleges listed on your GEORGIA MATCH letter and your GAfutures Student Dashboard are an academic match based on your HOPE GPA and they are holding a spot for you in their Fall 2025 Class. GAFutures and the GSFC created a way for students to request information from prospective GEORGIA MATCH colleges and claim a spot for admission to the GEORGIA MATCH college of choice.
Students should visit the GEORGIA MATCH webpage to review FAQ's to answer questions and navigate to their Student Dashboard to view a PDF of their letter and list of colleges on their letter. If a student does not receive a GEORGIA MATCH letter after October, they should let their PHS School Counselor know.
More information and resources regarding this incredible program can be found at www.GAfutures.org/GEORGIAMATCH.
Georgia Students Paying for College
After Georgia students have finished applying for college and completing the FAFSA, then their next step is to create/access their GA Futures account to complete the GSFAPP (the application required to get the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships/grants), track their HOPE GPA (different than their high school GPA), send their high school transcript to colleges in Georgia, review and apply for scholarships, apply to some colleges in Georgia, etc. Below are some helpful documents/checklists from the GSFC to assist you in your plan to finance your post-secondary education:
View the "HOPE Program Summary" document.
View the "Paying for College" document.
Georgia Degrees Pay
The University System of Georgia just rolled out a new website, Georgia Degrees Pay, available for Georgia parents and students making major college decisions. This tool allows users to compare all 26 public universities and colleges in the University System (USG). Many features allow users to compare up to two schools at a time and include categories like the cost of attendance, future earnings, and student success rates.
Additional College and Financial Aid Websites
We encourage you to visit these additional college and financial aid websites to help you further plan and prepare for applying for college and scholarships.