The CCC

Class of 2027 and families, 

As I have been holding senior meetings, many of you have expressed an interest in applying to scholarships. There are several scholarships that have recently opened and many more will be opening in the coming months. Oftentimes, the most scholarship money a student receives comes directly from the university they will be attending. However, I understand the desire to secure other scholarships, so throughout the year I will be sending resources and reminders regarding scholarships. Those of you who attended my Class of 2027 Parent University may recall I discussed how scholarship hunting can sometimes be tedious or overwhelming. If you are in a position to partner with your child through this process, it will help to lighten the load as they apply for scholarships. For example, if parents can search through scholarships and pass along the ideal ones to their students, the student can spend less time searching and more time focusing on the application process, essays, etc. I am including a list of upcoming events below, followed by a short list of scholarships that are currently available. 

Upcoming Events

ASU Application Workshop - Tuesday, 9/15/26

2:50-3:45 PM in room 115

Join our ASU rep as she walks Horizon Honors’ seniors through the ASU application. During this session you can start and complete the full application! To prepare for this session, it is helpful to know your social security number. 

UofA Wildcat Webinar: Admissions 101 - Wednesday, 9/23/26

Ready to learn more about the University of Arizona? During this virtual event, you'll learn more about the university and how you can become part of it. You'll hear about academic experience, preview the sunny hometown of Tucson, dive into our rich history and traditions, and get an overview of our admissions process. Sign up scholarship web site. 

NACAC Fair and Virtual Fair - 9/27/26 in person or 10/18/26 virtual

Over 100 colleges and universities will be present at the NACAC fair. Find out more information and register scholarship web site!

Scholarship Highlights

As you apply to scholarships and colleges, please remember to enter my name as your counselor. I will be the one to submit supporting documents for any applications. 

Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Awards

The application for the Hispanic Heritage Foundation's (HHF) Youth Awards. Educational grants of up to $4,000 to support the Class of 2027 as they pursue higher education. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is looking for students who have made remarkable achievements in the classroom, made an impact in their communities, and demonstrated excellence in one or more of our award categories, including Community Service, Engineering, and Green Sustainability, with additional categories being added throughout the awards season. Applications are open until November 1st, 2026. Interested students can apply online at scholarship web site.

Coca Cola Scholars Program

This is a highly competitive nationwide scholarship competition with over 100,000 applicants each year. The Coca Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship. Selected students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. Applicants are evaluated on leadership, academics, and service. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. The application will close at 5 PM Eastern on September 30, 2026.

Gates Scholarship

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential. Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, housing and food, and may include additional personal costs) that is not already covered by other financial aid and the Student Aid Index, as determined by the FAFSA, or the methodology used by a Scholar’s college or university. The application deadline is coming up soon on 9/15/26, so if this is a good fit for you, don't delay.

Flinn Scholarship

The Flinn Scholarship is one of Arizona’s most prestigious scholarship opportunities. Flinn Scholars are awarded the full cost of tuition, housing, meals, study abroad, and mentorship - all valued at more than $140,000. This is a highly competitive scholarship and the application process can be intense. Visit the Flinn website to view eligibility requirements to determine if you qualify for this scholarship. The deadline to apply is 5 PM on Oct. 13, 2026.

Chick-fil-A

Every year, thirteen $25,000 scholarships are awarded to students based on academic success, community service, and financial need. Students do not need to be related to Chick-fil-A employees to be eligible. The application closes on November 3, 2026. 

Elks Most Valuable Students Scholarship

The Elks National Foundation awards 500 scholarships each year. The top 20 awardees receive scholarships of $30,000, while 480 runners-up receive scholarships of $4,000. Additionally, many local lodges, districts, and state Elks associations award their own scholarships through this program. Applicants do not need to be related to a member of the Elks. The application deadline is November 12, 2026. 

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship 

This program provides up to $55,000 per year for high-achieving seniors with financial need (minimum 3.5 GPA) to attend a top four-year college. The application will close on November 11, 2026.

QuestBridge

This program connects high-achieving seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to top partner colleges. Applications are due October 1, 2026.

Arizona School Counselors Association (AzSCA)

The Arizona School Counselors Association awards three high school seniors a $2,000 scholarship to assist with postsecondary education costs. Important: If you apply for this scholarship, please enter Heather Wallace as your school counselor because she has a current membership with AzSCA, which is required for this scholarship. Applications must be received by 8pm on November 2, 2026. Winners will be notified on or before December 18, 2026.

University of Arizona’s President's Saguaro Scholar Award

If you are planning to attend the University of Arizona, don’t miss this opportunity. The UofA has introduced a scholarship program that awards approximately 100 incoming freshmen with a $60,000 scholarship ($15,000 for four years). Nominees are reviewed by UofA based on academic achievement, course rigor, long-term potential, and community or extracurricular involvement. Last year I nominated two students and both of them received this scholarship. It was a brand new award last year, and I expect it will become more competitive each year. Students, if you plan to attend UofA and would like to be considered for this scholarship, please complete this Google Form by 9/20/26. You will need to be logged into your Horizon student email account to access the form. Completion of this form does not guarantee a nomination. 

If none of these scholarships are a match for you, do not worry. More scholarships will be shared throughout the year. In the meantime, I encourage you to take time to research scholarships that are a good fit for you, and take note of deadlines and requirements in advance. Some great resources to get started include College Depot, BigFuture, How2WinScholarships and the Ultimate Scholarship Book (see if your local library has a recent version of it). 

Class of 2027 and families, 

Welcome to your senior year! It was so great to see many of you today at Open House, and I look forward to working with all of you this year as you take steps to plan for your future. For those who may not know me, my name is Amanda Tagle and I am the College and Career Advisor at Horizon Honors. I am here to support you throughout your senior year as well as provide assistance with postsecondary planning. I am also our school’s dual enrollment coordinator and Seal of Biliteracy coordinator, so if you have any questions about either of those topics, I am your contact person. Today I am emailing not only to introduce myself but also to share some important information in a timely manner. As college applications are beginning to open, I know many of you are eager to get started. As a reminder, I am available to meet with students one-on-one to complete college applications, and I will also be hosting application workshops in the coming weeks. However, for those who are ready to start applying now, I have some important information to get you started. 

University of Arizona

If you plan to apply to the University of Arizona, please be aware of the following: 

• The application opens tomorrow, August 1st. Visit the UofA website for more information and apply through Common App.

• The University of Arizona strongly encourages you to apply by November 1st. However, I consider this a hard deadline. Last year, Arizona students who applied after 11/1 received no scholarship money. It is imperative to apply by November 1st.  

• Last year there was an “optional” essay included in the application. Our UofA rep has told me that students really need to complete the essay if they would like to be considered for higher scholarships. Do the essay!

• The W.A. Franke Honors College application is embedded in the general application. If you skip this section, you will not have another opportunity to apply to the honors college. I understand it’s more work, but take time to complete the honors application if you think you might be interested in it. 

Arizona State University

The ASU application opened in early July and admission decisions are already being released. It is very helpful to have your high school transcript accessible while completing the application so that you can self-report your grades on the application (this is true for many college applications). If you need your transcript, feel free to email me or request your free, self-view transcript through your student account in Parchment. 

Barrett, the Honors College Pre-Application Checklist - New this year!

This summer, Barrett introduced a pre-application checklist to help students get prepared for the Barrett application. This tool will be available until the honors application officially opens on September 9th. Barrett, the Honors College, says this new tool will guide you through identifying recommenders and their contact information, gathering necessary academic information, brainstorming entries for the Beyond the Classroom (activities) page, and starting to reflect/draft essay prompt responses. You can access the checklist here: Barrett.

Northern Arizona University

NAU has not provided me with any updates yet, but they will be coming soon! In the meantime, I recommend applying directly through the NAU website. As of last year, they began waiving the application fees for Arizona high school students who applied directly to NAU. However, those students who applied through Common App needed to pay an application fee. 

Common App

The Common App opens tomorrow! Students who are planning to apply to several universities, especially out of state universities, are encouraged to consider using Common App to streamline the process. There are over 1,000 colleges and universities that utilize Common App, and it’s a great way to easily keep track of deadlines, essays, recommendations and more. However, if you are planning to apply to only a few universities, such as ASU and NAU, it is easiest to apply directly to those colleges instead of using Common App. If you are unsure if Common App is the best option for you, feel free to ask me about your specific situation. Important: If you choose to use Common App, you must add me as your high school counselor because there are sections I will need to complete in order for your application to be considered complete. Please add me to your application as soon as you begin adding colleges to your Common App account. 

There are countless options for college, and I can't possibly list all of them here. I strongly encourage you to start exploring your many options and taking note of application deadlines. 

Students, I will be meeting with all seniors individually beginning the first week of school and continuing throughout the year. However, if you have any questions or need support at any point in the year, feel free to email me to set up a meeting or stop by the CCC before school, after school, or during lunch. 

Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead!

Mrs. Tagle

Class of 2026, 

Congratulations on all of your accomplishments thus far! I have some important information for you regarding sending your final high school transcript, as well as dual enrollment credits and AP scores to your future college. If you are heading to college, please read this email in its entirety because there are steps you will need to take to send any transcripts or scores. 

AP Free Score Report

If you are taking AP exams this year and would like to send scores to your university, now is a great time to take care of that task. Sending score reports is typically associated with a fee, but they are free once a year. The score report will include 2026 AP scores, as well as all AP tests you have taken in the past. The deadline for free score reports is June 20, 2026. Visit the College Board website for more information and to place your order. If you miss the deadline, you may still order AP score reports in the future, but there will be a fee. 

Ordering Final High School Transcripts 

Seniors who are planning to head to college this fall will need to order a final high school transcript to be sent to their future college or university. This can be done by placing an order through Parchment. Through Parchment, students will be able to place an order for an official transcript (approx. $5 fee). It is important that students mark “Hold for grades” so we know to wait to process the order until final grades have been posted. The ordering process is fairly straightforward, but please reach out to me if you run into any issues. Transcripts should be ordered prior to graduation because I will be fulfilling all order requests the day after graduation. Take a moment to order your transcript today, and don’t forget to mark “hold for grades.”

Dual Enrollment Transcripts

If you have taken dual enrollment classes, you will need to send your official transcript to your college in order to receive credit.

If you are not currently enrolled in a dual enrollment course, you can send the transcript now. Visit Parchment and send your transcript from Maricopa Community Colleges to your college or university. 

If you are currently taking a dual enrollment course, you should not send your transcript yet. Wait until this year’s grades are posted on your SMCC transcript before ordering through Parchment. It may take up to a week after the last day of school for grades to post to your SMCC transcript. The best way to ensure they are posted is to log into your SMCC student center and request a free, unofficial transcript. You will immediately be able to view the transcript and verify whether or not the grades have been posted. Once you see all dual enrollment grades reported on your transcript, then you should order a transcript to be sent from Maricopa Community Colleges to your future college or university. For more information on ordering transcripts, visit the Maricopa Community Colleges website. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Best, 

Mrs. Tagle