BJHS college fair to be held Thursday

The BJHS Parent Scholarship Committee will be assisting in answering questions about college admission and scholarships.

Auburn and Alabama will once again gather this Thursday, Jan. 20, but this time in the Bob Jones High School cafeteria for the annual BJHS College Fair.

More than 45  colleges and universities are scheduled to participate in the college fair, which will be held from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

“Students should start looking at colleges long before senior year,” said Sheila Roberts, Bob Jones college and career counselor. “Juniors and sophomores should be meeting with representatives and finding which scholarships are available and which schools are the best fit for them. Getting information initially at a college fair is a great start, and students they can follow up by visiting them.”

Roberts said numerous handouts and registration forms for test preparation instructions for applying for financial aid and Internet links for more resources will be available.

“Getting excited about attending your favorite school is a sure way to stay focused on earning good grades and being a good citizen,” said Dr. Julie Finley, vice principal. “The 2010 senior class received $32,386,088 in scholarship offers with 95 percent of seniors seeking admission into two or four-year colleges and universities.”

The BJHS Parent Scholarship Committee will also be assisting in answering questions about college admission and scholarships, according to Roberts.

“Teachers and Counselors will be preparing their rooms to meet students and parents for an Open House directly following the College Fair,” she said. “We purposely hold them on the same night to help parents with scheduling, etc.”

Telesa Hester, with the North Alabama Center for Educational Excellence, will offer materials regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application.

All interested parties are invited to attend the fair.

The following is a list of some of the colleges that will be represented at the fair Thursday: Alabama, Auburn, UAB, UAH, UNA, AL A&M, South AL, MSU, Samford, GA Tech, Birmingham Southern, Troy, Judson, Huntingdon, Jacksonville State, Montevallo, Duke, NC State, Calhoun, David Lipscomb, Drake, Ole Miss, West Alabama, Sewanee, University of S. Carolina, Military Academies, etc.