College & Careers
College Planning Guide
College & Career Searches
College Visits to ZHS
Each fall, representatives from universities, colleges, and the military will visit both Zeeland East and West High Schools. As institutions schedule visits with us, we will communicate this information through the school announcements, weekly parent newsletter, and Google Classroom. Students interested in learning more about these colleges and universities are highly encouraged to sign up! Most meetings will take place during Advisory.
Financial Aid
The federal and state governments provide valuable information about the college financial aid process through their websites.
It is highly recommended that all families with seniors who plan on attending college complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is FREE a government form that helps colleges determine if a student qualifies for federal and state financial assistance. Even those who may not qualify for grants or need-based scholarships might be eligible for federal loan programs that may offer better interest rates than private lending agencies. The FAFSA is available online and is able to be submitted starting October 1 of the student's senior year.
Please follow the steps in this letter for assistance in applying for financial aid and contact a school counselor with any questions.
College Athletic Eligibility
Students interested in competing in college athletics must adhere to certain requirements set forth by the two overseeing athletic organizations in the US - the NCAA and NAIA.
Students who desire to participate in NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 athletics will need to understand the eligibility requirements and create an account with the NCAA Eligibility Center. In general, a student must successfully complete at least 16 high school core courses (English, math, science, social studies, world language) and earn at least a 2.3 core GPA. A core GPA is calculated using only the core classes. It is not a student's cumulative GPA.
For students interested in playing college sports for an NAIA school, they will need to understand the requirements and register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
It is imperative that students interested in playing sports in college communicate with their counselor early in their high school career to ensure the proper steps are being taken towards eligibility.
Letter of Recommendation Outline Form
If you need someone to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf (ex. college applications, scholarship applications), it is important to provide that person with some background information to help them compose a suitable letter. Please feel free to utilize this Letter of Recommendation Request Form to assist with the recommendation process.