School Counselors

• Students will receive a paper copy of the choices sheet and it will also be posted on their graduating class Canvas page. The document will list every class available to students for that grade level.
• There will be an informational night for parents where the choice sheet will be explained, and counselors will be able to answer any questions.
• Students and parents will review the choice sheet. Once a decision is made on what classes to take, the student will log into their Active Student account and input their course requests. Once in Active Student, students should:
  • select course requests
  • add new course request
  • choose from “course” drop down menu
  • submit course request
  • repeat until eight credits worth of classes are chosen
• Once courses are requested in Active Student, students will schedule an appointment with their counselor to review their choices. .
• Students should not need to schedule an appointment without choosing classes in Active Student. Appointments will be available in December and January to meet with counselors.
• AP/DC contracts and applications can be found on Canvas, with a counselor or teacher.

• There will be an upcoming ninth grade parent-student choices night. During this time, information will be given to families, including a choice sheet.
• Counselors will visit Petal Middle School and help eighth graders choose and add their electives for ninth grade.
  • counselors will add core classes

Students can apply for state aid through the MS Aid application. Below is a list of the grants available through the MAAPP.

• HELP Grant- Due March 31
  • The Higher Education Legislation Plan (HELP) provides tuition assistance to qualified students whose financial need, as demonstrated by federal student aid eligibility, will not be met with gift aid from other sources. The program provides full tuition to qualified students for up to four years.
  • View program eligibility requirements here.
• MTAG - Due September 15
  • The Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) is to provide educational opportunities for students who wish to pursue post-secondary education in the state and do not already benefit from federal need-based aid.
  • View eligibility criteria here.
• MESG - Due September 15
  • The Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG) is to provide educational opportunities for high-achieving high school students who wish to pursue post-secondary education in the state.
  • View eligibility criteria here.
• FAITH Scholarship - Due September 15
  • The Fostering Access & Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship awards scholarships up to the full cost of attendance for current and former foster youth to attend college in Mississippi.
  • View eligibility criteria here.

• Federal Student Aid is money from the federal government that helps you pay for college, career school, trade school, or graduate school expenses. Federal student aid is available through grants, work-study funds, and loans.
• You need to create an FSA ID to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. FSA ID will need up to three days to be verified and it is recommended you create one as soon as possible! You can create your FSA ID here.
• The FAFSA normally opens October 1 each year, but for the 2024-25 cycle it will open in December.
  • exact date TBD
• Colleges and Universities require the FAFSA to be completed as part of their financial aid application. Additionally, the state and local grant programs may utilize the information provided on the FAFSA to determine financial need.
• Find more information here.

The County Tuition Assistance Program or CTAP is a partnership between Pearl River Community College (PRCC) and local counties to provide financial support to cover the cost of regular tuition to attend PRCC. Currently, residents from Forrest County and Hancock County are eligible to receive CTAP funds. High school equivalency certificate recipients from these counties are also eligible.

To receive funds through the CTAP, you must:

• apply for admission to PRCC
• take the ACT or Accuplacer Test
• apply for state financial aid (including MTAG, HELP, MESG, etc.)
• complete the federal aid process, including the FAFSA and any required verification process
• apply for PRCC Foundation Scholarships through RiverGuide
• Students must enroll full-time (15 hours) at PRCC for the fall semester immediately after graduating from high school or earning their high school equivalency certificate. December graduates are eligible to begin in the spring semester or the fall semester immediately following graduation.

*Students entering the military upon graduating from high school will be excluded from this enrollment timeline requirement.

The Middle College Program is a joint program between Petal High School (PHS) and Pearl River Community College (PRCC.) Students accepted into the program must complete coursework at the high school and college level during their junior and senior years.

The goal of the program is to provide the opportunity for PHS students to obtain their high school diploma and Associate of Arts degree, simultaneously.

Requirements for the program can be found on the PRCC website.

• DC courses are classes offered to PHS students to earn high school credit and college credit simultaneously.
• Students must take the ACT prior to junior year.
  •  must have composite score of 20 and a 20 in the content area
• DC courses are taught on the PHS campus by our teachers.
• Families are responsible for the cost of the DC courses; however, the price is discounted.
• Parents/guardians and students are required to sign a DC contract.

• PHS provides AP classes to give students the chance to pursue college-level work while still in high school and potentially earn college credit.
• Students must create a College Board account.
  • It is always a good idea to elect to send scores to colleges.
• Students will take the AP exam at the end of the school year and results will be posted in the student’s College Board account. Generally, students must score a three on the five-point scale to earn college credit, though credit offered is defined by college policy.
• Parents/guardians and students are required to sign an AP contract.

• Pearl River Community College (PRCC) offers PHS seniors the opportunity to enroll in select CTE programs listed below. Two students will be selected for each program per year. If a student decides to pursue this option, they will have a non-traditional schedule. The student will take classes at PRCC, not PHS. In order to qualify for a program, the student must meet the following requirements: 
  • 17+ on ACT
  • 2.0 GPA
• The student will be responsible for earning all high school requirements for graduation.
• PRCC DE offerings:
  • Electronics Engineering Technology
  • HVAC- Heating and Cooling
  • Welding

The Petal Education Foundation (PEF) offers different scholarship opportunities for PHS seniors to attend both in-state and out-of-state schools. Some scholarship funds have specific eligibility requirements established by the donor, such as enrollment at a certain college or university or specializing in a specific field of study. Other criteria associated with a particular scholarship must be followed completely to be a candidate for that scholarship. 

• Pine Belt Foundation Scholarships
  • Students graduating from Forrest County schools are eligible for multiple scholarships through the Pine Belt Foundation

• Get2College Scholarship Search

There are a vast number of scholarships available for students from the university they plan on attending. Students should check the financial aid page on the university/college website to find out details about the scholarship process for each individual institution. Explore these sites:

• Jackson State University
• Mississippi State University
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
• The University of Southern Mississippi
• William Carey University

• Below are links to national databases of scholarships. Students will need to make a profile.
  • BigFuture
  • Fast Web
  • RaiseMe
  • Going Merry
  • UNCF Scholarship Search

The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice test administered by ACT, Inc.

ACT Fee waivers are available to cover the cost of the test, and can be requested through a counselor. Eligibility requirements:

• currently enrolled in junior or senior year of high school
• be testing in the United States, US territories or Puerto Rico
• meet one or more of the following indicators of economic need:
  • enrolled in a federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school, based on US Department of Agriculture (USDA) income levels
  • enrolled in a program for the economically disadvantaged
    • federally funded program such as GEAR UP, Upward Bound, etc.
    • Note: If the student participates in a program, but is not economically disadvantaged, they are not eligible for a fee waiver
  • resides in a foster home, is a ward of the state or is homeless
  • family receives low-income public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing
  • family’s total annual income is at or below USDA levels for free or reduced-price lunches on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.

Petal School District offers the ACT to eleventh grade students twice per year in the fall and spring. However, any student can take the ACT on their own at any available test center.

PHS students enrolled in the second year of a CTE program will take the ACT WorkKeys. ACT WorkKeys is a system of assessments, curriculum and skills profiling that determine, build, and measure essential workplace skills that can affect your job performance and increase opportunities for career changes and advancement.

ACT WorkKeys can be used to obtain employment and specific graduation distinctions.

PHS provides Advanced Placement (AP) classes to give students the opportunity to pursue college-level work while still in high school and potentially earn college credit.

Students must create a College Board account. It is always a good idea to elect to send scores to colleges.

Students will take the AP exam at the end of the school year and results will be posted in the students’ College Board account. Generally, students must score a three on the five-point scale to earn college credit, though credit offered is defined by college policy.

*The availability of classes may vary from year to year based on criteria set by the school.

The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) is designed to measure student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science and US History. Students are assessed in Algebra I, Biology I, English II and US History. The results of all MAAP assessments provide information to be used for the improvement of student achievement.

• Grade Level Testing at PHS (may vary):
  • ninth: Algebra I
  • tenth: Biology and English II
  • eleventh: US History

Students must pass all four of these tests to graduate. Students who do not pass on the first attempt will be required to re-test during the next available testing session.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. PHS offers the ASVAB once a year in the fall.

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in the United States. The PSAT is two hours and 45 minutes long. It tests skills in reading, writing and math.

Students interested in taking the PSAT to enter the National Merit Scholarship competition should contact their counselor by the end of their sophomore year.