VT Daily Trivia: High School Seniors Edition (Sept. 22, 2025)

1) What does FAFSA stand for?

Federal Application for Student Financial Award
Not quite. That wording isn’t the official title.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Correct. FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; it determines eligibility for federal grants, work-study, and many loans.
Financial Aid Form for Students in America
Close in spirit, but not the official name.
Federal Aid Funding & Scholarship Application
Sounds plausible, but it’s not the real expansion.

500 words
That was an older cap used by some schools. Keep reading.
750 words
Too high. There is a widely used standard cap.
650 words
Correct. The Common App essay is capped at about 650 words—enough room for a focused, personal story.
600 words
Close, but the cap allows a little more.

You must submit SAT/ACT unless you have a waiver
That describes test-required, not test-optional.
Scores are considered but never help you
If submitted, scores can still help at many schools.
You may choose whether to submit scores with no penalty if you don’t
Correct. Test-optional means you decide whether to submit SAT/ACT. If you don’t, your application is reviewed on other merits.
Scores are required for scholarships only
Some scholarships do require scores, but that’s not the definition.

A scale that awards extra points for AP/IB honors courses
That describes a weighted GPA.
A 0.0–4.0 scale without course rigor boosts
Correct. Unweighted GPA measures performance on a standard 4.0 scale without extra weight for course difficulty.
A 0.0–5.0 scale used only by private schools
Scales vary, but this isn’t what “unweighted” means.
A GPA that drops elective grades
Electives usually count unless your school says otherwise.

A family friend who’s a college alum
Nice connection, but admissions prefers academic insight.
A teacher who knows your work well in a core subject
Correct. A teacher who can speak to your academic habits and growth offers the most useful context.
A celebrity you met at an event
Fun story, but weak evidence of your classroom performance.
A distant relative who’s a professor
Unless they taught you, this won’t carry much weight.

Student Aid Report (SAR)
That was the prior term most students used to see.
FAFSA Submission Summary
Correct. The updated FAFSA process provides a FAFSA Submission Summary instead of the old SAR.
Financial Eligibility Notice
Not the official term used in the process.
Grant & Loan Eligibility Sheet
Descriptive, but not the correct name.

EA is binding; ED is nonbinding
That’s flipped.
Both EA and ED are binding
Only one is binding.
Neither EA nor ED is binding
One of them is binding at most schools.
EA is nonbinding; ED is binding
Correct. Early Action is nonbinding, while Early Decision commits you if admitted.

Admits students only if they can pay full tuition
That’s the opposite of the term.
Does not consider ability to pay when making admission decisions
Correct. Need-blind means admissions decisions are made without considering a student’s financial situation.
Admits only students who qualify for Pell Grants
Not related to Pell eligibility specifically.
Offers automatic full scholarships to all admits
Aid policies vary and are separate from admissions stance.

Tuition and mandatory fees only
COA is broader than just tuition and fees.
Room and board only
That’s part of it, not the whole.
Books, supplies, transportation only
Those count, but COA covers more.
Tuition/fees, room/board, books/supplies, transportation, personal expenses
Correct. COA is an all-in estimate of yearly educational expenses, not just tuition.

An organization asks you to proofread your essay
That’s normal and not a scam by itself.
Guaranteed award if you pay an upfront “processing fee”
Correct. Beware any “guaranteed” scholarship that requires a fee—legitimate awards don’t promise outcomes for payment.
You’re asked to submit transcripts and references
Those are standard application materials.
A video interview with a verified foundation
Interviews can be legitimate; verify the organization instead.