AzSCA Inc.

FAFSA® questions are coming. 👀

And you don't have to become a financial aid expert to help students take that first step.

Knowing the basics—who should complete the FAFSA form, what students may need before they begin, and where to find reliable answers—can help you point students and families in the right direction.

We pulled together a few of those basics here. 👆

Want to brush up before the questions start coming? The Federal Student Aid website has FAFSA information, FAQs and resources you can use yourself or share directly with students and families:

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Save this carousel for later and share it with your counseling team. ❤️

"I don’t know what I want to do after high school.”

For a school counselor, that’s not the end of the conversation. It’s often the beginning.

College Savings Month is a good reminder that preparing for what comes next doesn’t require a student to have their entire future figured out.

Counselors can help students and families start exploring the possibilities—college, career and other postsecondary pathways—while asking questions about what those options may require and how they can begin preparing now.

Sometimes the most helpful first step isn’t choosing the destination.

It’s helping a student realize they have options worth planning for. ❤️

This is what school counseling looks like. ❤️

Not a stock photo. Not a perfectly staged office.

A real counselor, in the real space where students walk through the door every day.

Meet Tyra 👋 and take a peek inside her counseling office—one of the many spaces across Arizona where students come to ask questions, make plans, work through hard things, celebrate good things and find an adult who’s ready to listen.

We want to show more of where school counseling happens across our state.

So, Arizona school counselors: show us your space! 📸

Snap a photo or a quick video of your office, desk, counseling corner—or wherever your work happens—and DM it to us!

We’d love to take our AzSCA community inside more real counseling spaces across Arizona.

Remember when we told you there’s a whole lot of work behind those four letters?

Here’s why we wanted you to know. ❤️

🎉 Congratulations to the school counseling team at Dobson High School on earning the Recognized ASCA Model Program® (RAMP®) designation!

Earlier this month, we shared that schools need at least one full academic year to collect the data and information required for a RAMP application.

That means this recognition represents so much more than submitting an application. It reflects the intentional work happening behind the scenes to build a school counseling program aligned with the ASCA National Model.

Today, we get to celebrate an Arizona school counseling team for doing that work and earning national recognition for it.

Dobson High School counselors, congratulations! We’re proud to celebrate this accomplishment with you. 🎉❤️

Ever caught yourself thinking…

“AzSCA should do more of this.”

“I wish school counselors had more of that.”

“Someone should bring this idea forward.”

👀 Maybe that someone is you.

AzSCA is shaped by school counselors who are willing to bring their experiences, ideas and perspective to the table.

Serving in a leadership role is an opportunity to help move those ideas forward—and contribute to the work happening on behalf of school counselors across Arizona.

And if you’ve ever thought about using your voice in a bigger way, there may be a place for you at the table. ❤️

More on AzSCA Board elections coming soon.

Do you understand what Proposition 320 could mean for Arizona school counselors?

Under the current Arizona Auditor General classification, school counselors are considered student support rather than direct instruction—a distinction that could affect how districts prioritize and fund counseling positions and other student support services if Proposition 320 passes.

Join AzSCA for a free virtual information session presented by Jimmy Arwood, Director of Governmental Relations.

📅 September 28, 2026
⏰ 4 p.m. Arizona time
💻 Zoom

Learn the facts, understand the funding classifications and better understand the potential implications for the school counseling profession.

Register here: https://www.google.com/urlq=https://azsca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfmpageID%3D3385&source=gmail&ust=1789572970186000&usg=AOvVaw2QjaOfo5Z0TEOt5ZSS9aRp

That belief is what led Aja Dezeeuw to the AzSCA Board.

In her own words:

“I believe that AzSCA has the power to make a difference at the state level and being part of the BOD gives me the opportunity to have my voice heard.”

Serving on the Board is one way Arizona school counselors can bring what they see, experience and advocate for every day into a larger conversation about the profession across our state.

But serving also means time away from the schools and communities our Board members support every day. That’s why we also want to recognize the leaders who make their involvement possible. 💙

Aja extends a special thank you to Gila Community College VP of Academics Dr. Phil McBride for supporting her service with AzSCA and the school counseling profession across Arizona.

As we get closer to the next AzSCA Board election, we hope you’ll start thinking about what you would want to bring to that conversation.

Arizona school counselors: Join AzSCA for a free professional learning session focused on Proposition 320 and its potential implications for the future of the school counseling profession.

The session will cover:

→ The facts of Proposition 320
→ What the proposed 60% direct-instruction spending requirement could mean for districts
→ Why funding classifications matter for school counselors and other student support services

The session will be presented by Jimmy Arwood, Director of Governmental Relations, and is brought to you by the Arizona School Boards Association Governmental Relations Team.

📅 September 28, 2026
⏰ 4 p.m. Arizona time
💻 Zoom
💙 Free to attend

Register here: https://azsca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3385

Knowing a student goes beyond knowing their schedule, their grades or what they want to do after graduation.

It means getting to know the experiences, people, traditions and communities that have helped shape who they are.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins today, creating an opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities—and to think about what it looks like to make space for those experiences in our schools.

For school counselors, that can start with something simple: curiosity.

Ask about the people who matter to your students. Learn how they describe their own identity. Listen to the traditions they're excited to share. Pay attention to the strengths they bring from their families and communities.

Because the more we understand the whole student, the better we can support the student sitting in front of us. ❤️