A senior files the federal aid application on February 25. According to the notice, what must that student do?
Read a Short Informational Passage · ELPAC Grades 11–12 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A brief factual text — a notice, a label, a set of instructions — followed by questions.
Read the notice. Then answer the questions.
Financial Aid Night and the March Deadline
The counseling office will hold Financial Aid Night on February 5, from six to eight o'clock in the cafeteria. Two advisers from the community college will help families start the federal aid application in person. Bring last year's tax return and, if you have one, a photo identification card. You do not need a Social Security number to attend, and staff can explain which state application to use instead.
Seniors who want the state grant must also have a verified grade point average submitted by March 2. The front office submits these automatically for any senior who files the federal application before February 20. A student who files after that date must request the submission in writing at the front office.
The question
Choose the best answer.
A senior files the federal aid application on February 25. According to the notice, what must that student do?
- Nothing; the front office will submit the grade point average automatically.
- Ask the front office in writing to submit the grade point average.Correct answer
- Attend Financial Aid Night in the cafeteria.
- Bring a photo identification card to the front office.
Why “Ask the front office in writing to submit the grade point average.” is correct
This tests reading a conditional rule inside a short notice, which is the kind of text a senior has to handle without help. The notice says the office submits the grade point average automatically only for students who file the federal application before February 20, so a February 25 filing falls outside that window and the request has to be made in writing. The date is the entire question, and students who read only the sentence about automatic submission answer wrongly.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Nothing; the front office will submit the grade point average automatically. — Automatic submission applies only to applications filed before February 20, and this one is five days late.
- Attend Financial Aid Night in the cafeteria. — Financial Aid Night is on February 5, which has already passed, and attending is not what triggers the submission.
- Bring a photo identification card to the front office. — Photo identification is suggested for the evening event, not for a grade point average request.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grades 11–12, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 11–12. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
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