Dollars and $ense . . .

Where's the Money?
Part 2

Sometimes . . . getting answers means knowing what questions to ask. While there is a lot of money out there to be awarded (billions of dollars last year went to undergraduate students), knowing how to access it sometimes seems complicated.

Here are some questions to ask the admissions/aid professionals at schools you are considering:
$ Is this school need-blind in admissions? (That simply means that students are admitted to a given school regardless of their ability to pay.)
$ When a student is admitted, is the school able to meet the student's demonstrated need?
$ How is aid packaged? This means what forms of aid are available - scholarships, grants, loans, work-study - and how are aid packages put together?
$ Which forms are required for applying for need-based and/or merit money?
$ When are these forms due?
$ When will my eligibility for aid/scholarship be determined and how and when will I be notified of the package I will be offered?
$ What is the difference between being a dependent student vs. being an independent student?
$ What happens if my circumstances change?

There's a lot of information to chew on when it comes to figuring out how to get aid for educational opportunities after high school.

I'm in search of other information to share with you - going to go see my counselor.

L8R,
Clyde

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

No, I’m not crunching on bones, I’m crunching numbers...

trying to get an idea of how much college really costs. Think once tuition and your residence hall fees are paid for that you’re covered? Think again.

In addition to the major costs of tuition and having a roof over your head, there are many other necessities to consider. There are also plenty of UNNECESSARY expenses...but we’ll get to those later.

Take books and supplies. According to College Board, the national average for the necessary materials you need for class at four-year public colleges in 2009-10 is $1,122. Keep in mind, this is an AVERAGE. Bringing your own laptop to school with you? Add the price of a computer and software. Majoring in a creative field like architecture or graphic design? Talk to the department head for an estimate of yearly costs for those canvases, paints, brushes, and print shop jobs that you’ll have to rely on every time you make a presentation. They can add up…quickly!

And what happens if you get sick? If you’re lucky, maybe your roommate will heat you a bowl of chicken soup in the microwave and let you have complete control of the remote until you feel better. But what if you’re knocked down with more than a cold? Will you still be covered under your parents’ insurance? Do you even know where the campus infirmary is located? Just a few things to consider…

And let’s talk about the most important necessity of all – FOOD! Now, you may be enrolling for a campus meal plan. At some places, there meal plans are required for first-year students. A meal plan can be a great option for some…and a not so great option for others. Check to see how many meals per day/week this covers and then think about how much you REALLY eat. By the way, you might also check the hours food will be served—I don’t know too many college students who get up to eat at 6:00 A.M.! And don’t kid yourself into thinking you can honestly be satisfied with PB & J 24/7 just so you can use your food allowance toward something else. When your new friends invite you put for pizza on a Friday night, are you really gonna turn them down so you can sit in your room, alone, with a jar of Jif® ? Think about it.

All this to say…it’s never too early to sit down with your parents and put together a realistic budget for your next year in college. What are they paying for? What are YOU paying for? What will be covered through scholarship/financial aid? Make a list of everything you think you will need over the course of the year and tally your estimated total. Then go back and revise the list to cover what you REALLY need. More on that next week…

Woof,
Clyde

Dollars and $ense . . . Where’s the Money? Part 1

OK . . . College is expensive, but the reality is that not having a college education may be the most expensive option.

Depending on which source you consult, an individual with a college degree, over a lifetime, will make somewhere between $800,000 and $1,200,000 more than someone who doesn’t complete education beyond high school. That’s a lot of dog treats!

Think you’ll never go to college? Here’s a fact my counselor shared with me: 17% of college students are 35 or older. Pretty impactful–of people who have been out working, more than 1/3 of them choose to go back for more education. OK . . . I get it, education matters.

But, if you are a senior right now, or even someone who has graduated from high school and you want to go to college next fall, where do you begin to figure out how to pay for college?

Start with the paperwork. And know not only which documents are required by your college choices, but also the deadlines for submitting them. Here’s a newsflash for you–financial aid is available for four-year schools, two-year schools, and trade schools.

There are basically two main types of aid for school funding–need-based and merit-based. There are three main routes to need-based aid: the FAFSA (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/complete001.htm), the CSS PROFILE (https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp), and any college or school-specific aid form. Some colleges require the submission of these forms even if you are applying for merit money (scholarships). Remember too that there are many organizations that provide scholarship funds that can require totally separate applications. These frequently require extra paperwork. Making It Count is a good example–they offer a Winning Characteristics scholarship. If your school hosts Making College and Career Count, then you are eligible to apply for this scholarship. (http://makingitcount.com/scholarship/

Here’s my #1 rule about applying for aid/scholarships:
Do It!!

Here’s my #2 rule about applying for aid/scholarships:
Do it on time and accurately!!

Here are some helpful sites:

Fafsa.gov (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/)

fafsa4ecaster ( http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/index.jsf)

Fastweb (http://www.fastweb.com/)

Never ever pay to fill out the FAFSA. It should be submitted as soon as possible after January 1 of your senior year. The CSS PROFILE does cost, but there are fee waivers. See your counselor if you think you might qualify for one. Watch out for scams. (http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams)

In case you haven’t gotten my motto about filing for financial aid/scholarships, here’s a reminder . . .


More later,
Clyde

Resolutions. . .Ring in the year with good resolutions, Part 2

Much is written and said about what juniors and seniors should be doing as the new semester rolls around. Sophomores and freshmen need to think about where they are too. Talk with your parents about college choices and what the family budget can pay for if you don’t qualify for aid/scholarships. Job shadow. Go to college fairs. It isn’t too early to think about college visits.

Sophomores:
• Here’s a reality check for you: Half–one-half, 50% of the record you will use to apply to colleges is already set in stone. Have you constructed a solid foundation in the classroom and in your activities? Or, are you in quick sand?
• Use your standardized test results. Many schools use the PLAN and the PSAT/NMSQT with sophomores. There is a lot of information there that will help you get ready for the ACT and SAT. Know why you missed questions. You actually get the test booklets back on these two tests, so you can go over missed questions that puzzled you with subject area teachers. This is free and effective test prep.
• If you are in activities, look for leadership opportunities. Stand out in a crowded field by being a real, positive contributor.
• Get to know activity moderators and teachers. You’ll need these people down the line for recommendations.
• Ever seen your counselor? How will this person get to know you well enough to write a recommendation that really speaks about who you are and how you function in your high school milieu–in and out of the classroom?
• It’s probably about time to sign up for classes for next year. Take hard stuff. Good grades matter relevant to the difficulty of your academic program. Great grades in advanced submarine screen door repair won’t help you do well on standardized tests and won’t help you make your case to competitive colleges for admission.
• Talk to strong students who are older than you–juniors and seniors. Ask them what they’d do differently if they could go back through second semester of their sophomore year.

Freshmen:
• Slow start or solid foundation? Which phrase characterizes your first semester of high school? Are you an unknown or are you becoming a classroom and activity go-to-freshman? Are your grades an uh-oh didn’t get started well nightmare or are they the best they could be? Remember your GPA, at most high schools, is cumulative–meaning each semester builds on the previous one. If you didn’t get off to the best start, as long as you show an uphill trend in grades, some colleges will be forgiving of your lackluster first semester. However, realize you will always be behind those who were at the top of their game right out of the first semester gate.
• Talk to your counselor and teachers about classes for next year. Take hard stuff.
• How is your resume-building going? It doesn’t matter what activities you are in–it matters what your track record in them is. Do something you have passion for, and if you feel the urge, start an organization and follow through with it.
• Talk to highly respected seniors at your school. Ask them if they could go back to their freshman year in high school, what they might do differently to have more options available to them and to have enjoyed high school more.
• Especially if you are the oldest in your family, start the conversation with your parent(s)/guardian(s) about your plans for the future. Begin the conversation about what the family budget will withstand in terms of college costs.

Planning matters! The best college applications are made in the freshman and sophomore years by students who are actively engaged in the classroom, involved in their communities and are contributing members of student organizations.

Next week–some thoughts on financial aid.

Woof,

Clyde

Got baggage?

So here we are, at the beginning of second semester. The excitement, rush and relaxation of the holiday break is now over, and the second half of the school year is upon us. While for seniors graduation seems like it will be here in the blink of an eye, in other ways it looks like the end of a very long and bumpy road with a lot of work to be finished during second semester. The rest of you will get to this point in your senior year far more quickly than you realize.

Regardless of your grade level, if your feeling a little overwhelmed, don’t wait until you’re buried like a bone in projects and obligations. Ask for help! You don’t have to carry your load all alone. Your family, teachers, mentors and friends want to see you succeed and will be there for you to lend a hand (or paw) in your final few months before summer.

Help – go fetch it.

Woof,

Clyde

Resolutions . . . really aren’t for the birds, Part 1

Making resolutions is easy, keeping them–not so easy. So I talked to my counselor to get a few suggestions for tasks high school students should be focusing on as the new year rolls in . . . time is wasting, don’t delay . . . think about your goals, and plan and take action today!

Seniors:

• Keep the finish line in mind. Don’t let up. Second semester matters. If you slack off, colleges can rescind your admission. Read the fine print–all acceptances are conditional contingent upon the successful completion of second semester in a style commensurate with what you were displaying at the time you were conditionally accepted. Stay really engaged in your studies and in your activities. Your responsibilities to your clubs and organizations are still there. Your school, your community and younger students are trusting you to take care of business. By the way, if there is a radical change in your academics or conduct, your counselor is supposed to report that to colleges.
• Many colleges don’t render admissions decisions until early spring . . . practice patience. Be thinking about the priority order for your school choices if you were accepted at all of your choices. Think also about where the costs figure in your decision. Analyzing these things and seeing how you feel about your choices helps to confirm your final choice.
• Take care of sending mid-year/seventh semester transcripts. Follow your high school’s procedure for doing this. Some colleges allow you to self-report your fall senior grades.
• Remember that admission, financial aid and housing all require separate paperwork.
• Take care of business regarding financial aid applications. Stay tuned for more on financial aid next week. If you are unsure about the forms to use and the deadlines at your schools of choice, contact the financial aid offices at your schools.
• Think about revisiting your top choices after admissions decisions are in–one last look. Many colleges now host spring accepted student sessions. These allow you to meet and greet other accepted students–a great way to see who might be in your residence hall, your classes, and who you could be spending the next four years with.

Juniors:

• Wake up! You snooze, you lose. Here is a reality check for you: 5 of the 6 semesters that will be sent to colleges when you apply are already set in stone. Make that 6th semester strong–in the classroom and in your activities.
• Register for standardized tests. Take the forms seriously. They tell colleges a lot about you.
• Don’t just register for tests–prepare for them. This does NOT need to be expensive. Both www.act.org and www.collegeboard.org have free test prep materials on their websites. Osmosis won’t get the material in your brain. Work hard in the classroom. Read. Reading improves your comprehension, vocabulary and reading rate (speed). All of these tests are reading based. Improving your reading helps improve your test scores. Make sure you talk to your counselor about Score Choice and what that might mean for you in the admissions process.
• Visit with colleges that come to your high school.
• Attend college fairs if there are any in your area.
• Plan some spring college visits–go to class, talk with professors, eat the food, spend the night in a residence hall (if possible), take a tour, talk to students–not just the tour guides, go to class, and ask about financial aid/scholarships, etc. There is a ton of information available about making good college visits. Use it.
• Get to know your counselor. This is the person who will complete your secondary school report for your applications. If you have never spent any time with this person, time is wasting.
• If you might need them, be thinking about which teachers you might want to write recommendations for you.
• Essays . . . dreaded though they may be, are a fact of life for many college applications. Here’s a newsflash: Colleges that require essays actually read what you write! Tell your parents they just can’t help with the essays. They can proofread them for you, but a 45-year-old doesn’t sound like a 17-year-old. Write about what matters to you, but make sure that you are answering the question(s) being asked. Spell check and grammar check aren’t enough–use your eyeballs, and use them more than once to really see and hear what the admissions officer reading your essays will see and hear.

Sophomores and freshmen–stay tuned! Suggestions for you are on the way.

L8R,
Clyde