Category Archives: financial aid

college costs, financial aid, scholarships

Scholarships: JROTC and FFA

 

Searching for scholarships can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to look; or in this case, how to plan. Sometimes planning for scholarship opportunities takes a little foresight and preparation, but the benefits and the rewards definitely pay off.

JROTC Scholarships

jrotcMany high schools across the country offer a class called JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps). It’s more than a class, however. It’s an opportunity to qualify for scholarships at the military academies and in college ROTC programs. Additionally, many parent booster groups offer scholarships to cadets who participate in the program. Even if your college-bound teen doesn’t plan to pursue a military career, JROTC offers a great opportunity to show colleges they possess leadership qualities and communication skills. Units also teach discipline and respect.

Read this article to find out more information about JROTC:

Junior ROTC-more than just a class to cadets

ffaFFA Scholarships

FFA (Future Farmers of America) clubs in high schools offer another opportunity for students to win scholarships. Students raise livestock and participate in livestock shows. Most exhibitors leave the livestock show with some money for college, and many win additional scholarships.

Read this article to get more information on FFA and livestock competitions:

Scholarships: Another way for stock show competitors to win big

If your college-bound teen shows an interest in either of these two areas, it’s an excellent opportunity for them to turn their interest into some money for college.

admissions, college guidance, college news, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, scholarships, social networks, test prep, Uncategorized

50 College Info Websites

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1. ParentsCountdowntoCollegeCoach.com–You will find the MOST information here on our blog: college guidance, college planning, college coaching, and college news. Come here first to find the latest and best tools to help you navigate the college maze.

2. UniversityParent.com–A site where parents can ask questions, gather information, and download and view college guides and campus newsletters.

3. Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.

4. Zinch.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.

5. Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.

6. MeritAid.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.

7. SmartCollegeVisit.com–Created to provide information about college visits, help parents and students plan, and view personal accounts from both parents and students.

8. MyCollegeCalendar.org–Interactive college admissions counseling program designed for both high school students and their parents.

9. Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.

10. MyUSearch.com–An excellent blog with tips for parents and students about college; also provides college matching and scholarship searches.

11. FindTuition.com–Help finding money to pay for college, along with articles related to college financing.

12. EntrepreneurEdu.org–This is an excellent resource for students who are interested in colleges who offer entrepreneurial programs.

13. TutorsForTestPrep.com–An SAT expert and coach offering tips to help your college-bound teen improve their SAT/ACT scores.

14. Bookrenter.com–Rent college textbooks and save up to 75% over purchasing them new.

15. TheCollegeSolutionBlog.com–An excellent resource for college-bound teens and their parents: admissions, testing, and financial aid.

16. UniversityLanguage.com/blog–Great blog articles about everything related to college admissions geared toward students.

17. CollegeWeekLive.com–A virtual college fair that sponsors free LIVE events with archived presentations, student chats, and college booths.

18. BetterGrads.org–A network of college student peer advisers and a resource filled website presenting honest accounts of the college experience geared toward high school students.

19. Youniversitytv.com–Learn about colleges by watching video tours, chat with students on campus forums, post questions and get answers.

20. NYTimes-TheChoiceBlog–Demystifying college admissions and financial aid by providing articles and Q&A by experts in the field.

21. GreatCollegeAdvice.com/blog–An excellent resource about the college admissions process providing expert advice helping students map their college journey.

22. USNews.com/Education–The education channel of U.S. News and World Reports providing the latest news and information related to college.

23. Fafsa.ed.gov–The official government website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

24. CommonApp.org–The common application site used by 400 colleges and universities across the country.

25. PrincetonReview.com–The best value colleges list for public and private institutions across the country.

26. NCSASports.org–The college recruiting site for athletes.

27. FairTest.org–The site for the National Center for fair and open testing providing information about colleges who do not use the SAT/ACT for admissions decisions.

28. SallieMae.com/plan–A FREE education investment planner that will help determine college costs, compare college costs, and provides information about student loan repayments.

29. UPromise.com–UPromise partners return a portion of eligible purchase money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!

30. SavingForCollege.com–Everything you need to know about financing a college education.

31. CollegeBoard.com–It’s here you’ll find the CSS Profile application (required by many private colleges), register for the SAT, and read articles about planning for college.

32. CollegeBasics.com–An excellent resource for information about college essays, college applications and high school resumes.

33. InsideHigherEd.com/blogs–Several different blogs related to higher education.

34. CollegeXpress.com–A search site that groups colleges in categories and provides college “hot” lists (i.e. top college for late bloomers, colleges for students needing a second chance)

35. ECampus.com–Find textbooks, sell textbooks, search for college supplies and college apparel all on this one site.

36. TheRealCollegeGuide.com–Four blogs about college life: the dorm, lifestyle, academics and heath and fitness.

37. DesignYourDorm.com–A free online, interactive resource for designing and organizing your college-bound teen’s dorm room.

38. CollegeAdmissionsPartners.com/blog–An expert blog dedicated to helping students find the right college.

39. GradeFund.com—Students invite their friends and family to sponsor their drive for good grades. Sponsors choose grade levels and sponsorship amounts for each grade (as low as $5) to help students raise money for their college education.

40. CollegeParentCentral.com–A blog created to give parents useful information about college and the college admissions process.

41. Number2.com–Free online test prep (SAT/ACT) with vocabulary exercises and help.

42. VolunteerMatch.org–Find local volunteer opportunities for your college-bound teen and teach them about the importance of giving back to their community with the added bonus of adding that service to their high school resume.

43. KnowHow2Go.com–A college planning site for college-bound students providing helps and aids from middle school to senior year: interactive and fun!

44. BeRecruited.com–If you have a teen that’s a student athlete, they can create an online profile here and help colleges and coaches find them and be recruited.

45. FinAid.org–An excellent resource for the answers to all your questions regarding college financial aid.

46. TheCampusBuzz.com–An online clearinghouse for national college news; find all the college news in one place!

47. BigFuture.collegeboard.org–A planning tool to help parents and students get ready for college.

48. CollegeFocus.com/colleges–A virtual clearinghouse of blogs related to college life, parenting, college searches, etc.

49. Word-nerd.com–An PSAT/SAT vocabulary prep tool.

50. YourCollegeKid.com–A site with parent forums and other college prep tools.

admissions, college costs, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, parenting, scholarships, social networks, test prep, Uncategorized

How to raise $15,000 for college

 

A few weeks ago I attended a virtual college event at CollegeWeekLive. I was impressed with the simplicity of the information and wanted to pass it along to all my readers who might not have had the opportunity to attend. This particular session was conducted by Kim Clark, staff writer for U.S. News and World Reports. She outlined some simple steps to raise $15,000 for college:

  1. Up to $2500 from Uncle Sam–via tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credit)
  2. Child labor–put your teen to work at a summer job ($8 an hour x 40 hours a week for 9 weeks=$2880)
  3. Student loans–Stafford Loan ($5500 max per year at 7%); after student leaves college can sign up for payments based on their income (less than 15%)
  4. Family savings–cut teen to occassional driver and save $; food bills will decline; stop subsidizing entertainment (food and insurance can =$300-$400 a month)
  5. Scholarships and grants–leverage grades, test scores, athletics, arts for merit-based grants; apply for local scholarships
  6. Friends and relatives–ask for college fund contributions instead of presents
  7. Corporate sponsorship–some employers subsidize education for employees and families; UPromise
  8. Reduce college expenses–reduce dorm costs (share with other students); watch meal plans; buy used textbooks or rent; earn cheaper credits at community college, AP classes or dual credit classes; sell student’s car (won’t need one at college)

The bottom line: $15,000 or MORE! Here’s how it all adds up:

  1. Tax break-$2500 per year
  2. Student loan-$5500 per year
  3. Student job-$3000 per year
  4. Parent savings-$4000 per year
  5. Relatives-_____ (fill in blank)
  6. Scholarships-____(fill in blank)
  7. Corporate sponsorship-____(fill in blank)
  8. Reduction in college expenses-_____(fill in blank)

By piecing together all these separate components, there is no limit on how much you can raise for college costs. At the very least you can raise $15,000, at the very most, the sky is the limit!

You can check out U.S. News and World Reports education section: Paying For College for more information and tips.

college costs, college guidance, college planning, financial aid, parenting, Uncategorized

Paying for College

collegeweekliveToday is CollegeWeekLive’s FREE online event that will answer many of your questions about paying for college.  They have taken the time to gather all the experts and bring the information to you in the comfort of your own home. Sit down with a cup of coffee and watch, listen and chat while they give your their tips on financial aid, scholarships and financing.

Straight from College Week Live’s email:

Would you like to talk live with representatives of the US Dept of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid office about the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and federal financial aid options? Want to speak with an expert from US News & World Report about tracking down cash for college? Would you like to find scholarships or get advice from college financial aid officers?

Get all this and more at CollegeWeekLive PAYING FOR COLLEGE on January 14th from 3:00 – 10:00 PM Eastern. Register for free and login this Thursday to speak live with this all-star cast of financial aid and scholarship experts!

3:00 PM Eastern How to Raise $15K for College Right Now
Kim Clark, Staff Writer, US News & World Report
3:30 PM Eastern How to Tap Into $11 Billion in Merit Scholarships
Chris Long, President and Chief Operating Officer, MeritAid.com
4:00 PM Eastern Elks National Foundation Scholarships
Kristen Scaletta, Programs Relationship Associate, Elks National Foundation
4:00 PM Eastern Money for the Student Athlete
Dion Wheeler, Author: “Sports Scholarship Insider’s Guide”
4:30 PM Eastern The Scholarships.com Program
Kevin Ladd, Vice President, Scholarships.com
5:00 PM Eastern Finding Money: A Guide To Financial Aid
Featuring Martha Savery, Director of External Relations, MEFA
7:00 PM Eastern Funding Your Education: Expert Tips to Navigate the Financial Aid Process
Adam Essex, Senior Project Manager, US Dept of Education, Office of
Federal Student Aid
9:00 PM Eastern Ask a Financial Aid Officer
Financial Aid Officers For Hawaii Pacific University and University of Alaska Fairbanks

Visit the Scholarships.com booth on the Financial Aid floor for more scholarship information and live chat!

Don’t forget about the CollegeWeekLive scholarships: Click here for more information!

  • $1,000 scholarship for the student of a parent who registers and attends CollegeWeekLive PAYING FOR COLLEGE
  • $3,000 scholarship for a student who registers and attends any 2010 CollegeWeekLive event prior to March 31, 2010

You don’t want to miss this FREE resource. Set your alarms, your watches, your smartphones and your Outlook calendars. See you in cyberspace!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, test prep

Preparing for College: A Helping Hand

The University of Arizona has established two programs to help high school students prepare for the college experience. They are welcoming high school sophomores and seniors to a summer program that provides them with valuable information about the university and about building a foundation to help students succeed once they graduate high school and enter college.

The 2-day senior program is focused around admissions and acquainting students with the various majors available. The week-long sophomore program is focused around teaching students how to build a foundation for academic success.

According to University of Arizona academic advisors:

Minimally, families should be planning for college as early as 8th grade, when many academic decisions with long-term consequences are made. Course planning for the freshman year often begins early to mid-spring semester of the eighth grade year, and it is important that parents and school personnel help young students design a plan for college enrollment beginning then.

This program gives students a helping hand. This program was implemented after a 2007 pilot study showed that “addressing the transition barrier between high school and college was a critical point needed to help raise high school graduation levels and college enrollment”.

Hopefully other colleges will follow suit and implement these transitional programs. A student who is prepared and armed with the tools to succeed will be less likely to enter college overwhelmed and be less likely to drop out or fail.

Read the entire article here.

admissions, college costs, college guidance, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, scholarships, social networks, test prep

U.S. News & World Report-Best Colleges

This is not a commercial plug for this publication. It is however, an explanation of why I believe this is a MUST read for any college-bound teen. There are three options available for your use:

  • The print edition for $9.95
  • The online edition for $14.95
  • The combo package (print and online) for $19.95

If you don’t want to fork over the cost for either of these, you can browse their website and find a wealth of information.

It is my recommendation that you invest in at least the print version of this publication. If you’re in the process of choosing a college or even widdling down some choices, this publication will give you the needed information to make the right choice.

What does it provide?

  1. It is packed with articles about how to choose a college, how to prepare, how to get in, and how to pay for the education.
  2. It provides information about the best colleges concerning tuition, aid packages, student body, room and board cost, email addresses and website information.
  3. There is also explanation on how they determine their rankings based on several key measures of quality: academic reputation, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance, and alumni giving rate.
  4. It is an invaluable tool for determining past financial aid packages and will help you gauge if applying to a top-tiered college will be affordable based on alumni giving.
  5. Schools vie for the prestige of being in this publication. If a school makes the list, you can be assured that the quality of the education you receive is worth every penny you spend.

And…Since this is such an invaluable tool for college-bound teens and their parents, here’s what I’m going to do:

To qualify for a giveaway of the U.S. News and World Report 2009 Best Colleges, simply sign up for my College Tips Email and post this on Twitter:

@suzanneshaffer is giving away a FREE U.S. News and World Report-Best Colleges 2009 http://tinyurl.com/kk6zg4

I will be choosing a random winner on June 15th. Spread the word to all your friends who have teens heading off to college !

admissions, college costs, financial aid

Choices. Choices. Choices.

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The college acceptance letters arrive. You would think it would be easy after that. Your teen has gotten into their 1st choice school and it’s simple; you fire off the acceptance letter to that school and the deposit and it’s a done deal.

But wait. What if some of the other schools offer financial aid packages that are just too good to be true? Like for instance: a full ride, numerous academic scholarships and grants, along with other incentives like reduced housing for the freshman year. Since the college market is highly competitive, it’s possible that you could be faced with an even more difficult dilemma: attend your 1st choice school OR attend a school offering a better financial aid package.

That’s exactly what happened to us. Through a series of events out of our control, the high school neglected to send my daughter’s mid-year transcript to Boston University.  Because we neglected to follow up, we did not know that was the case. When her financial aid package arrived from BU, it was completely defunct of ANY aid, except a small Stafford Loan. All the other colleges offered her multiple academic scholarships based on her mid-term transcript. One phone call ascertained the reason behind it and since the tuition was incredibly high, it knocked out her 1st choice school immediately.

Here are some lessons we learned:

Always follow up on important submissions to colleges–it’s your responsibility to verify they received ALL documentation prior to the financial aid decision

When your acceptances and financial aid packages arrive, compare them carefully. It’s highly possible that an aid package from an expensive private university will outshine the aid package from a state funded public university

Remember that there are many factors to take into consideration when making the final choice: aid package, course offerings, size, location, and don’t exclude your “gut” feeling.

Be sure when you apply that every school in your application pool is one you would like to attend. If you are offered a free ride to a school that was bottom on your list, but you put it there for a reason, you want to be able to seriously consider choosing it.

And…my personal final thought:

Everything happens for a reason. Although my daughter was not able to attend Boston University, another Boston college was in her pool of schools and it turned out was a much better fit for her in the long run.

If you do your homework in advance, the choices, although they might be difficult, will end up being the right ones in the long run and your teen will enjoy a wonderfully exciting and academically challenging college experience.