This article was originally written for and published at TeenLife.com
The first semester of senior year is filled with anticipation. It’s your last year of high school and you have so much to look forward to, such as graduation and college. But in order for seniors to reach those goals, you have some high-priority things in the area of college admissions and creating the best college application that you can.
1. Get recommendation letters.
There’s no time to waste. Teachers and administrators and other mentors are busy people. With multiple students asking for recommendation letters, you want to be first in line. If you’ve done your homework, you have built relationships and now it’s time to ask for that college recommendation. Choose people who know you well and will be able to make the recommendations more personal.
2. Complete the college essays.
It’s time to put the finishing touches on that college essay you began working on over the summer. Remember the essay is your chance to demonstrate who you are. Be yourself and don’t try to write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Once your essay is completed, have someone proofread it before submitting with the application.
3. Finalize your college list.
It’s time to nail down your college choices. Review your notes and anything you learned during college interviews. Look at the entire picture for each college: Is it a fit academically, socially and financially? Are you at the top of the applicant pool and in the best position to receive merit aid? Make sure you have some colleges on your final list that are reach schools, some that are perfect fit schools, and some that are schools where you are pretty much ensured acceptance.
4. Visit the colleges on your list.
Fall is the perfect time for college visits. Not only will those visits help you finalize your list, but visiting a college demonstrates interest. Once the colleges receive your application, they will check to see how interested you are in attending and that will influence admissions officers. While you are on campus, schedule an interview and an appointment with the financial aid office. Ask questions that will help you finalize your college list.
5. Complete the FAFSA.
The FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is available online. You should make filing it out a priority and the sooner the better. Colleges will be awarding financial aid this year along with their admissions decisions. You want to be first in line for this merit aid, so file now. Students who complete the FAFSA are not only eligible for federal aid, but for college-based aid such as grants and scholarships.
6. One last task: Submit your college application ASAP.
Consider submitting your application early. Applying early decision or early action means you will hear from the colleges sooner and also get information on your financial aid award. If you apply EA (early action) you’re not bound to any one college and you can apply to more than one. If you know the college you want to attend and it’s your absolute first choice, you can apply ED (early decision). You are bound to accept the school’s offer of admission, however, and you cannot apply to other colleges.
The college search
is easily stressful for both parents and students. The amount of knowledge a
parent needs to help their student navigate through college prep can be overwhelming.
From choosing the college, to deciding how to pay for it, to making the final
decision, it’s hard not to become stressed and frustrated.
Both my children
attended college but took different paths. One entered college straight out of
high school and the other after four years of military service. Even though the
college search for each of them was different, during their individual searches
I learned some valuable lessons.
Expand your search
beyond the usual perimeters
When you begin the
college search, you should cast a wide net. Many students limit themselves to
state colleges, colleges with prestigious names and even nearby schools. There
are over 4000 institutions of higher learning in the United States and even
more if you expand your search beyond our borders—Canada and even
internationally. Canadian colleges offer excellent educations and are often a
better financial fit than many U.S. colleges.
Moving outside your
comfort zone might help you and your student find a better fit. My daughter had
her heart set on a large university and while doing a college search, we
unearthed a small private college in the same city that was a better academic,
social and financial fit for her. Keep an open mind and don’t discount a
college simply because of name, location, or lack of notoriety.
Do the leg work
Do your research
before narrowing down the final college list. Look at statistics. They will
tell you so much about a college. You should compare graduation rates,
financial aid award percentages, freshman retention rates, admissions
acceptance rates and more. Make your choices based on your research statistics
and whether or not the college fits your student’s academic and social needs.
College visits for
you are fact-finding missions. College visits for your teen are highly
emotional. You can expect to hear words like “I’m just not feeling it”, “I won’t
get out of the car”, “I don’t like the look for the campus/buildings”, and
other irrational comments. Just remember that feelings are a part of the final
college choice. You can’t expect your student to make their new home at a
college they don’t like, for whatever reason.
I experienced this
with my daughter. She received an offer of admission and a full-ride
scholarship from a college we applied to but never visited. Based on the website,
location and academic offerings she felt it would be a good fit. When we
arrived on campus in early April for our first visit, she refused to get out of
the car. She didn’t like the look or the size of the campus. Of course, I was
completely frustrated with her, but she just instinctively knew it was not the
college for her. Looking back, even though it seemed emotional, she knew what
she wanted and ultimately chose the perfect college she felt was a good fit.
Organization is critical
You will be bombarded
with information during your college search. The key to keeping track of it all
and staying on top of all the deadlines is to stay organized. Your teen should
set up an email purely for college information and correspondence. Make it
official by using firstname_lastname @gmail.com. All college correspondence will
come to this address and your teen can set up folders to help organize it.
You should also
maintain a filing system for organizing paper. This might be anything from
college brochures to scholarship materials and applications, to keeping track
of accomplishments for the resume. Keep all college-related materials in one
place—a college landing zone.
Ask for help if
necessary
Some parents like me choose to work alone and guide their student through the college process, while others choose to hire a professional college consultant. Choose what is best for your family and its own financial resources. If you choose to work alone, there is a wealth of information online from blogs and social media. If you have a question, leave a post on a Facebook page, comment on a blog or DM someone on Twitter. Most professionals are happy to help with anything that might stump you.
You can also seek advice from your high school counselor, teachers or even college admissions staff. You don’t have to flounder around hoping you have the right information. Approach the college search with knowledge and determination and your student will succeed!
What factors influence colleges when filling their freshman class?
College admissions is definitely a subjective process.
Colleges must delicately balance a student’s application along with the goals
and priorities set by each individual college. While much is written about
admissions criteria for students, it’s normal to wonder how the colleges fill
their freshman class.
In 2014, Rachel B. Rubin, a doctoral student in education at
Harvard University, researched and authored a study on
how and why colleges choose some students over others. In her study, she found
that most colleges focus first on academic merit. They base the first cut on
grades, rigor of high school courses, test scores and so on. Although each
college has an individual formula differentiating the relative weight that is
given to these various factors, the result is the same: students who do better
than others in this area are more likely to be admitted.
Beyond the academic factors, colleges look to create a
well-balanced freshman class. This means they look at demographics (where a
student is from), minority factors, special talents such as sports or music and
any other attributes that might set the student apart and be a welcome addition
to the college student body.
Large public universities tend to follow this admissions
pattern and a student with an excellent academic record is likely to be
admitted. In Texas, all students in the top 10 percent of their class receive
automatic admission to any state university.
How are elite
colleges and large public universities different?
Elite institutions and small private colleges are a whole
other ball game. Ms. Rubin’s findings revealed that these colleges group
applicants into “pools” and applications are compared within these individual
pools, but not overall. “Certain pools receive preference, largely as a result
of the perceived benefits of a particular applicant’s background, academic
characteristics, and exceptional talents, and their relationship with a
university’s needs.”
For
elite colleges, institutional fit is often more important than a student’s
academic merit. These colleges do the initial cut based on other factors:
student essays, recommendations, and specific questions related to whether a
student will contribute to the college in various ways. Each college has their
own unique set of qualifiers based on the type of freshman class they want to
achieve.
Although
academic merit is considered important, the vast majority of applicants to
these elite colleges have the appropriate level of academic merit. This allows
the colleges to weigh this later, and focus on other parts of creating a
freshman class.
What are the most favored factors
used to determine institutional fit?
For
these elite colleges, the two most favored factors are underrepresented
minority status and exceptional talent, which is, of course, any talent the
college feels might add to their freshman class. For those colleges who
responded to Ms. Rubin’s survey that started with “fit” as their focus, these
four factors were the top contenders:
Underrepresented
race/ethnicity–42%
Exceptional
talent–42%
Recruited
athlete status–7%
Likelihood
of enrolling–7%
Fund-raising
potential–2%
These
practices may not be considered “fair” among parents and students. A student
with a strong academic background that doesn’t fall into any of these
categories might not be offered admission. But another student with a lesser
academic resume who does fall into one of these categories and helps the
college create a diverse freshman class might be. However, each college is allowed the freedom
to create their own ranking system for applicants.
What happens after the initial cut
is determined?
After
colleges have made the initial cut, whether by academics or institutional fit,
most colleges have a more formal system. Two readers review the application and
all its corresponding documents, with a third reader or entire team to help
make the difficult calls. At this state, the colleges that made the first cut
using academics, discuss “fit”, and colleges that made the first cut with
“fit”, discuss academics.
How can this information help
applicants?
While
it’s impossible to “get into the heads” of admission officers, it’s important
to take into account the college’s means of choosing applicants. If a student
is applying to a public university, it’s important to have a strong academic
record. If a student is applying to an elite college, it’s important to
remember that most all applicants will have a strong academic record. The
student will need more than exceptional grades to receive an offer of
admission. He will need to fall into one the other categories these colleges
use to determine admission.
As always, the key ingredient to applying to college is fit. If a student does his homework, researches the colleges, is at the top of the applicant pool, and fits well with the current body of students, his chances of being offered admission are extremely good. Without that fit, the chances of being offered admission are slim.
The late teenage and young adult years have one thing in common, likely one thing we, you and many more have experienced. That’s insecurity. It’s not easy to consider where your place in the world should be, particularly as you also have to have your direction somewhat considered before you even put a step out into the world. This is where self-limiting beliefs can come from and hinder your teen from pursuing their dreams.
But unfortunately, a lack of wanting to try or a fear of going for our dreams can leave us feeling extremely regretful, even by the age of 30. While you cannot force your child down a certain path, nor should you, you can certainly help them alleviate some of the symptoms of this insecurity, even if you can’t completely stop them from feeling that way at all.
It takes a little care, compassion, and empathy. If you can understand that, then you never know just how they could bloom, or how your bond could grow.
Can & Cannot
It takes a little care, compassion, and empathy. If you can understand that, then you never know just how they could bloom, or how your bond could grow.
When you say you can or cannot do something, you’re usually right both times. It’s important to never dismiss something just because it seems hard, or because someone else might have done it better, or simply because you have a disadvantage. There are people who are born into terrible circumstances who still manage to pull their lives together and graduate from high school, or get into a school of their choosing. It’s important for you to allow your child to know this, and to talk them through it. What are their dreams? How do they regard their ability? Do they know what they’ll need to do to get there? On top of that, where are their ‘can’ and ‘cannots’ coming into play? How might you persuade or dissuade them from that advantage point? A little encouragement can be very worthwhile here.
Inspiration
A little inspiration can be a true help in giving a young adult the tools to see where possibility lies. For example, they might be very interested in attending a certain musical college. However, they might feel insecure about pursuing this. Only when having that experience personified through someone profoundly inspiring, such as learning the Bishop Briggs story, does it click into place. This will help a young person see themselves achieving something similar. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Trying Again
It’s not failing that produces failure. It’s giving up and accepting the failing as an end consequence. If you can help your child learn this kind of tenacity, through sports, through cleaning the house, through any other activity, chore or job they might be involved with – you can help them see that even if things go wrong, they can always try again, and will be better off for the effort. Often, removing self-limiting beliefs is best helped when teaching our children that a mistake is no great terrible event – it can be learned from and moved past.
With this advice, we hope you’re able to provide a sense of security and encouragement to your child as they decide their next steps into the world of adulthood.
If you’re at the beginning of your education, away from your family and hometown, and do not know which college housing option to choose, make sure you check the info in this blog. Cost, roommates, location – these are just a few of the considerations when choosing between the university and private residence. If you’re trying to decide whether to live on or off-campus, then you will definitely find this article helpful.
Think
About the Location
What is your favorite way
to get around the city – walking, public transportation, driving or biking? Is
it convenient to go to university or school this way from the place that you’re
about to rent? Do you know how much time you’ll spend traveling? Keep in mind
that if you rent a place that’s too far from the university, you may lose
motivation to go to lectures.
Exploring Off-Campus Housing Options
When it comes to student housing, you usually have options to choose from. For example, Student Housing Greensboro, offers a variety of options for students to choose from in Greensboro, North Carolina, a town well-known for its broad range of neighborhoods that offer an array of rental properties to satisfy different tastes. There are 28 colleges within 50 miles of Greensboro. The nearest college is the University of North Carolina at Greensboro just a few miles from Greensboro city center. Students attending these 28 colleges can choose from apartment complexes to single family dwellings. If your student is attending a college near or a city or town, you might consider the off-campus choices available.
Living
on Campus
Well, college involves
many choices, including whether to live at home, on campus, or in an apartment
off-campus.
Meet
New People
Campus life has some
hard-to-ignore advantages. If you decide to live on campus, you’ll have lots of
opportunities to meet new people and make new friendships. You will not have to
rely on public transportation or driving to campus and looking for a free
parking place. It is even better – if you do not have your own car, you will
not have to pay for parking at all!
Become
Independent
If you’re one of those
students who know they want to move out of their home but are not sure they are
ready to have their own apartment, then living on campus is an excellent option
because it provides an in-between step. While you’ll be living independently,
you do not have to worry about handling utilities, paying rent, and everything
else associated with renting an apartment. Campus life
offers you a chance to start developing important life skills, and you will
find it great because you will be surrounded by people like you all the time.
Get
Access to All College Activities
Another benefit that
can’t be ignored is that you will have easier access to college activities. If you’re
a part of a club or sports team, attending a club meeting is much easier since
your home isn’t far away. Important amenities, such as dining and recreation
centers, are usually found nearby. Internet is available in each residence
building, which is important for your coursework. Are you looking for Student
Housing Greensboro? If yes, you already know one of the best options you have!
No
Need to Drive to and from the University
Living on campus means
you will be able to get to and from classes more quickly. Thus, you can devote
more time to their coursework. You will have easy access to libraries, tutors,
and the student union at almost any time of day. Being surrounded by people
with goals similar to yours is great and will positively affect your focus,
education, and social skills. Students living on campus have higher chances to widen
their social group given all the clubs and activities
offered at the university/college. The activities offered at the college is
what gives students another way to meet like-minded people.
College is an excellent
opportunity to meet new people and make lifelong connections. Living on campus
helps you ease your way into adulthood while enjoying everything
college/university life has to offer. The access to amenities, abundant
support, and academic focus are hard to be beaten when weighing on-campus vs.
off-campus options.
If your student is in the stages of deciding which degree to take at college, you’ll likely know that this can be a testing time. Some teens seem to know exactly what kind of career that they want even at this age, others are still unsure- and that’s okay too. This is a big decision that will affect your child’s future enormously, so if they are questioning their choices or feeling unsure, then this is just a completely healthy part of the process.
You’ll naturally be looking to support and help them as much as you can and so being clued up on some excellent degree options will help you to provide better advice.
For instance, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a degree level program which requires four years of study. The main curriculum on these programs includes the study of all aspects of nursing practice and theory; from adult and maternal to newborn and pediatric. At some colleges, areas such as community, gerontological or psychiatric health will also be covered in the curriculum. As well as nursing practice and theory, courses will also include studying leadership and professional practice.
Benefits of study
While some other routes into nursing take less time to study, the BSN degree is a longer and more detailed course that is considered advantageous for a number of reasons. Firstly, taking a BSN means more options to progress further career-wise in the nursing world, and thus the salaries as one moves forward will reflect this. Holding a BSN will grant entry into masters courses or set the student up to progress by taking a Doctor of Nursing program. Some DNP programs are available to study online; for instance, Bradley University offers such opportunities. As well as this, graduates of these courses will enjoy the chance to take on specialized nursing based jobs that exist outside the traditional role. Students could end up specializing in something that they are really passionate about, for instance, a psychiatric nurse, nurse anesthetist, or neonatal intensive care nurse. In addition to this, leadership roles are on the cards if these are what candidates aspire to.
Job satisfaction
Nursing is the ultimate altruistic professional that helps others and gives back. A number of essays and studies have linked being an altruistic person to being a happier person, so nursing candidates could find a career whereby they experience real joy, even though the work can be challenging. Finding something that you love to do is great for the mind and body both, yet sometimes it can be difficult finding out just what that thing is! If your kid is keen to discover if the nursing world is for them, why not suggest that they spent a little time volunteering in supporting role and see if this helps them reach a decision? Spending enough time researching and discovering as much about a potential degree program as you can will aid in making a properly informed choice.
The summer is half over, but if you’re lucky, you can steal some reading time. With a teenager in the house and college (or something else) on the horizon, a prepared parent is a less stressful parent. When school starts, you want every tool in your arsenal and these summer reading suggestions can help arm you for the task ahead.
Nancy takes the
everyday aspects of the college admissions process and puts them into terms
that parents can easily understand and relate to by using humor. And if that’s
not enough, she sprinkles some of the best college admissions advice along the
way by tapping into her own personal experiences and her network of college
experts that she utilizes throughout the book.
When Zac Bissonnette
headed off to college, he had the funds to cover the tab. Bissonnette has seen
the currently flawed system first hand. He’s a contrarian, and his book is
packed with studies and statistics to back up his analysis. It’s a magical
combination that college-bound students and their parents should read, even if
there’s plenty of money set aside to pay the tuition tab. There’s no harm in
learning ways to get the biggest bang for your buck and the best education
available at the same time.
The best part about
Monica’s e-book is that it’s simple and easy to understand. If you follow her
easy 10 step program, the scholarship process becomes doable for any parent and
their student. You can sit back and hope that your student does all the work,
or you can offer help and support by grabbing a copy of Monica’s book,
reading it, and rolling up your sleeves.
This is a book to help
parents of middle and high school students. This book prods parents to ask if
their teenager will be ready, willing, and able to handle self-management,
personal safety, roommate conflicts, personal finances, interactions with
teachers, academic responsibility, and much more. Included in this book are
numerous interviews with parents, college students, school counselors and
advisors, law enforcement per- sonnel, teachers, medical personnel, and school
administrators. At the end of each chapter are examples of how parents can
prepare their teenagers for a successful college experience and turn their
students into confident, reponsible young adults.
For college admissions help, give your child that “unfair” advantage in applying to college, without cheating, offering bribes, using legacy, or giving donations. Here’s the kind of insider information that’s made the author’s own clients refer him to their friends for the past 17 years. It’s a free, fast and entertaining read that’s designed for the hard-bitten realist who takes nothing at face value, especially in light of the college admissions scandal of 2019. This ebook comes with an option to take advantage of the author’s free videos that are designed to expand and update the book’s content when necessary.
The second edition of
The College Solution, which contains approximately 90% new material, is aimed
at helping parents and teenagers become empowered consumers as they navigate
through the college process. Billions of dollars are available to pay for
college, but not everybody gets their share. It’s not always the families with
the brightest students or the parents who are struggling financially who
receive the most money. The College Solution shares the secrets of how you can
capture some of this money for your own family. The book provides advice on
such topics as financial aid, merit scholarships, athletic scholarships,
admission hooks, the important differences between colleges and universities,
college rankings, the best student loans and the latest online tools to
evaluate the generosity of schools. O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use,
proven road map for getting past the ratings, and finding the right schools at
the right price.
I’ve read plenty of
books on college admissions. Some are so scholarly heavy that you need a degree
to figure them out. Others are so shallow you can find most of the material in
your teen’s high school handouts. Zinch’s book is neither of the above. It’s
geared toward the student, but is also extremely valuable from a parent’s
perspective. Zinch reminds the student that while the college process
often involves the entire family, the final choice must be their own. I
agree with this whole heartedly. Every parent should grasp this truth.
The authors observe how conventional universities are coming
to resemble for-profit diploma mills through inexpensive, Orwellian-titled
“distance learning.” At Florida Gulf Coast University on the outskirts of Fort
Myers, students in Humanities 2510 sit in dormitories or at home studying
painting, sculpture, and architecture via online lectures. Adjunct professors
with modest credentials answer questions by e-mail; telephone calls are not
allowed. Multiple-choice tests emphasize dry facts and figures. Short papers
are required, but students don’t have to attend performances or see art in
person. In lieu of customized grading, instructors draw on “sample stock
comments” they slap on student papers. “Humanities 2510 seems close to cramming
for a quiz show,” the authors write. To readers, it might just seem like a rip-off.
Jodi Okun’s book launched today and the presales put it on the
Amazon #1 Best Seller list. This book is more than help for financial aid
questions. In it you can find out how to give your student the financial skills
they’ll need for life, with talking points and scripts to help you with
important conversations you need to have before college. Jodi provides parents
with expert advice and in this book shares her experiences of helping parents
pay for college.
In this
book, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions
officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as
a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children,
their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the
parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims
offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of
allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience,
resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.
College is the biggest expense for many families, larger even than the cost of the family home, and one that can bankrupt students and their parents if it works out poorly. Peter Cappelli offers vital insight for parents and students to make decisions that both make sense financially and provide the foundation that will help students make their way in the world. Adding to the confusion, the same degree can cost dramatically different amounts for different people. A barrage of advertising offers new degrees designed to lead to specific jobs, but we see no information on whether graduates ever get those jobs. Mix in a frenzied applications process, and pressure from politicians for “relevant” programs, and there is an urgent need to separate myth from reality.
Using the
world-renowned Meyers-Briggs personality testing system, the author leads the
reader through a self-assessment to uncover their specific personality type. The
results of this personality assessment suggest appropriate careers that are
most suitable for the unique characteristics of each of the 16 personality
types. By better understanding your strengths, you can be more open-minded and
self-empowered in determining the focus of your career and your own needs when
it comes to feeling satisfied.
When choosing a college major it’s important to understand its worth and value after graduation. What exactly does a career with a history degree look like and what are the advantages?
1. A history degree has many job options
It could be archiving items in a museum, becoming a human resources officer or even an information officer–there are plenty of job options that stem from a history degree.
2. Your skills are transferable
One of the big advantages of studying history is that many of your skills can easily be transferred to a different discipline. For instance, your analytical skills are invaluable for many different jobs, your ability to prioritize tasks can also come in handy, and decision-making skills are a much-needed trait among all industries.
3. History lessons teach you to be independent
Since history degrees mainly rely on self-study and research, it helps you develop a sense of independence that can help you grow more independent. It requires a lot of hard work and mostly involves reading and analytical work which can improve your independence and self-sufficiency.
4. Studying history allows you to learn from the past
Whether it’s learning from past mistakes or drawing inspiration from old American propaganda (which we’ve included an infographic about below) there are countless ways to take hints from things that have happened in the past.
Fireworks. Picnics. Family celebrations. It’s that time of year when we think about our freedom and the people who are responsible for protecting those freedoms–servicemen and their families.
This scholarship honors their sacrifice:
The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund was the vision of Freedom Alliance founders LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) and the late LtGen Edward Bronars, USMC. The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund honors Americans in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb defending our country by providing educational scholarships for their children.
The mission of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund is two-fold. First, it helps offset the high cost of a college education for the sons and daughters of American heroes. Second, it is a reminder to the recipient that their parents’ sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation.
The dependent children of U.S. military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident are eligible to apply. Also eligible are students who have a parent classified as a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. The generosity of patriotic Americans has made it possible for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund to award more than $7 million in college scholarships to the sons and daughters of American heroes.
Students wishing to apply for a Freedom Alliance Scholarship should first review the qualification and eligibility requirements to verify that they do indeed qualify for the Freedom Alliance scholarship. The first step for those who believe they qualify for a scholarship is to complete the online scholarship application by clicking here to apply.
THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
Copy of your government issued photo identification (Drivers License, Military ID Card)
Proof of dependency: birth certificate, tax form which lists dependents, or military child ID card
Certificate of death (DD 1300) or rating letter from the Veterans Administration disability stating that the eligible Servicemember parent has been rated as 100% Totally and Permanently disabled
DD Form 214 if applicable – for disabled veterans’ dependent children
Applicant must upload a 500 Word Essay or Personal Statement: What does your parent’s service mean to you?
Official high school or college transcripts
Please submit a high resolution (at least 500KB) portrait-style JPEG photo of yourself which is appropriate for publication of scholarship award announcements. Make sure that it is taken in an appropriate setting and there are no other people, distractions, or watermarks visible.
Photo of qualifying parent
If you are found to be eligible by the reviewing committee, there will be a few additional steps that will be included in your notification letter/email which will include a form to be completed by your school’s financial aid office. Once these steps are completed, the reviewing committee will do a final review of applications and, if the student has a need, a scholarship check will be mailed directly to his/her school.
Please note that checks will only be endorsed to your school and will be mailed directly to your school’s Financial Aid or Bursar’s Office.
It’s been in the news—Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill
to cancel student loan debt. I don’t want to share any political viewpoints
here. I want to express what this communicates to the past and future
generations of students.
To the past generation of students
I have two children who incurred student loan debt. One of them worked hard to pay hers off. The other is still paying his. My daughter got good grades in high school, earned scholarships and borrowed wisely. After high school, my son entered the military and after completing four years of service used the G.I Bill to pay for some of his education. For the rest, he did not borrow wisely. He chose to attend an expensive college that he could not afford, and he will be the first to tell you he made a mistake.
But he won’t say his debt should be cancelled. And my
daughter, who worked hard to pay hers off, will feel this is a slap in her
face. They both had choices and have lived with those choices. No one forced
either of them to go to a college that required them to take out student loans.
It was their choice and they take responsibility for it.
Students who have worked hard to pay off their debt or made a choice to attend a college they could afford are outraged by the thought that others will not have to pay back their debt. It’s unfair and communicates the wrong message. Why should those who worked hard to pay their debt off have to pay for those who will not?
To the future generation of students
College is expensive and the cost of an education is rising
every year. But teaching your children to make wise financial choices is a
crucial part of parenting. Not every student needs to go to an expensive
college. There are less expensive alternatives, colleges that allow students to
work while they attend, and scholarships available to help pay for college.
Forgiving all student loan debt teaches future students that
it’s not important to make wise financial choices. It teaches them that
everyone deserves a free ride and hard work is not rewarded. We are raising a generation
of new leaders that will soon forget that hard work and sacrifice reaps reward.
Why work hard if you can get it for free? Why pay off the debt you incurred due
to unwise financial choices if the government is going to step up and forgive
it?
My opinion
If I’m honest, I would love for my son’s student loans to be forgiven. But I know, as a parent, that is not the best for him, and he would agree; he borrowed the money and he should have to repay it. We must teach future generations there are consequences to actions and this includes incurring debt that you cannot repay. It simply comes down to the fact that we all have a free will and can choose to spend more than we can repay or save and borrow wisely. It’s something my parents taught me and because of wise financial choices, they paid for what they could afford and saved for what they could not.
At some point, everyone is responsible for their own choices. Those students who worked hard and paid for college without incurring debt should be rewarded. Those who incurred debt, should be held accountable and required to repay it. It’s a tough pill to swallow but a lesson we all need to learn in life.
When choosing a 
