Understanding Financial Aid

Financial Aid is broken down into two sections: Need-based and Merit-based.

1. Need-based aid is awarded to students by submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and/or the CSS Profile (College Board). Even if you do not think you are eligible for need-based aid, fill out the FAFSA (and CSS if need be).

The Department of Education and the institutions you are applying to determine if you are eligible for need-based support by subtracting your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) from COA (Cost of Attendance) at each college or university.

Students do not need to pay back an educational grant or award but do need to pay back loans (subsidized loan payment starts approximately 6 months after graduation and unsubsidized loan payment begins immediately).  Loans are the bulk of most financial aid packages. Know the difference between loans. (Private loans are the most expensive.)

Need-based aid is awarded by a combination of the following:

·      Loans (such as Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Grad PLUS Loans and Parent PLUS Loans, Perkins and Subsidized Stafford Loans)

·      Federal Pell Grants

·      State Grants

·      Federal work-study Programs

2. Merit-based aid is awarded regardless of financial ability to pay for college. It is usually based on special talents such as athletics, music or academic. Mostly, need-based aid is awarded through scholarships given by universities, states, and local organizations. Make sure to apply for awards through your high school’s scholarship/awards handbook during senior year. It can add up.  

Merit-based aid:

Money is awarded to students regardless of need. Merit aid can be awarded for:

·      Tuition Waivers

·      Scholarships (such as academic or athletic)

·      Awards

To find a comprehensive list of helpful Financial Aid information click here:

https://www.suzannelagemann.com/helpful-links/

 

 

Applying for Financial Aid

Applying for need based aid is an important component of the college application process. Each institution requests that you do so. I highly recommend that you apply even if you do not think your household is eligible for need-based aid. (See my article on Understanding Financial Aid).

1. Create a FSA ID

https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

Students need to create an ID in order to gain access to the Federal Student Aid’s website. This should be completed in the student’s name ONLY.

2. Complete the FAFSA after October 1.

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available on October 1, 2018. Ten colleges or universities can be listed. (If you need to list more than 10, you will have to wait until after you receive an email stating that your FAFSA has been processed to add more schools.)

Please note that the FAFSA is to be completed in the student’s name. Many parents fill out these forms but it should be in the student’s name.

3. Check the Institutional financial aid deadlines. They will vary depending on if you are applying ED or rolling, etc.

 Make a plan (create a spreadsheet) on when you need to apply for each school as per their website or call each Financial Aid Office. You do not want to miss a financial aid deadline. No question is silly. Ask the schools for clarification, if needed.

4. Check to see if any of the schools you are applying to ALSO ask that you complete the CSS Profile: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

The College Board administers the CSS Profile and it is mostly used by private schools.

It asks for your financial history and information in more detail than the FAFSA. Again, check school websites to check for deadlines. 

5. Last, when does your high school hand out their Scholarship/Awards Directory? Most do so in the early Winter months. Make sure to know and grab one so you can apply for as many as possible.

To Pledge or not to pledge: 4 tips to discuss before your college student decides to join Greek life.

On many college campuses, first year orientation has commenced! If the school has a Greek Life system, he will inevitably see a Greek Life Information Fair on the Quad or become friends with first-year students who are interested in pledging.

Is Greek life the big social scene at her school? How many sororities and fraternities are on campus?

Here are a few issues to discuss with your teen before he or she decides to pledge.

 1.    Can First-year Students Pledge?

Many universities have policy and procedures as to when and how an underclassman can pledge. It is important for your teen to know this before deciding. It is wise for a school to not permit first year students to pledge, or at least during their first semester. Many have this rule in place due to the volatility it can cause in the student’s experience.

Students should be allowed to transition to college without the pressure of pledging during the first term or year. This will allow the student to develop the needed social and emotional skills, time management, and study and test taking skills needed to succeed.

2.     Not every Organization is the same: Research the back story of the Greek Organization and Chapter:

Has the sorority been on campus for decades? Is the fraternity a national organization or local group? Google and research for any negative information and talk to others who may be familiar with the sorority or fraternity.

3.    Is your Teen ready?

Does your college student have the maturity to balance school, Greek life and other responsibilities such as a part time job or sport?  Waiting to pledge till sophomore year will help your student see if he has the skills needed to succeed as a fraternity member.

4.    Discuss the Benefits:

Your teen can reap the benefit of becoming included in a group that may focus on community service work, a certain industry and/or future networking with older alumna. It can help develop a sense of security during her college years and she can graduate with a network that can help with both social and career goals.

Naviance: What is it and how do I log-in?

Naviance is a commonly used on-line system where students can access their account to connect with their high school guidance department. This helps streamline the college admissions process and career assessment and planning. Not all high schools use Naviance but all are quite similar. Also, Naviance can be uploaded on mobile devices through it’s App.

Here are some simple directions on how to navigate Naviance.

  1. Go to https://www.naviance.com/resources/tag/family-connection
  2. Click on “log in” upper right corner and choose ‘students/families’
  3. Type in your Zip Code (or where your student’s high school is located)
  4. Click on the high school listed

  5. To check your student’s GPA you’ll need to:

    1. Click on “About Me” link (upper right hand corner)
    2. This should take you to the “General Information” page, if not, click on that tab.
    3. Then, scroll down toward the bottom. On the right side, you’ll see GPA

 

How to ride out the tide of uncertainty and discomfort: Advice on how you and your rising senior can get through the uncomfortable stages of growing up.

You nag, he yells!

You ask, she snaps back!

You ignore, she slams the door!

It’s that time of year, when the rising senior in your home may display one or more of the following behaviors: unmotivated, cranky, short tempered, inpatient, incommunicable, indecisive. 

Here are a few suggestions to help you and your teen manage her senior year together. 

1.   Give space (at least for a short time): The few weeks leading up to senior year can be an uncomfortable time for you and your teen. She may need to ‘nest’ a bit before gearing up to take flight and complete the entire college application process. 

Your student may need a bit of time to pull back and hug her childhood teddy bears a bit more before taking on the expectations of senior year.  If he is unsure of a final college list, give him more time to ‘sit’ on the decision. 

Senior year and the college application process is a time for the old parenting ‘push/pull’ phenomena where the teen seems less confident and more anxious than other times of the year. This is a process. Hold on through these times of discomfort. They will pass.

2.   Plan out the year:

Use your calendar for plugging in all the dates of personal and school commitments. Remind your teen that she should take time for herself during the year. Enjoy senior year traditions. Don’t fret too much as the college application process takes time.

3.   Acknowledge the discomfort:

Regardless of whether your teen wants to talk about it, I recommend acknowledging how this is an uncomfortable time for her and you. Just a simple conversation about how it’s normal to feel sad, frustrated and scared will help your teen process her emotions better and normalize the negative feelings. Arguments will happen. Your teen and you will make mistakes. The process of parenting through the college application process and senior year is not supposed to be flawless. Embrace and acknowledge that once your teen leaves home, he will most likely grow to appreciate where he came from. Sometimes a teen needs to leave for that appreciation to develop. 

It’s OK to doubt yourself. It’s OK to feel anxious. Process these emotions so you can move forward and take on your senior year!

 

 

College Interview Tips

Many colleges, small ones in particular, require or highly recommend that applicants interview as a component of their admissions application. This is a time for you to shine, ask questions, and to hear a college representative's take on the institution. It adds to your application and can help you decide, if accepted, if you want to enroll next year. A student may also be asked to interview for admission into a specific program at both large and small institutions. 

Depending on each school, interviews are conducted by admissions representatives or local alumni, who usually interview applicants in his/her geographic area. Many times, however, it is advantageous for the applicant to interview on campus with an admissions representative. It shows your level of interest and commitment to potentially enrolling if accepted.

Here are a few quick tips to help an applicant prepare for an interview.

1. Prepare:

  1. Do your research: Read through the college's website about potential areas of study, activities on campus, study abroad opportunities-- any aspect for which you are interested in, be prepared to ask questions.
  2. Attire: Dress appropriately for the interview. Silence your phone. Don't chew gum. Make eye contact while shaking the interviewers hand and be on time. Ask for the person's contact information so you can send a thank you note. 
  3. Relax, you got this! Arrive about 10 minutes early so you can relax. Practice with a sibling or friend so you can prepare talking about yourself and the school. 
  4. Practice talking about the following:
    1. Why you are interested in attending this college?
    2. Why is this college a good match with you?
    3. What qualities do you have that can contribute to the college community?
    4. Know your GPA and test scores and be prepared to discuss your extracurricular activities. 
    5. Last, express your personality! Smile, make eye contact and be able to discuss what motivates you and why.

2. Why Interview?

Many small colleges use a more holistic approach to assessing applicants. Therefore, meeting each applicant in person can help each student's chances, especially the marginal applicant. 

The college is looking to gain a better understanding of you as a person. Expressing your interests, experiences and personality during the interview is unique to what's learned through just reading the written application. 

3. Last, avoid yes and no answers. Practice answering with a short yet full answer to the question.  Practice is the key to success.

You've got this!

 

 

 

Hey Seniors, It’s Summer time! Let’s write our college essays!

By: Suzanne Lagemann, M.A.

The essay is my favorite part of the college application. When I worked in Admissions, I looked forward to reading each essay as it gave insight into the person applying.

Here are some key aspects of a strong essay.

1. The essay should tell a unique story about you. You have complete control over this part of your application.

2. Admissions committees do not take a long time to read and review each application. Therefore, an essay that ‘hooks’ the reader will stand out in the admission officer’s mind, for whom will inevitably be the person that delivers and discusses your application to the committee.

3. Don’t write what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. I repeat, don’t write what you think they want to hear. Your entire application should be about you, not someone who you think they’ll accept.

4. Do not repeat any information about you that has already been communicated in other parts or your application.

5. Speak directly. Your voice will be heard. Discuss parts of you that you are most proud of.

Here is a quick outline of how to go about creating your essay.

1. Writing is a process. Have patience. Many students have been asked to write a personal narrative. If so, you can refer back to that assignment to help you start the process of your college essay. It should take at least 3 to 4 drafts for a well-crafted essay.

2. Take time to choose the right topic. A unique quality about you, experience or event should be discussed but it should be relevant to who you are today and who you want to become in the future. So, take time to write down a number of topic ideas. Think about them and start a draft of one or a few of your ideas. Over time, you will see which topic stands out and for which you feel most passionate about.

3. The idea you chose to write about should be simple. Simple.

4. Share a piece of who you are and reflect: For example, I am a listener. I like to ask questions and take the time to listen. At one of my first jobs, I realized that I enjoyed advising and working with students because I was a person in their life that listened to their thoughts and problems. It has helped me to be a strong student advocate, counselor and teacher.

5. Make sure you are answering the essay prompt

6. Have a teacher or counselor review your essay

7. Ensure that you have carved out time over the entire Summer to dedicate to working through each state of the writing process. Manage your time.

How to navigate college with learning differences

By Suzanne Lagemann, MA
Along with the ups and downs of your teen leaving home to head off to college, students with learning differences need to also ensure that they understand their rights and responsibilities in receiving similar accommodations that they had in high school.

Unlike in a public school system, colleges and universities do not provide a case study team, nor is there a ‘special services’ department. But they do have a disability resource center (DRC), or an office of a similar title, that provides student support for their need for reasonable accommodations.

How do students and parents begin to understand how it works? Here is a basic breakdown of the three key areas that need explaining.

1. Student:

If you are a student who had an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan or any other arranged accommodation, you need to contact the disability resource center (DRC) at the college you attend or plan to attend.

 It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify as a person who is eligible to receive accommodations at the college or university.

In general, colleges need up-to-date documentation. Therefore, a student must bring his documents from his high school or from a private doctor who administered a series of assessments, which was then used to support academic accommodations. Documentation should be from within 3 years from the time you request accommodations.

2. Disability Resource Office:

A student should bring her documentation to the university’s disability resource center (DRC). It is up to the student to request accommodations with supportive documentation. The student should request the same accommodations as he received in high school.

I have worked with and taught students who decided that they would just 'wait and see' if they needed accommodations at college. Not a good idea. Securing extra test-taking time, note-taking support or other basic accommodation should be arranged prior to the start of the semester. Make your transition to college as smooth as possible. 

3. Professor:

The student must hand a copy of the DRC form to each professor, which states the reasonable and appropriate accommodations.

The professor will not be informed of the learning difference diagnosis, but will only be told of the appropriate accommodations. The professor, by law, must provide those accommodations for the student.

At the beginning of each semester, professors should review how college students receive academic accommodations.  As a professor of a new student seminar, I review how to go about this and the importance of taking the initiative to do so.

**It is important to know that if a student waits until the middle of the semester, after struggling, to notify the DRC of his learning difference, the accommodations are not retroactive. The assistance would start when the professor(s) receives an official DRC form stating the needed accommodations.**

Prospective college student:

You should inquire about the college’s DRC when visiting campus as a prospective college student. Ask to visit the office while on campus so you can see the size and scope of their services.

Every college that receives federal aid has a disability resource center, but some schools have allocated more resources to this office than others.

Also, review the college’s DRC page on their website. This can provide valuable insight.

Overall, I find my students who request academic accommodations to have a strong understanding of their needs and how to navigate their education experience accordingly.  Success is the result of the student taking responsibility.

For more information: www.LDAAmerica.org