College Admission Help

Experts: Pell College Grant Hike Will Be Big

Boston Business Journal - by Jesse Noyes
Friday, February 20, 2009
The stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this week includes increases to grants for needy college students that will provide millions of dollars more in student aid at Massachusetts campuses this fall, experts said.
But financial officers are still in the dark on exactly how the money will be distributed.
The maximum amount a student can receive from a Pell grant, which goes to the most needy students, will increase by $500 to $5,350 for the 2009-2010 academic year. It will go up to $5,500 the next year.
That’s a huge increase, financial aid officers said, and will be helpful in holding up retention rates as student need rises in a terrible economy.
“It’s a win-win for the school and the student because the student gets more money and the school in turn is able to retain more students” said Bernie Pekala, director of student financial strategies at Boston College. About 1,000 students received pell grants at BC this past year.
But Pekala said it’s not clear whether the additional funds will be spread out to a greater number of students or whether eligible students will get more money at this point.
Each year the U.S. Department of Education provides colleges with what’s called a “Pell grid” outlining what students are eligible for the grants and how much they are eligible for. Typically, universities will have already received the grid by now, but there’s been a delay as the recent stimulus actions are factored in, financial aid officers said.
It’s unclear whether the eligibility requirements will be changed to give more students access to the funds, experts said.
“Will start packaging students estimated awards in the next couple of weeks,” said Dan Forster, chief financial aid officer at Simmons College, which said about 20 percent of students there are usually eligible for pell grants.
Whether eligibility requirements are changed or not, experts said more students will be eligible for pell grants as family incomes drop because of lost jobs and declining investments.
“Times are tough for students and the more grant money we can offer them to help them afford the cost of education is a plus,” said Joyce McLaughlin, director of financial aid at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Experts: Pell College Grant Hike Will Be Big

College Costs Are Rising. Do You Have Advice on How To Get College Grants or College Scholarships?

Indianapolis Star
February 22, 2009
The prospect of paying for a college education for yourself or your children is a daunting consideration. Continually rising costs mean people should carefully research grants and scholarships and consider saving money in a tax-free savings plan, such as the Indiana 529 College Choice Savings Plan.
It is a fact that the cost of sending your child to college is rising at a greater rate than other things. Many wonder what to do. This question can be answered by looking at what stage of life your future college student now is in.
If you have a young child, begin by putting money into a college savings plan. This money will grow tax-free, and as long as the money is used for qualified college expenses, it will come out tax-free, too.
Assist your child with schoolwork, when needed, to help him or her earn good grades, and consult with school counselors to learn about available grants and scholarships.
If you have a child in high school right now ,and your savings are not going to cover the cost of college, there are many programs that might be of benefit to you. First and foremost, it is advisable to always complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form by March 10. Without this form being filed on time, a student will not be eligible for state or federal student aid. Additionally, there are many loan programs that might be of assistance. These programs include:
Perkins Loan, for low-income students.
Stafford Loan, for dependent undergraduates with a $5,500 yearly maximum.
Parent Plus Loan, which has higher borrowing limits; however, parents need to pass a credit check.
Many programs can help with the rising costs of higher education. The key is to start planning early, get involved and get informed. Advice from a financial adviser can assist in this planning.

College Costs Are Rising. Do You Have Advice on How To Get College Grants or College Scholarships?

Two Myths and One Sure Truth About Financial Aid and College Grants

By BECKETT HOWORTH
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Today's column covers two common myths and one sure truth about college financial aid. That truth? The early bird catches the worm: The "worm" in this case is any type of limited-fund need-based financial aid or scholarship. The most dollars are available to those who apply at the earliest possible date. The key document in determining need is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Go online today with your tax return in hand and complete the FAFSA. If you haven't done your taxes, use last year's to estimate and then update later.

Which brings us to those myths:

1: "You make too much money to get financial aid so there's no need to fill out the FAFSA."

Since you cannot really know without filing the FAFSA, it is far better to go ahead and cover your bases. Keep in mind that the number of dependents in the home and especially the number who will be in college can greatly increase the calculation of a family's financial need. Some families, perhaps those who farm or own businesses, may be cash-poor and show need despite the potential liquidated value of what they own.

Since the official estimated Coast of Attendance can vary tremendously from college to college, a family's relative need for financial assistance can change greatly depending on where the student goes. The COA includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and some amount for "miscellaneous" expenses.

For example, this year a well-known private university in a contiguous state estimated annual COA for a first-year student living on campus at "$50,200 + transportation"; a nearby public university estimated $16,797; and a local community college calculated $10,350. The greater the COA, the greater the potential need.
When comparing costs, make sure you are getting the official COA. Every college has one.


2: "If you do well in high school, you won't have to pay for college."

College is free for very few students. We generally think of varsity athletes playing high profile sports as getting "free rides," but they have regular expenses not covered by their athletic scholarships. Yes, a few top academic students do win scholarships that cover everything, possibly including summer travel, research support, a computer - the works - but those who win those most generous scholarships 1) have demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills, 2) have consistently excelled in all classes, including the most challenging their high schools offer, and 3) almost without exception have eye-popping standardized test scores.
There are a huge number of very good reasons to do well in high school, starting with building a foundation you can rely on in the future and including earning at least a partial academic scholarship, but, sorry to say, getting to go to college free is rarely one of them.

A note on the FAFSA: If you Google "FAFSA," you will get many sites, some asking for fees. The FAFSA is free, so be sure you go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Beckett Howorth, M.Ed., former director of admissions and a past president of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, has 33 years of admissions experience. He now guides students and families as an independent college counselor. To contact him or to read more information on college, go to www.howortheducationalplanning.com. Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 2/23/2009,


Two Myths and One Sure Truth About Financial Aid and College Grants

College Admission Help: College Fair Provides A Learning Experience

By ROBERT SAMUELS
rsamuels@MiamiHerald.com
The economy may be shaky, but college recruiters told parents and students that college is not out of reach.
With thousands buzzing behind them, a crowd of parents and teenagers three deep swarmed Natalie Cuenca-Suñer, a Florida State University admissions officer.
In one minute, she said six times what a good SAT score would be: somewhere between 1740 and 1990. She gave the typical range for grade-point averages five times: 3.6 to 4.2.
''They're always interested in us here,'' Cuenca-Suñer said while opening her seventh box of brochures at the National College Fair, which came to the Doubletree Miami Mart on Sunday. ``We're the local school. The students can get in-state tuition. We just want them to apply.''
Miami-Dade Public Schools, which brought the touring national fair to Miami, expected as many as 10,000 students to visit the booths.
Freak-outs about admissions and financing are to be expected. But now, more than ever, the fair's hosts wanted to emphasize that the economic slump should not deter qualified students from getting a college education.
''We want people to realize they don't have to be wealthy to go to college,'' said Perla Tabares Hantman, a Miami-Dade School Board member and co-chair of the local college-fair committee. ``We want them to know about scholarships. And we have workshops about how to apply for financial aid -- in English, Spanish and Creole.''
Marlene Mitchell and her son, Christopher, attended one such session, where the speaker discussed the different federal loans and grants that a student can obtain.
''Today, I learned that some schools give financial aid, not just the government. I didn't know that. It helps me feel a little better,'' the elder Mitchell said.
The fair, coordinated by the National Association of College Admission Counseling, plans to return to South Florida in November -- this time, to Fort Lauderdale.
Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who attended the fair, called it one of the best ''one-stop shops'' to ever visit the area.
Representatives of more than 150 colleges, from St. Petersburg, Fla., to Rome, Italy, came to Miami to woo students and field their questions.
While state universities and the University of Miami received the most attention, others hoped their locations and specialized offerings would interest students such as Shannon Hemmings.
Hemmings, a junior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in North Miami-Dade, is looking for a college with a good arts and musical-theater program. She carried University of Florida paraphernalia, but she and her mother were discussing other options.
''Maybe I should look at some places in California or New York,'' Hemmings told her mother, Sharon McCormack.
Then they passed the booth for Bond University, located in Queensland.
As in Australia.
Hemmings' eyes perked up at the possibility. ''How about Australia!'' she said. ``I never thought about it before, but I could study someplace international.''


College Admission Help: College Fair Provides A Learning Experience

Senator Proposes Increasing College Grants

By PETER JACKSON (AP)

The Times Leader
Northeastern Pennsylvania's Newspaper

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A key state senator is calling for an expansion of Pennsylvania's grants for college students and strict new limits on tuition increases at most colleges and universities that get state funding.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola advocated an injection of $145 million into the grant program, which he said would help an additional 25,000 students.
His plan would offset the cost largely by eliminating tax breaks for the film industry.
The Dauphin County Republican also advocates requiring colleges and universities that get the most state funding to limit their annual tuition increases to the inflation rate.
Piccola cast his proposals as an alternative to Gov. Ed Rendell's more expansive plan to boost tuition aid by more than $500 million a year by legalizing and taxing video poker machines.



Senator Proposes Increasing College Grants