Transcript INSERT FOUndATION LOGO HERE Or COE logo? I hate to use

Georgia Association
of Homes and Services for Children
Foundation
Making College a Reality
for Foster Youth
Why Should You Make College a
Priority NOW?
 70% of foster youth say they want to go to college
 Yet only half graduate from high school (as
opposed to 70% of the general population)
 And only 10% actually go on to college (while
60% of the general population does)
 100,000 more foster youth a year would be in
college if they were going to college at the same
rate as the general population
Interesting statistic…
 Only 150 of the 3500 colleges in the US are
so selective that they turn down half of their
applicants. In fact, 44% of colleges accept
EVERY SINGLE APPLICANT!
– Time magazine, October 9, 2006 issue
The Biggest Barriers
 Lack of cultural expectation to succeed
academically and attend college
 Frequent disruptions in educational experiences
(65% of foster youth experienced seven or more
school changes - and each move results in a loss of
6 months of educational progress)
 Perceived notion of cost of college as unaffordable
 Lack of personal support
How Can You Help?
 College Prep
 Admissions Process
 Financial Aid
College Prep
Preparing for College
 Tell them they can do it – set the expectation!
 Discuss the benefits of college
 Reduce educational placement disruptions
 Become or identify an educational advocate
(guidance counselor, mentor, CASA, coach,
teacher, older sibling, foster parent, etc.)
 Be knowledgeable about services, processes, and
resources related to college
 Connect your youth with foster youth in college
Admissions Process
Timeline
 Fall Junior Year - SAT/ACT prep
 Spring Junior Year – take the test, begin web
searches for colleges
 Summer Junior Year – write personal essays and
resumes, visit colleges
 Fall Senior Year – get common application, write
essays, visit colleges, re-take tests if needed
 January Senior Year – download FAFSA and fill
out – it’s due in March!
What are Colleges Looking For?
 A high school curriculum
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that challenges the student
Grades that show a strong
effort and an upward trend
Solid test scores
Community service
Work experience (but not
too much!)
 A well-written essay
 PERSONALIZED letters
of recommendation from
teachers and counselors
 Strong supplementary
recommendations
 Anything special that
makes the student stand
out!
Financial Aid
**Disclaimer! Georgia Student Finance Commission is the
ultimate authority on financial aid. We STRONGLY
recommend that you contact them for complete information at
www.gacollege411.org or 1-800-505-GSFC
Types of Financial Aid
 Grants/Scholarships – “gift aid” that does not
require repayment
 Loans – borrowed and must be repaid with interest
 Work Study – a job on campus
Most financial aid is awarded on the basis of need,
but total financial aid awarded to a student cannot
exceed the college’s cost of attendance.
State Grants/Scholarships
 HOPE
 Foster Child Education Grant
 Accel – allows students to earn college
credit while meeting high school graduation
requirements
Update on HOPE Changes
 All changes effective May, 2007
 HOPE Eligibility will be determined by Georgia
Student Finance Commission
 No numerical scale used for Standard of Eligibility
 Academic credits counted in calculation will include
all credits attempted
 Only Advanced Placement and International
Baccalaureate courses will be weighted in GPA
calculation
 Weighting will be done by GSFC and will be uniform
across the state
Federal Grant Programs
 Pell
 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant (FSEOG)
 Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership
(LEAP)
 The National Science and Mathematics Access to
Retain Talent Grant (SMART) - new
 Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) - new
Features of GAcollege411.org
 Personalized student planner/timeline – create a profile!
 Information on Georgia colleges (comparative view, distance
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calculator, etc.)
College prep test reviews and testing dates (also visit
www.collegeboard.com or www.satonlinecoursechool.com for free
reviews – you will need an access code from your school principal)
Common application
Steps for applying for financial aid
Loan repayment calculator
Information for non-traditional students/adult learners
Scholarship Resources
 Orphan Foundation of America –
www.orphan.org
 Adoptive/Foster Parent Association of
Georgia – www.afpag.org
 Excellence in Education Scholarship –
www.gahsc.org/projecttransition.html
 See handout for additional resources
Excellence in Education
Scholarship Program Overview
 In 2006, the Excellence in Education Scholarship
program awarded $108,000 to foster youth
continuing on to college/graduate school
 We received 59 applications. 47 were complete
and eligible for consideration
 29 students were selected for scholarships,
including 4 graduate students
Types of Scholarships Awarded
• College - $1,000 a year for a maximum of 4
years of post high school education (lifetime
maximum total of scholarship funds
available per undergraduate applicant =
$4,000)
• Graduate School - $1,500 a year for a
maximum of 2 years of graduate school or
masters programs (lifetime maximum total
of scholarship funds available per graduate
school applicant = $3,000)
Eligibility Requirements
In DFCS custody OR placed at a licensed
private residential program at the time of
your 16th birthday
Have already graduated OR anticipate
graduation end of the 2006/2007 school year
Continuing on to post-secondary
educational program that is accredited and/or
approved by DFCS
Demonstrated financial need
Willingness to participate in LINC
mentoring program
Commonly Asked Eligibility
Questions
• Students who emancipated or adopted at age 16 or
older are eligible
• You may reapply as a graduate student if you
received a scholarship as an undergraduate
• You are eligible to reapply if you have received
undergraduate funding at a lower level than $4,000,
provided you are working on a different degree (for
example, you got $2,000 for your Associates and
have decided to pursue a Bachelors)
• Students who have applied in the past but did not
receive funding are encouraged to reapply
Section I - General Information
2007 Excellence in Education Scholarship Application
SECTION I - GENERAL INFORMATION
Student’s
Name:_______________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
City:_______________________State:____________Zip:__________
Phone Number:_______________Email Address:___________________
Birthdate:_____________ High School:__________________________
College/University (if already enrolled): __________________________
High School Graduation Date:________Grade Point Average_______
SAT/ACT Score:______
College Graduation Date (if applicable): __________________________
LSAT/GMAT/GRE, etc. Score: __________
Have you applied for Excellence in Education scholarship before?
____yes ____no
If yes, when? _____________________________
 Fill out completely.
Contact information is
critical - we must know
where to find you if we
have questions.
 SAT/ACT/LSAT/GMAT,
etc. scores are not
mandatory if the school
you are applying to does
not require them. Please
indicate if school does not
require test scores.
Section II - Financial Need
SECTION II - FINANCIAL NEED
To what schools have you applied? Please indicate if you have been accepted.
Name:______________________________City/State:________________
Name:______________________________City/State:________________
Name:______________________________City/State:________________
What will be your major area of study?______________________________
How will you pay for the remainder of your educational expenses, not covered
by this scholarship?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Have you received the Excellence in Education scholarship before? If so, what
year and for what amount?_______________________________________
List any other scholarships you have applied for:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
List any scholarships you have already been awarded and the amount of the
award:
Name of Scholarship
Amount
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
 We do take into account
the cost of public vs.
private education, as well
as other sources of aid
identified.
 The selection committee
looks favorably upon
students who have made
an effort to identify
additional funding sources
beyond state/federal
grants.
Section III - Employment/Volunteer/
Extracurricular
SECTION III – EMPLOYMENT/COMMUNITY
SERVICE/EXTRACURRICULAR
 We recognize that many students
Employment History:
Dates
Number
Supervisor
Company Name
# hours/week
Phone
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Extracurricular Activities
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Community Service
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Awards/Recognition Received (School, Church, Community, Other)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
have part-time jobs and that does
affect ability to participate in
extracurricular activities.
 It carries more weight with us if
students have made a demonstrated
leadership commitment to a few
activities, rather than joined every
club at school.
 We also understand that foster care
often results in frequent
moves/school changes, which
affect the ability to work, join
clubs, volunteer, etc. If this is the
case, let us know in your essay.
Section IV - References
SECTION IV – REFERENCES
Name of DFCS/private provider case manager:__________
Case manager phone
number:__________________Email:________________
Character References (include the name and phone numbers
of the individuals who wrote your letters of reference for
this application).
Name
Position
Phone Number
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Case manager contact
information is critical. If
we need more information
on you, we need know
where to find them.
 Do NOT use friends as
character references.
Your references should be
teachers, coaches,
ministers, foster parents,
or other adults in your life.
Section V - Essay
The essay is the most important part
of your application - it is your
chance to stand out and it carries
the most weight in scoring. The
essay is not about being a great
writer - it’s about telling us who
you are and what your plans are!
Tips for Successful Essay Writing
 Tell us about who you are and who you want to be. Discuss your
goals for the future and your plans for achieving those goals. Tell us
why you think this scholarship will help you achieve those goals
(hint: everyone needs the money to avoid debt, so give us other
reasons why you need it!)
 Make yourself stand out. The scholarship committee reads dozens
of essays and applications. Find a way to help us remember you. Tell
a story about yourself that helps the committee understand what
makes you special.
 Do NOT recycle essays from other scholarship applications
without tailoring them to our application. You can use parts of
other essays, but be sure you address the questions we are asking you
to answer.
 PROOFREAD your essay! And have someone else proofread it.
Make the corrections, and then proofread it one last time! It is hard to
focus on the real message of the essay when it is full of grammatical
and spelling errors.
Essay Evaluation Criteria
 Did you answer the questions?
 Do you have a clear plan for the future, or at least
a clear plan for what your next steps are right
now?
 Did you do a good job of personalizing yourself
on paper and helping us understand who you are?
 Did you spell check/grammar check/proofread and
make final corrections?
Essay Editing Assistance
Email a draft of your essay to [email protected] - it
will be sent to a volunteer editor who will review,
edit, and provide feedback to student.
Application Checklist
 Application form
 Your current high school transcript with most recent grades
available OR a copy of your GED completion certificate
 Undergraduate transcript, if requesting funds for graduate
program
 Copy of standardized test scores, if applicable
(SAT/ACT/LSAT/GRE/GMAT, etc.)
 Letter of verification from case manager that states that you
are in that agency’s custody or verifying the date you were
emancipated
 Two letters of reference on author’s letterhead with
signature across the seal of the sealed envelope
 Essay
Ten Characteristics Used to
Evaluate Applications:
 Educational/Career Goals
 Character
 Employment
 Leadership
 Extracurricular Activities
 Community Service
 Academic Record
 Other Financial Aid
 References (x4)
 Essay Quality (x8)
What Makes a Successful
Application?
 Application is complete with all information
requested, including all attachments.
 Submitted on time.
 Typewritten if at all possible.
 Strong essay that conveys character and
personality of applicant.
 Clear educational goals for future.
Review/Decision Making
Timeline
 Deadline: April 20, 2007
 Applications reviewed by committee:
May 15, 2007
 Decision letters mailed: May 31, 2007
 Scholarships awarded: June 13, 2007 at
The Celebration of Excellence graduation
event
Keeping Them In College Once
They Get In
 Get connected with appropriate on-campus
resources (mental health, peer support
groups, financial aid counselors,
tutoring/study skills, student life, child care)
 Get connected with peer mentor –
preferably anther foster youth in college
 Get connected with an adult mentor
 Identify housing resources for school breaks
Program Contact for Additional
Information/Questions
Susan Allison
Project Transition Director
[email protected]
404-351-1678
Questions/Comments