Transcript Work Hard But Smart: How to be Successful in School and

PLANNING FOR LIFE
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION
Presented by:
Connie Corcoran
Associate Director
Student Financial Aid
Emporia State University
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Why Is A College Education So
Important to Me?
 Personal reasons
 Professional reasons
 Financial reasons

Statistics show that higher levels of
educational attainment are directly associated
with higher levels of income
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Why Is Finishing School So
Important to Me?
Some HS
$100,000
$90,000
$80,000
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
HS Diploma
Some College
Wages U.S. Census
Bureau 2000
Associate
Degree
Bachelor's
Degree
Master's
Degree
Doctorate
Professional
Degree
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ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS
 What
are your
financial goals?
 What
are your
educational goals?
 What
are your
career goals?

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http://www.salary.com/
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
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HOW TO…..
Plan for College
 Find a College
 Pay for College

 Check out this website

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/index.html?student
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PLAN FOR COLLEGE
 The toughest part of
planning something
is finding out where
to start.
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Take college prep
classes
Develop
 Senior Action Plan

Make a master
calendar so you
don’t miss
important dates
and deadlines
and
fine tune
study skills
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FIND A COLLEGE
 Choosing a college is a big decision.
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There's no such thing as a "perfect" school.
Explore your interests and take the time to find
the college that's right for you.
Check size of college
Location of college
Do they offer the degree you wish to obtain?
What about campus life?
Cost???
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WHERE TO START
 Research
Your College Options
 Types of Colleges
 Private, Public, 2-year, 4-year,
Vocational, Community College
Your College Degree Options
 College Costs and Financial Aid
 Campus Life
 College Visits
 Virtual Visits

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PAY FOR COLLEGE
Each school determines their yearly COA to include:
 Tuition and fees
 Room and board
 Books and supplies
 Transportation
 Miscellaneous
personal expenses
 Loan fees
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COMPARE COSTS
SCHOOL
TUITION
FEES
ROOM
BOARD
BOOKS
SUPPLIES
TOTAL COST
Community
College
14 hrs
$2356
$5150
$1000
$8,506
ESU
10 + hours
$4636
$6230
$900
$11,766
Public (large)
14 HRS.
$222
$6,228
$6,954
$900
$14,082
Private
12 + hours
$22,200
$7,030
$1200
$30,430
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WHAT IS FINANCIAL NEED?

Cost of Attendance (COA)
 – Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
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
FAFSA requires information from the 2010 Federal tax return,
which includes various asset information from both parent(s) and
student
Various percentages from parent and student income and assets,
household size, number in college determine EFC.
= Financial Need
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COA - EFC = NEED
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FEDERAL AID
 Complete the 2011-12 Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA)

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Available online at www.fafsa.gov after January 1
Pre-application worksheet available from your high
school counselor in January or you can download
it from www.fafsa.gov
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FAFSA on the Web
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Web site: www.fafsa.gov
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2011-2012 FAFSA available on or
after January 1, 2011
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Don’t be scammed – use
only this site
Call toll free 800-433-3243
for paper FAFSA
Pre-Application Worksheet &
built-in edits to help prevent
costly errors
Available from HS Counselor
 RENEWAL FAFSA for next year’s
application will use same PIN
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PIN Registration
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Web site:
www.pin.ed.gov
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Not required, but
speeds processing
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Keep PIN in safe place

Can get PIN anytime
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PIN acts as electronic signature

Both student and parent need a PIN
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Principles of Federal Need Analysis
 To extent they are able, parents have
primary responsibility to pay for dependent
child’s education
 Students also have a responsibility to
contribute to their educational costs
 Families are evaluated on their previous
year’s financial information
 A family’s ability to pay should be evaluated
in an equitable and consistent manner,
recognizing that special circumstances may
affect ability to pay
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Independent Student Definition
 At least 24 years old by December 31 of award
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year covered by the FAFSA;
Graduate or professional student;
Married;
Has children or dependents (other than a spouse)
for whom the student provides more than half
support;
Orphan or ward/dependent of the court;
Veteran of U.S. Armed Forces or currently
serving on active duty (for other then training
purposes) in the Armed Forces; or
Determined to be “independent” by financial aid 21
administrator based on unusual circumstances
Federal Programs
 PELL GRANT
 SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT
 WORK STUDY
 TEACH GRANT
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Really an unsubsidized loan until teaching agreement
to serve is fulfilled
 PERKINS LOAN
 DIRECT STAFFORD LOAN
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Subsidized
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Unsubsidized
FEDERAL STAFFORD LOANS
 Subsidized: Must demonstrate “need”
 Unsubsidized: Not based on “need”
 Base annual loan limits (combined subsidized
and unsubsidized):
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$3,500 for 1st year undergraduates
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$4,500 for 2nd year undergraduates
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$5,500 for each remaining undergraduate year
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Fixed interest 6.8% - Unsubsidized
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Subsidized – 4.5% in 10-11; 3.4% in 11-12;12-13
6.8% unless legislative action is taken
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What Happens Next?
 FAFSA processed by federal processor
 (allow 3-4 weeks for paper app & 1-2 weeks for web
app)
 Student receives Student Aid Report (SAR)
 EFC & Data Release Number
 (DRN) can be used to make some changes over
the phone with the federal processor
 Remember to apply for Admission
 Meet your colleges priority deadline
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What is Verification?
 Government selects 1/3 of applicants

Some schools do 100% verification
 School needs copy of parents’ & student’s tax
return & copies of all supporting W2’s
 May need copies of other documents
 Respond to all requests for information
 Call, when you have questions
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Your Award Notification
 Depending on institutional policy, you may receive
notification of your awards via US Mail or you may
receive them electronically
 Most awards are based on full-time enrollment. If
you are not attending full-time, notify the financial
aid office so they may revise your aid
 Accept or decline awards
 If you decline or reduce your loans now and you
decide later you need additional funds, contact
the financial aid office. You may still have
eligibility for additional funds.
 Revisions
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How do I find out about other
scholarship opportunities?
 CHECK WITH EACH SCHOOL YOU ARE
CONSIDERING ATTENDING
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Academic Scholarships
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Departmental Scholarships
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Based on college major; grades can make a difference
Activity Scholarships
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Based on grades, ACT scores, rank in graduating class
Available for being involved on college campus
Grades not necessarily a factor (choir, band, SGA, etc.)
Athletic Scholarships/Grant-In-Aid

For participation in athletic activities
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Are There Any Other Resources?
 CHECK WITH YOUR COUNSELOR ON A
REGULAR BASIS
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Private business scholarships (e.g., Wal-Mart,
Gates Foundation, etc.)
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Civic organization scholarships (e.g., PTA,
Elks Club, Lions Club, American Legion, etc.)
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Churches
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Parents employers
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Jones Educational Foundation
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Private Scholarship Search
Free Internet scholarship search engines:
 FinAid on the Web: www.finaid.org
 College Board: www.collegeboard.com
 FastWeb: www.fastweb.com
 GoCollege: The Collegiate Websource:
www.gocollege.com
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STATE OF KANSAS
RESOURCES
 Complete the 2011-12
State of Kansas
Application

Available online at:
http://www.kansasregents
.org/student_financial_aid
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Paper application
available from your
high school
counselor perhaps
late November
 $12 application fee
 Vocational Scholarship
 Kansas Ethnic Minority
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Scholarship
Kansas Nursing Service
Scholarship
Kansas Teacher Service
Scholarship
Kansas State Scholarship
Kansas Comprehensive
Grants – no application
 Must file FAFSA by
April 1
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 Tuition Voucher – $1000
Reside in Lyon, Osage, or Coffey County high school after
2008
 Attend Emporia State University or Flint Hills Technical
College
 Be a full time student (12 hours or more)
 Maintain 2.00 cumulative GPA
 Complete 12 hours per semester
 Educational Grant –
 Need to complete the FAFSA and Jones Educational
Grant Application
Contact Jones Foundation – 620/342/1714
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AVOID BEING SCAMMED
 The Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act created a
fraud-awareness partnership between the U.S.
Department of Education and the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC). For more information about
scholarship scams or to report a scam, call the FTC
toll free at 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or go to
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship/
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How will I be able to pay for
college?
 Start saving for your education now!
 When you find a part time job – save half of
your paycheck and put it in your college fund.
 When you receive gift money – put half of it
your college fund.
 Apply for federal financial aid by completing
the FAFSA each year after January 1
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Questions??
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