Educational Resources

High School

College Planning

Today’s aggressive college environment, with colleges and universities competing to meet their bottom line or attain brighter, larger or more diverse student population, has caused the financial aid and the admissions processes to become more and more entwined in order to facilitate this shift toward “enrollment management.” Increasing amounts of financial assistance are finding their way to middle and upper-income families. Yet at the same time, the rationale for this “strategic packaging” becomes more and more evasive. So how does a family figure it all out, and figure it all out quickly?

The secret to this need for “extreme college planning” is simply two words.

The first is “process.” The major challenge in college planning today is not finding information. We're drowning in it. The challenge is rather what to do with it once you've got it. How do you manage that information, bring a focus to it and make it meaningful to your student? How do you use it to make good educational and financial decisions? The answer--process.

The second is “involvement.” You must be involved--involved in the process, involved in every aspect of the process. You cannot afford to let the system take its own course. There are too many variables and too little information flowing between families and colleges. You have to be involved to insure that everything goes according to design. The basic principle to effective college planning is--involvement.

An “involved process” then is the key to your success. This involved process encompasses exploration and discovery, shopping and analysis, facilitation and negotiation.

Our program is designed to provide families with the specific help they need to successfully navigate the complexities of college admissions and financial aid. Today you begin the process and get involved. With your dedication and our assistance, college will be an affordable reality and educational dreams will be fulfilled.

Use the resources available through our member services or contact Campus Financial for comprehensive, one-on-one consultation and assistance.

www.campusfinancial.net

PSAT/SAT

Have you ever heard of the PSAT? It is a test that can help you prepare for the SAT. The SAT is a test that many students take in order to apply to college. If you need more information about the SAT, it can be found in the section for high school students. Some high school students take another test, the ACT, to use to apply to college, but taking the PSAT can help you prepare for taking standardized tests in general and will definitely help you prepare for the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Here are some things you should know about the PSAT/NMSQT:

It is considered a practice run for students who plan to take the SAT, which is the test many colleges require for admission. You can take the PSAT as early as 9th grade, so it is never too early to start practicing for the SAT.
The scores tend to improve with every year a student stays in school. The more practice you have in taking standardized tests, the better you will do.
It is used to select students who apply for the National Merit Scholarship.
It is also used to choose students for the National Assistance Scholarship Program for Outstanding Black Students.
If you like, you can also have your scores reported to colleges interested in students scoring in your range. You will receive many pamphlets, catalogs, and brochures telling you about those schools

More about PSAT from College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

What's on the test
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about/ontest.html

Scholarships and Recognition
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about/scholarships.html

Student Bulletin - College Board's official student guide http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about/bulletin.html

College Selection Process

The following information was complied by Preparant Educational Association

Step One: What do I want to be when I grow up?

Wow! What a big decision to make! How does your child know what they want to do after high school? It is a very important decision that your child has to make for themselves (with your help, of course). Here are a few tips that might assist your child in making such a crucial choice in life.

Your child should choose a career that includes things that interest them most. Maybe it is a hobby or something they are good at. Encourage them to narrow down their career choices. It is so important for your child to choose a career that they will enjoy. You have to go to work to make a living so you might as well choose something you enjoy.

Encourage your child to enroll for an internship - this is where they actually work in a particular job (check the Find Local Resources section of the web site for possible internship opportunities). An internship allows them to see if they like a particular field before committing to that field of study. They will get to see many different aspects of a job that they might not see otherwise. An internship is also a good way for them to make connections in your community and within an industry of interest.

Encourage your child to work a part time job. While they are in high school, it is a great time to get a summer, afternoon, or weekend job. Help them try to get a job in a place that they will find interesting. For example, if they want to be a lawyer, they should try to get a job filing or answering the phone at a law firm. This will allow them to see firsthand how the business works. They will quickly discover if they enjoy that atmosphere and want to pursue studying this field.

Suggest your child be a shadow for a day. Ask someone who works in the field they are interested in studying to go to work with them for a day. It is amazing how much they can learn in just one day. Ask your child to be sure to ask a lot of questions while they are there. If your child is unable to go to work with them, your child should ask them questions about their job. Most people are grateful to tell them all about what they do and would love for them to make that their career as well.

Your child should go to Career Services at the school they are interested in attending. They will help your child find out where their interest lies and try to match them up with some majors. Information on different careers will be available for them to read over and hopefully get some ideas.

Doing some homework on choosing a career before going to college will save you lots of time and money. Your child will not waist any time taking unnecessary classes - and you (and your child) paying for those classes.

The good thing about starting college is your child does not have to make their final decision immediately. They have time to take elective classes to find out what they like and do not like. Be patient! The right career choice will fall at their feet when they search out all options. (Adapted from EdAmerica (www.edamerica.net). Ed America works with postsecondary institutions nationwide to help students and parents fund the dream of higher education.

A great source for information about making the "I want to be
_______ when I grow" up decision is The Occupational
Outlook Handbook. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a
nationally recognized source of career information, designed to
provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions
about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the
Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working
conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and
expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. Click
here to access this resource. http://www.bls.gov/oco/

Another great tool is The Career Key by Lawrence K. Jones, Ph.D., NCC, North Carolina State University. The Career Key a low-cost service to help you with career choices, career changes, and career planning, job search, and choosing a college major or training program. More than 5,000 people visit daily for professional career guidance. Take the career key, a professional career test. It takes about 10 minutes. It measures your skills, abilities, values, interests, and personality. Identify promising jobs and get accurate information about them.

http://usd.swreg.org/cgi-bin/s.cgi?s=30792&p=3079230792010&v=0&d=0&q=1&t

Step Two: Which type of school is right?

How can you and your child find a college where he or she will thrive? Start by helping your child take a careful look at their interests, abilities, and attitudes. Do they learn best in classes with lots of discussion, like those found at small liberal arts colleges? Would they be happier as part of a larger college community with bigger classes? Find out all this and more by taking the college personality quiz, adapted from College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You! by Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D., and Marie A. Friedemann, Ph.D. (Octameron Associates, 1999).

Your child will need about 10-15 minutes to complete the quiz. Choose the best answer for each of the 80 questions. Click here to begin the College personality quiz http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/articles/extras/personality-quiz_brief.php

Suggestion: When you complete the quiz, the program produces a valuable report called "Your scores". We suggest you email the report to yourself for future reference.

The "Your scores" report will make valuable recommendations about the type of school your child may thrive in. Shown below is a brief overview and description of the types of post secondary schools.

Types of Schools

Most postsecondary schools can be described as:

Public or Private;
Two-year or Four-year.

Public institutions are state supported.

Private for-profit institutions are businesses.

Private not-for-profit institutions are independent - for instance, the school might have been established by a church or through local community donations rather than by the state government.

Here's a more detailed description of the kinds of schools you might hear about as you plan for your post-high-school education:

Four-year institutions offer bachelor's degrees, and some offer advanced degrees.
Two-year institutions offer associate's degrees.
Less-than-two-year institutions offer training and award certificates of completion.
College - A four-year college grants bachelor's degrees (Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Science). Some colleges also award master's degrees.
University - A university grants bachelor's and master's degrees, and sometimes includes a professional school such as a law school or medical school. Universities tend to be larger than colleges, focus more on scholarly or scientific research, and might have larger class sizes.
Community college - A public two-year college granting associate's degrees and sometimes certificates in particular technical (career-related) subjects. Some students start their postsecondary education at a community college and then transfer to a four-year school, either because a community college tends to be cheaper than a four-year college, or because admissions standards at community colleges are often less stringent than at four-year schools.
Junior college - Similar to a community college, except that a junior college is usually a private school.
Career school, technical school, or vocational/trade school - These terms are often used interchangeably. May be public or private, two-year or less-than-two-year. Career schools offer courses that are designed to prepare students for specific careers, from welding to cosmetology to medical imaging, etc. The difference between technical schools and trade schools is that technical schools teach the science behind the occupation, while trade schools focus on hands-on application of skills needed to do the job.

Step Three: Find a College

http://studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/collegefinder/

Step Four: Paying for College

We believe one of the most difficult and confusing areas of higher education is finding your way through the maze of loans, scholarships, savings programs, etc. in your quest to fund your child's education. After reviewing numerous resources, we came to the conclusion that we could not explain it any better than it is explained on the web sites shown below:

FinAid has a stellar reputation in the educational community as the best Web site of its kind. It's comprehensive, it's informative, it's objective--and it's the first stop on the Web for students looking for ways to finance their education.

Every major newspaper and personal finance magazine in the country has reviewed the site. The New York Daily News called FinAid "the hottest site on the Internet for financial aid tips." It is "the best place to begin a search" according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and "the grand-daddy of all Web sites" according to the Boston Globe. Yahoo Internet Life said to "make FinAid your first stop. This site offers some of the best 'how to' guidance on securing financial aid."

Here are some of the many areas of college funding explained by FinAid:

One of most valuable sections of FinAid's site is "Answering Your Questions." This section of their web site includes Frequently Asked Questions and if you can't find the answer in the FAQs, you can "Ask the Aid Advisor" and receive an answer back witing two weeks. A Glossary of Financial Aid Terms, reference material and recommended books are here too. Click here to go to FinAid's home page (http://www.finaid.org). We encourage you thoroughly explore this valuable resource!
USNews.com is another great resource to learn about finding, conserving and paying back financial aid. Some of the topics discussed on this web site include:

Click here to go to USNews.com's free Education Financial Aid site

USNews.com also offers a "premium online edition" that includes online access to the infamous "Best of…" series of publications.

Step Five: Filing for Financial Aid

You should apply for aid every year, even if you think you don't qualify. There are many factors affecting eligibility for financial aid. For example, a student who didn't qualify one year might become eligible during the next year when a brother or sister enrolls in college. A change in family financial circumstances might affect your eligibility for student aid.

To apply for student financial aid from the federal government, including the Pell Grant, Perkins Loan, Stafford Loan and work-study, you will need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no charge for submitting this form. The FAFSA is also required by all state and many school student assistance programs.

Some private colleges and universities will require one or more supplemental forms to obtain information not included on the FAFSA. They may have their own forms or they may ask you to complete the College Board's CSS PROFILE form.

Before you begin, you should review important information about the deadlines (including the strange business about not submitting the FAFSA form before January 1) and gather together all the documents you'll need to complete the form.

Then read our sections relating to the FAFSA and/or CSS PROFILE forms. You should also read the section on Help Completing the FAFSA and our list of Common Errors on Financial Aid Applications. You will find the Title IV School Code Database helpful, since it contains the magic numbers you'll need to identify the schools to which you are applying. Also, FinAid reviews what happens after you submit the FAFSA, in the section about the Student Aid Report (SAR) and Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

If you're wondering whether you count as a dependent or independent student for financial aid purposes, see FinAid's dependency status form.

If you want to get an early estimate of what the government thinks you can afford to pay for your education, try FinAid's Financial Aid Estimation Form. It lets you play what-if games, to give you an idea how changes in income and assets affect the expected family contribution. We also have tips on how to legally maximize your eligibility for need-based financial aid by careful financial planning.

Veterans should read the section concerning Veterans and the FAFSA for information about the student aid treatment of veterans education benefits and the definition of a veteran for student aid purposes.

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High School