The Financial Aid Process is Right Around the Corner

Over the thanksgiving break the guidance office received quite a few common applications or requests for transcripts to be sent.  This will most likely be the last large push for college applications.  We do have students finishing up their college applications into the New Year, but most students are moving onto the financial aid process.  Since the financial aid process can be so overwhelming, the guidance office has a few meetings arranged to help clear up the confusion.  I will also list some important information and websites for you to view.   

Important Dates:

PHEAA Financial Aid Night

A representative from PHEAA (PA Higher Education Assistance Agency) will be at the high school to present on the financial aid process.  She is very knowledgeable on the FAFSA form and federal and state aid.  This presentation will take place in the high school auditorium on January 29th, 2014 at 6pm. 

Even if you have heard this presentation before or have filed the FAFSA for other children, it would be good to attend for updates and changes in the process. 

Student Presentation

The guidance counselors are planning a student presentation during tutorial for early January.  This presentation will focus on responsible borrowing and the differences between loans, grants, and scholarships.   A video will also be shown showcasing Fairview High School teachers and their experiences with student loan debt.  We hope this presentation will help students make appropriate financial choices when choosing a college. 

Financial Aid Overview

• In order to qualify for federal, state, and need based institutional aid students need to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) every year they are enrolled in college. 
• The FAFSA collects household and financial information and determines an expected family contribution (EFC).   An EFC is the result of the federal calculation based on family earnings, assets, number of students in college, and size of family as reported on the FAFSA.  The EFC is a suggestion on the amount of money a family can pay for college expenses.  This number ranges from 0-99,999. 
• You can send your FAFSA to up to 10 colleges.  All of the colleges that receive your FAFSA will mail you a financial aid award listing all federal aid, state aid, grants, scholarships, work study and loans available to your family. 

Helpful Websites

PHEAA (State Aid)

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

FAFSA 4Caster

My Smart Borrowing

Education Planner

Academic Life Coach

I had never heard of an Academic Life Coach until a few months ago.  An Academic Life Coach is so much more than a tutor.  A tutor is someone who helps a student succeed in a specific subject by reinforcing lessons, teaching topic specific information, and helping a student study for a specific exam or quiz.  An Academic Life Coach teaches a student how to study in general.   They teach organizational skills, time management, note-taking strategies, and general study stills.  An Academic Life Coach can meet one-on-one with student’s needing strategies tailored specifically towards their academic concerns. 

As a school counselor, I see it all of the time.  We have so many students that are capable of getting A’s and B’s, but are getting C’s or D’s because they forget homework, can’t remember when the exam is, have poor study techniques, or no study techniques at all.  Many of our students learn these skills on their own or through support from a teacher, but there are those students that really need a plan tailored for their individual needs. 

We have students who consistently forget to do homework thus getting zeros on numerous assignments.  We also have students that do the homework, but lose it on the way to school or forget it at home.  For these students some general organizational skills go a long way. 

Gretchen Wegner is an Academic Life Coach based out of Oakland, California.  She is the sister-in law to Barb Wegner our Art teacher.  Gretchen owns her own business and enjoys mentoring students through video chat.  Most of the clients she works with meet with her weekly or monthly for one hour sessions.  Video chat allows her to work with students all across the country from their home computer. 

To view a YouTube video about Gretchen and Academic Life Coaching, please click HERE. 

Gretchen created a quick quiz for students to take to see if Academic Life Coaching could be a fit for their needs.  It is below:

• I’m drowning in paper and my backpack and binders are a disaster
• I forget to do homework or forget to turn it in
• Studying doesn’t work; my test grades still stink or wait…study?  What is that?
• I hate having to choose between good grades and a personal life
• I’m scared I won’t get into a good college
• I’m tired of my parents (and teachers) nagging me to do better
• I sincerely want to do better, but I just can’t figure out how
• I procrastinate like crazy and struggle to motivate myself

If you answered yes to more than one item or are interested in what Academic Life Coaching can offer, visit Gretchen Wegner’s website at:  gretchenwegner.com

Jobs and College Costs

According to an article on the CNN Money website from 2012, the average cost of tuition alone at a public school is $8,655 per year and the average cost for one year of private school tuition is $29,056.  This doesn't even include room, board, books, or travel.  Those items could tack on as much as $15,000 more!  Students often wonder why we push the concept of commuting to campus.  The amount of money students are spending on their education these days is painful.  Another painful statistic is the fact that the average 4 year degree is taking 5.5 years to complete! 

Students are also spending a crazy amount of money on degrees with little or no projected growth or jobs in the near future.  The Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the United States Department of Labor lists the fastest growing occupations in 2010-2020.  ONE out of the top ten careers listed requires a bachelor’s degree!  Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook for more information on top growing careers.    

Realizing that a four year degree is not mandatory for success after high school, we are exposing students to options other than four year degrees.  We take all of our freshmen students to the Erie County Technical School to tour various labs and to see first hand the amazing programs they offer.  We have many students that go this route and graduate high school with certifications that lead straight into a career.  We bring in speakers from the local technical schools to speak about certificate and two year programs.  We also offer the military representatives a chance to speak at our career days and set up tables in the cafeteria during lunch. 

We want students to choose a path that is right for them.  We also want students to be aware of the high college costs and to choose the right priced school or program for their needs and financial capabilities.  Currently, the school counselors are listening to the junior graduation project presentations.  One of the requirements in this presentation is to list the total cost for four years for the colleges/institutions that the student is considering.  It has been a real eye opener for students to see that four years of schooling could cost them anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000+. As always we will continue to push smart college choices, career research, and comparison of school prices with the quality of academic programs. 

Academic Online Resources

If you haven’t seen the Khan Academy website you need to log in today.  Khan Academy is a free website dedicated to create a global classroom where students from all over the world can learn at their own pace.  Our students at Fairview High School are getting a superb education, but that doesn't mean that the use of Khan Academy is not needed.  Khan Academy and other online tools can be a great enhancement to what is being taught in the classroom.

Sometimes students need information explained in a different way.  Some students like to go home and review the lesson before beginning homework.  Some students need to work at a slower pace and need time outside of the classroom to review.  Khan Academy is set up to support all of this.  Khan Academy provides online tutorials in many subject areas including math, science, economics and humanities.  The website displays lessons on particular areas within these subjects.  It allows students to search for specific topics that they may have learned about in class.  Khan Academy is even branching out to elementary students by offering math tutorials from 3^rd grade on. 

In an effort to support the use of supplemental material such as Khan Academy’s lessons, Fairview High School has created an Academic Support page on the high school website.  This page allows you to click on a Fairview High School course and see online material that supports the lessons being taught in the classroom.  Students can use this for homework support, to review lessons, or to work ahead.  This material is available through Khan Academy, Teacher Tube or other online tutorials. 

Check out Khan Academy and the Fairview High School Academic Support page today!  

Governor's School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon

The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences (PGSS) at Carnegie Mellon University is currently accepting applications for their summer 2014 program.  All of the PA Governor's Schools are excellent opportunities for students to receive hands on learning in a particular field.  The PGSS focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).  The goal of this program is to encourage the youth of Pennsylvania to pursue careers in STEM fields.  

PGSS is an five week summer residential program.  Students are required to live on the Carnegie Mellon campus during the five week program.  This highly competitive program accepts 56 juniors. All accepted students receive a full scholarship which covers the cost of housing, meals, and instructional materials.  

Details of the Program

When:  June 29th-August 2nd, 2014

Where:  Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Who May Apply: This program is open to all high school juniors at time of application.

Deadline to Apply:  Completed applications must be sent to Carnegie Mellon University and postmarked no later than January 31, 2014.  

Additional Information and an Application:

www.pgss.mcs.cmu.edu

Virtual College Fair

Our high school students are using the online world for almost everything they do.  Our kids are very tech savvy and this is impacting the college admissions process.  In my opinion, there is nothing better than seeing a college campus and walking around to get a “feel” for the place.  But, some students aren't ready for the college visit.  They haven’t narrowed down their search to the handful of schools they want to visit.  If this is the case, a college fair is a great way to gather information before the college visit.  A company called College Fairs Online is providing a virtual college fair to any student or parent residing in Pennsylvania on November 11-16, 2013. 

I have never attended a virtual college fair.  After some research, I discovered that colleges create a virtual booth showcasing their institution.  A live chat feature is also available to speak with the schools of interest. Students and parents can log on to the fair and view information on multiple schools in one concise place. 

Students that are interested should visit www.collegefairsonline.com.  Students should click on the students tab to register before the fair.  Students who register ahead of time will receive a reminder email before the fair starts.  This fair is free of charge.  

Penn State Update

I attended a counselor’s workshop at Penn State Behrend and received some really nice updates and announcements from both University Park and Behrend.  I wanted to take some time to share these with you.

Important Dates

The Penn State admissions process does not use early decision or early action admissions deadlines.  They do encourage all applicants to apply and complete their file by November 30^th.  The file must be complete with a submitted application, high school transcript, and official test scores sent directly from College Board or ACT.  If a student has their materials in by November 30^th, they will receive an admissions decision before the end of January.  A student is able to apply after November 30^th, but it may become more difficult to get accepted.  A student has the best chance of getting accepted if they apply and complete their application before the end of November. 

March 1^st is the deadline for students to submit their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  All students need to submit this financial aid paperwork in a timely manner in order to receive the financial aid award letter before the May 1^st admissions decision date. 

All students should confirm their enrollment with Penn State by May 1^st.

Admissions Standards

Students always ask me, “Will I be admitted to Penn State?  Are my scores or GPA high enough?”  Penn State discloses what they call the middle 50%.  The chart represents the middle 50% of students offered admission from the previous admissions year.  There are no cutoffs or averages.  To view this chart, visit:  http://admissions.psu.edu/apply/statistics/

Additional Information

• Penn State requires two years of the same foreign language in high school.  If an applicant does not have two years on their transcript, they will have to take at least a semester of a language while attending Penn State.
• Penn State does not super score multiple SAT or ACT exams.  They take the highest combination of scores from any single test date.
• If a student attends an open house or campus visit at the Behrend campus, the admissions staff will waive the admissions application fee.  Going for a college visit can save you $50.
• Many questions come up about the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State.  Students admitted to the Honors College must display:  academic excellence, strong leadership skills, motivation and self-discipline, and a commitment to citizenship and civic responsibility. Students submit essay questions and letters of recommendation.  Two reviewers read a “blind” application copy of these essays and letters of recommendation.  The reviewers do not see ACT or SAT test scores when reviewing the application.  Students need to set themselves apart in their essays by demonstrating their commitment to the characteristics I mentioned above.  Top academics will not automatically get you into this prestigious group. More information on the Schreyer Honors College can be found at: http://www.shc.psu.edu/future/  

Special Invitation for Students Interested in Health Careers

If you are at least 15 years of age and interested in learning about health careers, the Saint Vincent Learning for Life Explorer Program is for you.  Saint Vincent is offering six sessions throughout the school year related to different medical professions.  An introductory meeting is being held on: Wednesday, November 6^th from 6:00pm-7:30pm.  This introductory meeting will provide you with an orientation to the Explorer Program.  The students who choose to participate will be required to pay a $24 fee. 

If you have questions or wish to make reservations for the introductory session, please see Mrs. Crawford in guidance.  Specific questions about the program can be directed to program coordinator Judy Stear at jstear@svhs.org