Contents Why College? College Is More Affordable Than You May Think It s Too Early To Start Thinking About Paying For College Keeping Your Kids

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1 Contents Why College? College Is More Affordable Than You May Think It s Too Early To Start Thinking About Paying For College Keeping Your Kids College Bound Encourage Dreams: Talk About College Mississippi Colleges

2 Why College? Industries can die, hurricanes and tornadoes can strike with little notice and fires can consume everything in their path. Each of these events can steal the fruits of your labor. But a college education is not affected by economic forces or disasters, natural or otherwise. It is something permanent your child earns that will enrich his or her life always. Today s college education is all about opening doors for your child s future. A college education is a minimal requirement for entry into many fields. A college education is also about versatility. By completing a twoyear degree (an Associate s degree) your child will be qualified for many different jobs. A four-year degree (Bachelor s degree) will qualify your child for even more possibilities. In many cases, a college degree will be required to even apply for the job! Earning a degree demonstrates to employers that your child is reliable and can complete a long-term project. Employers know college is no picnic so they respect the applicant who has shown the perseverance and stamina to obtain a degree. A college education is a passport to the future. A college degree ensures your child can compete in this new economy. 2 College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

3 College Is Affordable Now More Than Ever When it comes to estimating college costs, the first thing to remember is that the cost of college attendance includes more than tuition, room, board and fees. The cost of college attendance or COA also includes books and supplies. It may include transportation costs, computer costs, and other personal expenses like clothing, laundry and entertainment. In short, the cost of attendance is the expense of enrolling and sending your child to college. This is important because unless you know what college will cost, you won t know how much financial aid your child will need. Once you know the true cost of your child s education, you can begin your personal College Finance Plan. But keep in mind that the vast majority of students enrolled in college today are receiving some form of financial assistance. Financial aid includes grants, work study, loans, and scholarships. College can be affordable and not a far-off dream for the family who is willing to do some homework and a little research. In order to calculate the true and accurate cost of college or COA, please visit one of these websites to complete an online Cost Worksheet: Click on Financial Aid Click on Bottom Line Click on Cost Worksheet College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

4 It s Too Early To Think About Paying For College Now. Absolutely not. However, families need a College Finance Plan. 1. Learn about the Section 529 College Savings Plans = Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (MPACT) < Pays full tuition and mandatory fees at Mississippi public colleges < May be used for private or out-ofstate schools < Must be a Mississippi resident < Can even enroll a newborn! = The Mississippi Affordable College Savings Plan (MACS ) < May be used to pay for tuition, room and board and other related college expenses < May be used at colleges anywhere in the US < There is no residency requirement to participate = Both MACS and MPACT are exempt from Federal and state tax. Visit com to learn more. 2. Learn about Federal financial aid resources. = About 85% of students enrolled in college receive some form of Federal financial aid. Everyone can apply and the application, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or the FAFSA) is free. 3. Learn about state financial aid resources. = Mississippi offers 16 sources of financial assistance for college. = Here are just three: < Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) < Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG) < Higher Education Legislative Plan (HELP) Visit to learn more about state financial aid. 4. Don t forget Scholarships. Don t wait until your child is in high school to begin looking. = Check with your child s counselor = Check with your local library = Search the internet (here are a few, but there are lots more sites) Visit and click on the Scholarship Search link. Visit to learn more. 4 College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

5 Mom Talk College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

6 Keeping Your Kids College Bound One of the best things you can do to keep your child college bound is to create an academically supportive environment. Respect education in your home. Respect your child s teachers, principals and coaches. Create distraction-free study zones. Help your child develop good study habits. Encourage regular reading. Help your child use a planner to track assignments and activities. Give books and magazine subscriptions as gifts. Enforce a bedtime. Young teens require as much as 10 to 12 hours of sleep to do their best in school. Encourage your child to get involved with extra-curricular activities. Meet with your child s teachers and guidance counselor. Talk to your child now about college. Positively reinforce your child s achievements. Regularly review your child s homework. Maintain a well balanced diet. 6 College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

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8 Encourage Dreams Talk About College As your child grows older, you may begin to wonder how much influence you have. The answer is a lot. Kids as old as 16 and 17 report mom and dad to be the biggest influences in their lives. More than teachers, coaches, peers or the media. This means that you are in a powerful position to steer your child to college. First, encourage your child to dream of a future where a college education is a certainty. Instead of saying if you go to college say when you re in college and when you finish your degree. The future you aim for is the future you re likely to get. And remember, people who aim too low usually hit their target. Launch your child high. If you weren t able to go to college, you may feel as if you aren t qualified to talk about it with your child. Make this an opportunity to learn together. Pick a nearby college and find out all you can about it. Visit the website. Request a course catalogue or other promotional material. Visit the campus and walk around. Ask family and friends who went to college to talk about their experiences with you and your child. Pick out a few college athletic teams to follow and root for. Help your child research the college while keeping track of the team s performance. Buy your child college t-shirts, book bags, etc. These things will make college an expected part of your child s future. 8 College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents

9 Mississippi Colleges MS Public Universities: Alcorn State University- Lorman Delta State University- Cleveland Jackson State University- Jackson Mississippi State University- Starksville Mississippi University for Women- Columbus Mississippi Valley State University- Itta Bena University of Mississippi- Oxford University of Mississippi Medical Center- Jackson University of Southern Mississippi- Hattiesburg Private MS Colleges: Belhaven University- Jackson Blue Mountain College- Blue Mountain Magnolia Bible College- Kosciusko Millsaps College- Jackson Mississippi College- Clinton Rust College- Holly Springs Southeastern Baptist College- Laurel Tougaloo College- Tougaloo Wesley College- Florence William Carey University- Hattiesburg MS Community Colleges: Coahoma Community College- Clarksdale Copiah-Lincoln Community College- Wesson East Central Community College- Decatur East Mississippi Community College- Scooba Hinds Community College- Raymond Holmes Community College- Goodman Itawamba Community College- Fulton Jones County Junior College- Ellisville Meridian Community College- Meridian Mississippi Delta Community College- Moorhead Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College- Perkinston Northeast Mississippi Community College- Booneville Northwest Mississippi Community College- Senatobia Pearl River Community College- Poplarville Southwest Mississippi Community College- Summit College Knowledge for Mississippi Parents