FINANCIAL'AID' INFORMATION'

Transcription

1 !! FINANCIAL'AID' INFORMATION' ' ' Presented by Eden Prairie High School Counseling Department! 1

2 Cut Corners on College Costs Adopted from: Ask about application fee waivers. The cost of applying to college, taking standardized tests and having those scores sent to schools can add up. If you're strapped for cash, consider asking about application fee waivers. But keep in mind: Availability is limited, and you must meet some pretty stringent standards to qualify. Apply for financial aid. Even if you think you're not eligible, be sure to apply for financial aid by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This form is the first step for applying for all kinds of aid, from federal aid (grants, loans and work-study), to state-based funding (grants and other programs), to college-based aid (special awards, grants and work-study programs). Search for free money. Apply for local and national scholarships and use websites to search for free money. Complete some of your credits at a lower-cost school. You can save a lot by completing your general education requirements at a community college or less expensive school and then transferring to complete the degree. Talk to an admissions counselor to be sure your credits will transfer, and learn as much as you can about the financial aid policy. Some schools restrict financial aid for transfer students. Get to know the financial aid officer at your college. While specific rules apply for financial aid calculations, financial aid officers still have a certain amount of leeway in determining how aid is allotted. It's important to let your financial aid officer know about any special circumstances that affect your ability to pay for college. Look for ways to pay in-state tuition. Most public colleges and universities charge considerably less tuition to in-state students in comparison to students from out of state. Pick a college in your state to keep costs down. Policies vary from school to school, so be sure to check with your school of choice. Accumulate credits before college. You'll save a lot in tuition by earning college credits while you're still in high school. Take Advanced Placement courses or think about participating in Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) as a junior or senior to get a head start on your college career. FINANCIAL AID WEBSITES Financial Aid Information 2

3 Minnesota Office of Higher Education Provides information on preparing for higher education, paying for college, and selecting a school. Minnesota College Goal Sunday Workshops held on various dates between Feb.1- May 1 that help high school seniors and parents complete the FAFSA. Federal Student Aid Detailed information on pursuing education beyond high school. Provides those planning for college easy access to the information on preparing and paying for education. FinAid: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid Provides links to information on student financial aid. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Allows students to apply online for student financial aid and check the status of their application. Federal Financial Aid FAFSA 4caster Allows students and families to receive an early estimate of eligibility for federal student aid. Saving for College Minnesota 529 College Savings Plan Saving for College College & Scholarship Information *Net Price Calculator*: A net price calculator will allow for a student (and parents) to enter data like household income, savings and number of other family members in college and report back an estimated final cost including financial aid eligibility. This will be a very handy tool for families during the early stages of college choice. Go to a college s website to use this tool. Another great resource for understanding college costs is College Abacus. It s a website that uses the Net Price Calculators that all colleges must provide to give you the likely costs of multiple colleges at once. Try it for yourself at *Some schools indicate that their net price calculator is very accurate, but that is not true for all schools. It is a good idea to ask the admissions office if they ve tested the tool and if they believe it is accurate. American Indian College Fund Provides useful information on tribal colleges and scholarship opportunities for Native American students. The College Board College Answer Information for students and parents on preparing, selecting, applying and financing college as well as college and scholarship searches and a variety of cost calculators. Raise.me ( A new resource for high school students awarding 3

4 Provides useful information on financial aid available for students and parents as well as a college search function. micro-scholarships to 150 (and growing) colleges around the country. Students earn scholarships for academic and extracurricular achievements throughout high school. Follow colleges that interest you and earn money toward your education! CollegeNet Provides college and scholarship searches and allows student to apply online to select schools. FastWeb Free Scholarship Search Matches students with information on scholarships, fellowships, internships, grants, and loans from corporations, institutions, philanthropic organizations, foundations and clubs. Financial Aid for Native American Students Financial aid information for Native American students. Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Awards scholarships to Hispanic students attending a member institution. Hispanic Scholarship fund Scholarships for Hispanic students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, based on both merit and financial need. College Navigator Information on colleges, tuition and enrollment demographics through a searchable database. ISEEK: Internet system for Education and Employment Knowledge Provides information on higher education options. Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Information on undergraduate scholarships for the children of current and former Marines. Military College Help Provides information on scholarship and education assistance earned through military service. Minority, Ethnic & International Student Scholarships Provides a list of links to organizations providing scholarships for minority and international students. NCAA Scholarships and Internships Information for athletes on scholarships and internship opportunities. Peterson s/thomson Learning Provides higher education information for students of all ages, parents, admissions officers and guidance counselors. Scholarship Experts Detailed scholarship database. Scholarships for Military Children Awards scholarships to children of active duty personnel reserve/guard and retired military members or survivors of deceased members. Mapping your Future Information on career planning, college selection, and financial aid for middle and high school students, undergraduate and graduate students Union-Sponsored Scholarships & Aid Searchable database of nationwide and local unionsponsored scholarship awards. 4

5 and adult students. Scholarship Resource Network Express Contains a searchable database of over 150,000 scholarship awards. Scholarships.com Searchable scholarship database. United Negro College Fund Scholarships.uncf.org Searchable database of minority-related scholarships and grants. Information on scholarship scams Choose paying. Click on About Financial Aid and click on Be wary of Financial Aid Search Companies SuperCollege Information on college admission and scholarship tips and strategies as well as information on adult students and parents. Military Service Careers in the Military Provides career information about military service. Military Education Service Benefits Information about military education service benefits for military personnel stationed in Minnesota U.S. Army U.S. Navy U.S. Air Force U.S. Marines U.S. Coast Guard Things to know about the FAFSA The FAFSA is the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid To qualify for many types of aid, you ll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application gives you access to these types of aid: Grants and scholarships: money you don t have to pay back Work-study jobs: paid, part-time work that s generally on campus Loans: money you need to pay back, usually after you graduate 5

6 Completing the FAFSA is convenient Complete the form online at or download paper forms there. You can even import your family s tax information directly from the IRS website. You must complete a FAFSA every year The application for financial aid must be completed before every year that you attend college. Once you ve done it the first time it is easier because all of the personal information you enter will roll over. The FSA ID allows you to access and sign your FAFSA The student and the parent will each need to create an FSA ID and password. This is used to access the FAFSA and to sign it. It can also be used to sign for loans. Parents use the same FSA ID for every child. Each child who applies for financial aid must also have their own FSA ID. It s a good idea to keep your ID and password in a safe place so that you have it for the next year. Students attending college in complete the FAFSA starting in January. It is based on 2015 financial information. This is the final year of the old timeline. Students attending college in complete the FAFSA starting in OCTOBER. It will be based on 2015 financial information. Going forward, the FAFSA will be available beginning the October prior to the academic year using Prior-Prior Year (PPY) financial information. So, a student applying to enter college in the fall of 2019, will use financial information from This will lessen the time crunch that has existed for families to pull together tax information early in the calendar year and complete the FAFSA by February or March in order to have financial aid information for college decisions by May 1. GET HELP WITH THE FAFSA: Free help with completing the FAFSA will be available to EPHS families in the CRC on March 2 nd and 7 th from 4-7pm during conferences. Students and families can bring tax and other information and get one on one help from college financial aid officers and other professionals to complete the FAFSA. 6

7 Finding Scholarships at EPHS 1. NAVIANCE Family Connection is the best resource to use for Eden Prairie students to find scholarships. EP scholarship listings are carefully reviewed, researched and updated every week of the school year. To find these: Link to Naviance Family Connection from the Most Popular/Most Used links on the front page of the EPHS web site. Students can log in to Naviance using their student ID and birthdate. Parents can view Naviance by logging in as a guest. Click on the Colleges tab and scroll to the bottom of that page. The last section is Scholarships and Money. Click on Scholarship List to see all active scholarships vetted by EPHS. You can see a shorter version of this list tailored to your profile (based on what you ve entered in Naviance) by clicking on Scholarship Match. Click on National Scholarship Search to see a list of scholarships compiled by Sallie Mae. Students will need to follow links to the websites for each individual scholarship to determine eligibility and application requirements. 2. Colleges have scholarship opportunities for prospective students. SOME of the scholarships are awarded based on the admission application. But, there are often scholarships that require an additional application. Be sure to talk to the admissions office to ask if there are separate scholarship applications necessary. 3. Check with civic, church and community based organizations as well as employers of family members. A good source of scholarships can be organizations with which you or members of your family are affiliated. Make sure that you ask your employer and your church about local, regional or national scholarship opportunities. DON T pay for scholarship advice if you have to pay money, it is likely not a legitimate scholarship source. 7

8 EPHS Multi-Scholarship Application! Listed below are the 20 scholarships worth more than $90,000 for senior students that are awarded based on the Multi-Scholarship Application. To be eligible for these scholarships, students MUST do the following: 1. Complete the Multi-Scholarship Application survey in Naviance. It can be found under the about me tab on the upper left side of the page under surveys to take and will be active from December 15 th February 2 nd. 2. Some scholarships require letters of recommendation. Existing letters of recommendation in Naviance will be automatically added to the application packet given to scholarship donors along with transcripts. If you don t have a letter in Naviance from the college application process, one can be added by February 2 nd at 3pm. EPHS teachers can upload them directly to Naviance or they can be ed to bkreusch@edenpr.org. Letters from coaches, work supervisors, and others are welcomed. If a scholarship requires a letter of recommendation and you don t submit one, your application will not be considered. 3. Baseball, Girls Basketball and Randy s Run each require an additional essay specific to those scholarships. You must complete the essay to be considered for the scholarship. Also, the Randy s Run scholarship requires a letter of recommendation that is specific to Randy s Run which must also be submitted. 4. Take your time and answer the questions thoroughly give as much information as possible. Scholarship committees will compare your application to those of other students and will want to really get to know you. Charter Bank Scholarship: Two $1000 scholarships for EPHS seniors who might not otherwise have access to scholarships. The committee is not looking for the highest GPA or ACT score, but rather a student s commitment to their future and someone who has taken on leadership or volunteering in their local community. No letter of recommendation necessary. Eden Prairie Baseball Association Kevin Szarzynski Memorial Scholarship: One or more $1000 scholarships awarded to a senior who has participated in Eden Prairie Baseball and provided support for the community and/or youth baseball programs and activities. High standards of personal conduct, leadership qualities, and academic achievement will be considered. Two letters of recommendations are required. Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce Business and Entrepreneur Scholarship Award: One $1500 scholarship awarded to a senior who lives in Eden Prairie and has demonstrated academic responsibility in the field of business and or entrepreneurship. Must be an active participant in school business course work and or work experience. Letter of recommendation required. Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce STEM Scholarship Award: One $1500 scholarship awarded to a senior who lives or attends school in Eden Prairie and has clearly demonstrated a current and 8

9 future interest in one of the following academic areas: science, technology, engineering or math. Letter of recommendation required. Eden Prairie Education Association: Three $1000 scholarships awarded to seniors who plan to major in education. Academic achievement is a consideration and special consideration is given to children of EP teachers. No recommendation letter necessary. Eden Prairie Girls Basketball Association: Two $1000 scholarships awarded to seniors who have participated in EPGBA programs. Former EPGBA players from both travel and in-house programs who are graduating from EPHS are eligible. Letter of recommendation required. Eden Prairie Lions Club Scholarship: Eight $1000 scholarships will be given to seniors planning to attend 2-year or 4-year college, university, or vocational school who reside in Eden Prairie. Good academic standing with demonstrated civic-minded involvement in volunteer work/community projects. No recommendation letter necessary. Eden Prairie Soccer Association Scholarship: Three scholarships in the amounts of $1250, $750 and $500 will be given to seniors with past or present involvement in the Eden Prairie Soccer Association, either as a player or a referee, and who will be attending a two or four year college. A letter of recommendation is required. Eden Prairie Soccer Club Scholarship: Three $1000 scholarships for seniors who are past or present players and/or referees in the Eden Prairie Soccer Club and who will be attending a two or four year college or university. Two letters of recommendation are required. Letters from your parents, EPSC Board of Directors, EPSC Director of Coaching or the EPSC Assistant Director of Coaching are not allowed. Two letters of recommendation required. Fairview Southdale: Two $1500 scholarships awarded to seniors with high academic achievement and outstanding school and community citizenship. No recommendation letter necessary. FEPS Class of 1973 Spirit Scholarship: One $1000 scholarship awarded by the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools to a senior who exemplifies the spirit of EPHS through his/her commitment to EPHS through both academics and extra-curricular activities and a desire to pursue a major in the field of Education. Letter of recommendation required. FEPS Griffiths Family Scholarship in Engineering, Manufacturing and Business (GFS-EMB): One scholarship of $4,000 per year, renewable for four years, is awarded by the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools to an EPHS senior entering the field of manufacturing, business or engineering. Strongest consideration will be given to students who can demonstrate their interest in a career in the above named fields. Relevant coursework, activities, community service and employment are considered. Letter of recommendation required. FEPS Griffiths Family Scholarship in Health Sciences (GFS-HS): One scholarship of $4,000 per year, renewable for four years, is awarded by the Foundation for Eden Prairie schools to an EPHS senior entering the fields of health sciences, nursing, medicine or pharmacy. Relevant coursework, activities, community service and employment are considered. Letter of recommendation required. 9

10 FEPS Holasek-Griffiths Scholarship: One scholarship of $2750 per year, renewable for four years is awarded by the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools to an EPHS senior majoring in engineering, business administration or computer sciences. Relevant coursework, activities, community service, and employment are considered. Letter of recommendation required. FEPS Ron Iverson Scholarship: One $1000 scholarship awarded to an EPHS senior who has a 3.0 and is overcoming challenges in pursuing post-secondary education. Examples are students whose families are recent immigrants, do not have a history of post-secondary education, are financially challenged, or are overcoming a death or illness in the family. Letter of recommendation required. FEPS Matheson Family Technical School Scholarship: Two scholarships of $2500 will be awarded to an EPHS senior who will attend a technical or vocational college. The program must be at least an 18 month program and one that should lead to an associates or other technical degree. Programs that lead to a 4 year program will also be considered but the 4 year program is not required. Letter of recommendation required. FEPS Randell D. Voas/Randy s Run Scholarship: One $2000 scholarship awarded by the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools and the Randy s Run organizers to an EPHS senior who characterizes the ideals of Randy Voas and who is pursuing some type of post-secondary education. Randy participated in cross country, Nordic, band, NHS and Boy Scouts as an EPHS student. He died in Afghanistan in It is important to note this scholarship is designed to award seniors who have participated in the same activities that were important to Randy. Students who want to be considered for this scholarship must also submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher or coach attesting to the applicant s qualifications for the Randy s Run scholarship specifically. FEPS Sydney M Galleger Memorial Scholarship: Four $2500 scholarships awarded to seniors who actively participate in Swim/Dive team, Alpine Ski team, Synchronized Swim team or DECA. The student must have a GPA of 2.8 or higher and be pursuing some type of post-secondary education vocational, junior college, community college, or university. Letter of recommendation required. Kopp Scholarship: Six $500 scholarships awarded to seniors with strong academics and leadership in the school and community. No recommendation necessary. Precision Heating and Cooling: One $500 scholarship to a senior who has made significant effort but may not otherwise have been in the spotlight. No recommendation necessary. IMPORTANT: There are a number of additional local scholarships specific to Eden Prairie that are not part of this multi-scholarship application. To find those scholarships, check the scholarship list in Naviance every week. New scholarships are added on Wednesdays. 10

11 Applying for Financial Aid Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application created and collected by the U.S. Department of Education that collects demographic and financial information from students and their parents to gauge a family s financial strength and is later used to determine eligibility for college financial aid. To efficiently and successfully submit a FAFSA, Students and their parents need the following documents: Student Social'Security'Number' Date'of'birth' Alien'Registration'Number'(non'U.S.'citizens)' Driver s'license'number' 2014'WD2'(for'every'job'worked'during'2014)' 2014'Federal'Tax'Return'(1040,'1040A'or'1040EZ)' Records'of'additional'money'earned' Current'bank'statements' Parents Social'Security'Number(s)' Dates'of'birth' Dates'of'marriage'or'divorce'or'death'(depending'on'parent s'marital'status)' Does'the'family'receive'federal'benefits'such'as'SSI,'SNAP,'etc.?'' 2014'WD2'(for'every'job'worked'during'2014)' 2014'Federal'Tax'Return'(1040,'1040A'or'1040EZ)' Records'of'additional'money'earned' Untaxed'income'records'(Social'Security,'TANF,'Welfare,'Worker s'comp.)' Current'bank'statements' Current'investment'records' 11

12 KEEP THIS PAPER FOR YOUR RECORDS FAFSA Federal Application for Student Aid Website to use: FSA ID Username: FSA ID Password: An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ) at fafsa.gov. If you are a parent of a dependent student, you will need your own FSA ID if you want to sign your child's FAFSA electronically. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to sign all applications. Please note: Each FSA ID user must have a unique address. Applying for an FSA ID for the Student Financial Aid Application I will use this FSA ID to electronically sign my FAFSA application. I will keep this number in my records to sign my FAFSA applications for my continuing college years. SAVE KEY: You must create a save key. The save key allows you to return to a particular application (like the fafsa) or correction later if you need to stop and save your work. It also allows you to share access to your application or correction if your parent needs to add information or sign. The save key must be between 4 and 8 characters long. 12