The New Journey Preparing Yourself for Success – Career Cruising Understanding Financial Aid & Scholarships The Next Level Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Preparedness Regarding one's career: always be prepared, no short cuts - hard work is the only alternative that really works. Regarding one's career: always be prepared, no short cuts - hard work is the only alternative that really works. Tom Kiana Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don't let anyone limit your dreams. Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don't let anyone limit your dreams. Donovan Baily Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Tools for the Journey Career Cruising New Career/College Program being rolled out to all students at CUSD Students can explore Career Options by taking an Interest inventory Students can explore Colleges that offer that career choice. Financial Aid FAFSA Scholarship Search Engines Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

The Spring Semester Stay focused on your academics Maintain highest possible GPA Don’t plan on having a “soft schedule” for senior year Meet with your counselor Stay involved in school activities Visit colleges and meet with representatives if possible Explore colleges on the Web Use Career Cruising to explore college options Attend college fairs this year and next Online College Fairs available (collegeweeklive.com) Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

The Spring Semester Take the SAT/ACT in May or June Almost all four-year colleges and universities accept either test See your counselor for detailed information about differences between the SAT and ACT. It is recommended that students take the June SAT or ACT test because they will have acquired the second semester body of knowledge which will help them do better on the exam. Career Cruising Offers Method Test Prep for SAT & ACT It is easy to use It builds key Math and English skills Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Top Factors for Getting Into College Grades in A-G College Prep Courses Strength of Curriculum Honors AP Testing SAT ACT AP SAT II GPA Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Understanding Financial Aid The amount of aid for college students increases almost every year. According to the College Board: More than $185 billion in financial aid was distributed to undergraduates during the academic year in the form of aid from all sources, including grants, work-study, loans, and tax credits and deductions. Between the academic years and , grant aid for full-time undergraduates increased an average of 6.8 percent each year. Sources for Financial Aid Federal Government State Government Colleges and Universities Private Agencies Companies Foundations Employers Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking the Myths about Financial Aid Myth #1: My high school grades aren't good enough to qualify for aid. Fact: The vast majority of federal and state aid is based on financial need, not grades. And to keep that aid, most programs require only an average GPA to show "satisfactory" academic progress. For many private scholarships and merit aid offers, grades don't count as much as you might think. Many use other criteria: financial need, leadership, residence, major, and heritage. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking the Myths about Financial Aid Myth #2: Only students from minority ethnic groups are eligible for financial aid. Fact: The overwhelming bulk of federal, state, institutional, and private aid is not tied to ethnicity. Some private scholarships target deserving students with particular ethnic backgrounds, but most do not take ethnicity into account. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the most common financial aid application, doesn't even ask about your ethnicity. Free Application for Federal Student Aid Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking the Myths about Financial Aid Myth #3: I'm not talented enough to win a scholarship. Fact: Of course, outstanding athletes and performers get generous scholarships. But many scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic performance in high school, outstanding extracurricular involvement, and unique interests. So what are you passionate about? Odds are there are more than a few scholarships for which you are eligible. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking the Myths about Financial Aid Myth #4: Millions of dollars in scholarships go unclaimed each year. It's too hard to find them, so it's worth paying someone to do it for me. Fact: There are hardly any scholarships that go unused. And scholarship information is incredibly easy to find online—for FREE. Don't fall for scholarship search scams. If they say you need to pay for scholarship help, don't do it. Pay yourself to find scholarships Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

How Colleges Awards Financial Aid First, Colleges Figure Your Family's Contribution When colleges figure your financial aid, the first number they consider is your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is what colleges expect you and your parents to pay for college. All colleges use an EFC calculated by the government based on information from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).Expected Family Contribution (EFC)Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Next, Colleges Figure How Much Aid You Need The next figure colleges consider is the college's official cost of attendance (COA), which is the cost to attend for one year. The COA should include tuition, fees, books, supplies, housing, meals, local transportation, and miscellaneous personal and educational expenses. The college subtracts your EFC from the COA to calculate the amount of your financial need.cost of attendance (COA) Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

How Colleges Awards Financial Aid They Look at Aid Based on Your Need Colleges then consider different types of aid to meet your financial need. The options boil down to gift aid (scholarships and grants) and self-help aid (student loans and work-study earnings). Since you have to repay loans and you have to work to earn work-study awards, gift aid is always more desirable. Only gift aid reduces the net price of a college, which is the amount you and your family actually pay out of pocket. net price They Look at Aid Based on Your "Merit" Many colleges offer a type of gift aid called merit aid, which they award based on the value a student brings to the college. Colleges offer it to attract students whose grades are at the top of the application pool, or who have a talent or other quality the college seeks. If you receive merit aid, it will count toward meeting your financial need, just like any form of financial aid.merit aid Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Building Your Financial Aid Package They Build Your Aid Package According to Their Policies Colleges combine the different types of gift aid and self-help aid when they create aid packages. Each college allocates aid differently, however, according to its policies. Below are a few examples of how such policies can affect your ultimate college net price. Some colleges leave a "gap" of unmet need. A family will have to cover this gap along with its EFC. This practice allows a college to use its limited aid resources to provide aid to a larger group of students and to award more gift aid to students it wants to enroll. Some colleges use aid to encourage students to commit. Using a strategy called "preferential packaging," desirable students may get aid offers that fully meet their need, with a high proportion of grants and scholarships. Other students may get loan-heavy packages and less of their need met. Some colleges award loans and work-study first, then gift aid. Other colleges award grants and scholarships before self-help aid, keeping loans to a minimum. Many colleges award more gift aid to students who file early and meet financial aid filing deadlines. They offer more loans to students who file for aid later in the admission cycle, after the gift aid has been used up. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Scholarship Basics The first thing to know about scholarships is that you are probably eligible for some of them. They are not just for high- flying academic achievers or exceptionally needy students. Find out how you might qualify! Ask the Colleges on Your Application List Almost all colleges offer scholarships to attract a talented and diverse student body. In fact, your chances of winning a scholarship from your college may be better than winning one from an outside sponsor. Check with the admissions and financial aid offices at your target colleges to find out how to apply for scholarships, and what the requirements are. Applying may be as simple as checking a box on your college application form or as complex as an entirely separate screening process Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking Scholarship Myths Myth #1: A scholarship can pay all my college costs. Most scholarships pay for only a fraction of your total college costs and are usually only for college-related expenses as defined by the college. They usually don't cover expenses like computers or plane travel home. And some scholarships are good for only one year. Myth #2: You have to be "an A student, baby." Actually, you don't have to be an A student to be eligible for scholarships. You do have to demonstrate qualities valued by the scholarship sponsor. That could be community service, artistic talent, leadership, or another nonacademic quality. GPA minimums are often as low as 2.0. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking Scholarship Myths Myth #3: Millions of scholarships go unclaimed. Most "unclaimed" scholarships have narrow eligibility rules, such as a certain last name, hometown, or employer. If you see this statement in an ad for a scholarship search service, don't fall for it. Instead, use a free scholarship search tool, such as FASTWEB Myth #4: I can wait until my senior year to start looking. It is never too soon to start investigating scholarships and preparing to apply. Scholarship deadlines will fall throughout your junior and senior years—some long before you receive your acceptance letters and financial aid offers from colleges. Plan way ahead, build your case, and you may be well rewarded! Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Debunking Scholarship Myths Myth #5: Only highly needy students get scholarships. Most private scholarships do not require financial information. They are awarded based on merit. Myth #6: Scholarship applications are too much work for the results. It's true that scholarship applications can look time- consuming. However, the material you create for college applications, such as essays and résumés, can often be reused for your scholarship applications. Myth #7: My scholarship money won't affect my financial aid. If a college has met your full financial need, federal rules require that it deduct your outside scholarships from your federal need-based financial aid. The college may even reduce your gift aid. Check the rules for each scholarship and each college very carefully. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Scholarship Search Engines These websites help search for available scholarships for you. There are so many free scholarship search engines available to students online that it can be difficult to know which websites to use. These are the ones that have key elements and are most helpful to students Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

Making a Profile Let’s use a free online scholarship match service like It takes only half an hour. The site matches your personal background characteristics against a very large database of scholarships, so you will see only those scholarships for which you are qualified. The FastWeb database is updated daily, with automatic notification of new awards that match your profile. The FastWeb site also provides a lot of news, information and advice. Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

The Next Level Attaining the College Dream Hard Work and Dedication produce great works Accept and Meet the Challenge that College offers The Most import class you get and the only free class you get is the Professors Office hours. Form strong study groups both here and at College Time and Effort will conquer all things Believe in yourself Be open to Change and Follow your Heart Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015

The Next Level “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” – John Adams Asian Student Success Conference 11th & 12th Grade 2015