How to Plan for College: Financial Aid and Admissions 2.13.17 How to Plan for College: Financial Aid and Admissions By: Andrea Navarro ASA College Planning Center

The College Application Process Financial Aid & Scholarships Choosing Your Pathway The College Application Process Financial Aid & Scholarships Programs & Resources 03 05 11 23 Agenda How to Plan for College

ASA College Planning Center About Us ASA College Planning Center

ASA College Planning Center What we do Free Services Walk-in only, no appointment necessary! One-on-one Advising Assistance completing applications and forms Resources on education, financial aid and loan counseling Multilingual Advisors English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Haitian-Creole @ASAPlan4College ASA College Planning Center

ASA College Planning Center Come visit us! Main location: Boston Public Library, Copley Square 700 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-0200 or Toll-free: (877) 332-4348 Mon-Thurs. 9AM-7:30PM Friday-Saturday 9AM-5PM Satellite Location: Asian American Civic Association 87 Tyler St. Boston, MA 02111 Every Wednesday 9AM-12PM and 1PM-5PM ASA College Planning Center

Applying to College How to Plan for College

Assistance with completing applications and forms Free Services One-on-one advising Assistance with completing applications and forms Resources on education, financial aid and career planning Advising available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Haitian Creole. How to Plan for College 7

Myths About Getting Into College I can’t get into a selective college if you did poorly in 9th or 10th grade. I don’t need to visit a college I plan to apply to or attend. Anyone can get into a public college, but its hard to get into a private college. Liberal arts colleges don’t often have great science and math programs. Students should only apply to schools that are popular- regardless of how much they cost. Only a guidance counselor can help a student plan for college, career, and academic success. How to Plan For College

Many Roads, One Destination How to Plan for College

Vocational Certificate Make College a Reality Work Tech/Trade or Vocational Certificate Pathways to College 2-Year College High School 4-Year College 4-Year University How to Plan for College

College, Defined Community College (or Junior College) Grants students Associates Degrees Usually two years or less Colleges & Universities Grants students Bachelor’s degrees and higher Usually 4 to 6 years How to Plan for College

Community College Academic Benefits Financial Benefits Open Admissions Chance to start anew Financial Benefits Affordable Stackable credits/programs Mass Transfer (MA residents) New Program: Commonwealth Commitment How to Plan for College

2-Year College Admission Requirements Admissions Requirements HS Diploma or HiSet (formerly the GED) Admissions Application “Phone book” information Intended program of study All previous college transcripts, if transferring Accuplacer / Computer Placement Test Required of ALL students in Math and English How to Plan for College

4-Year College Admission Requirements Early Action – Non-Binding Early Decision – Commitment to attend Regular Decision Rolling Admission – Application form – A personal statement or essay – High school transcript Entrance Examinations: SAT or the ACT (for juniors and seniors) – Subject Tests (for seniors) Ask if you are eligible for Application Fee Waivers! Some colleges may also require: multiple letters of recommendation An interview How to Plan for College

Applying for Financial Aid How to Plan for College

Financial Aid Private Scholarships Institutional Aid Federal Aid Depending on the institution, “need” and “merit”-based grants/scholarships may be offered directly from the school. “Need-based” Federal Grants (Pell, SEOG) Federal Student Loans Federal Work Study Students must apply to these separately. Local and national scholarships available. Requirements will vary with each scholarship Private Lenders Self-help State Aid How to Plan for College

Applying for Financial Aid Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for ALL Colleges. Determine if the CSS Profile or Institutional Financial Aid forms are required. Provide any additional information required by the institution How to Plan for College

The FAFSA – FSA ID (Replacement of the PIN) Comprised of an user-created USERNAME and PASSWORD “Right to access” your personal information on Federal sites If “dependent” one of your parents need an FSA ID too! Instantly access your FSA ID online It’s best to have a personal e-mail account with which to apply for an FSA ID FSAid.ed.gov Sign Federal documents, access records, and make binding legal obligations How to Plan for College

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid The FAFSA The Free Application for Federal Student Aid The 2017-2018 FAFSA Available on October 1st Required application for ALL Federal and State Aid Must sign in with a FSA ID (create one on fsaid.ed.gov) Apply before May 1st to be eligible for the Mass Grant. The FAFSA will provide you with your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Prior-Prior Year (PPY) income data needed How to Plan for College

FAFSA on the Web Worksheet can help too. The FAFSA What information will I need to complete the FAFSA? FAFSA on the Web Worksheet can help too. Student Information Parent Information Spousal information required if married. Social Security number Alien registration or permanent resident card (if not U.S. citizen) Current asset statements Driver’s license (if applicable) Prior year’s W-2 forms(s) and federal tax returns Prior year’s untaxed income records For dependent students Parent(s) Date of Birth Parent(s) Date of marriage/divorce/separation/widowed Current asset statements Prior year’s w-2 form(s) and federal income tax return(s) Prior year How to Plan for College

How Financial Aid Works Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) _____________________________ = Financial Aid Need How to Plan for College

How Financial Aid Works Congratulations on being accepted to SALT University! After a careful review of your 2016-17 financial aid application, we are pleased to offer you the following financial aid award: (Your EFC = $8,225) How to Plan for College

How Financial Aid Works At SALT University… $34,750 (COA) - $8,225 (EFC) _____________________________ = $26,525 (Financial Aid Need) If SALT University has given you $26,500… WHAT IS YOUR BALANCE? How to Plan for College

How Financial Aid Works The balance: is $8,250 $25 (Balance after award from SALT university’s financial aid award) + $8,225 (EFC) __________________________________ = $8,250 How to Plan for College

Accepting the Financial Aid Award Compare all award letters and look for: Cost of attendance Amount and types of aid awarded Amount you are expected to pay toward the costs The total to be paid by you Follow the instructions to accept the financial aid package. Be aware of the school’s deadline. Be aware of additional steps that may be required depending on the types of aid you accept. How to Plan for College

Private Scholarships How to Plan for College Local v. National Staying organized is key to a successful scholarship search It’s never to early to start looking! Create separate email account for scholarships information You should never pay to fill out an application Be mindful of online “sweepstakes” How to Plan for College

Special Programs How to Plan for College

Free Tuition Program for BPS Graduates Tuition-Free Community College Application for BPS Students is now Live If eligible for the plan, Students can attend BHCC or RCC The plan pays for: 1) Tuition for up to three years of community college 2) Mandatory college fees For more questions, email TuitionFreeCollege@boston.gov or call the city hotline, at 3-1-1 http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/tuition-free-college How to Plan for College

Free Tuition Program for BPS Graduates Students must meet the following requirements: Graduate from a BPS high school Have a grade-point average of at least 2.0 Be able to complete community college within 3 years Be eligible for a Pell Grant, as determined by the FAFSA Require no more than three developmental courses by the start of the semester Be accepted to either Bunker Hill Community College or Roxbury Community College Be a Boston resident Have low to moderate household income, per HUD guidelines How to Plan for College

Mass Transfer New MASS TRANSFER Pathways – course-by course maps in certain popular majors to guide you through your Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees, starting in June 2016 MASS TRANSFER benefits: Provide community college students who complete associate degrees and enroll in linked MassTransfer programs with the full transfer of credit (2.5 GPA), guaranteed admission (2.5 GPA), and a tuition discount (3.0 GPA) Provide any student who completes the MassTransfer Block with the benefit of satisfying the general education/distribution/core requirements at any other public higher education institution. How to Plan for College

Commonwealth Commitment How to Plan for College

Resources How to Plan for College

FAFSA Day Massachusetts Free assistance with completing the FAFSA! Over 25 locations across Massachusetts Exact dates in late 2016 and early 2017 will be listed soon. Additional dates and all locations listed at fafsaday.org How to Plan for College

For Free Education Advising Visit us at the ASA College Planning Center Located at the Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 (The lower level of the Johnson Building) Phone: 617-536-0200 How to Plan for College

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