College a nd Career
College and Career October2015
“Do you know where you want to go to college?”
FALL IS IN THE AIR!!!!
College and Career
MPS
What is the difference between the ACT and SAT? The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has only 3 components: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test. The College Board introduced a new version of the SAT in 2005, with a mandatory writing test. ACT continues to offer its well-established test, plus an optional writing test. You take the ACT Writing Test only if required or requested by the college(s) you're applying to. The SAT penalizes you for wrong answers, so guessing is discouraged. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing. The ACT has an Interest Inventory that allows students to evaluate their interests in various career options.
NEXT ACT TEST is OCTOBER 24th, 2015 Registration for the December 12th test is November 6th! ALL SENIORS THAT PLAN TO TAKE THE ACT SHOULD TAKE THE DECEMBER TEST SO YOU CAN QUALIFIY FOR EARLY SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES>
Top 5 reasons your students should take the ACT test
®
The ACT test is:
1. Accepted by all US colleges and universities 2. Based on what your students are learning in high school 3. Scored based on the number of correct answers—no points deducted for guessing
4. Currently the only admissions test with an optional writing test—not all colleges and universities require a writing test for admission
5. The nation's #1 college entrance exam
Request information from the colleges you want to attend.
Sign up to take the ACT
Volunteer! Volunteer! Volunteer!
Look for early scholarship deadlines
Keep good attendance
Keep good grade
Good to Know!! The GPA Myth "It
doesn't matter which classes I take in high school, as long as my grade point average is high."
If you're playing the GPA game and taking a light schedule that isn't challenging, it will catch up with you at the college level very quickly. One of the things admissions officers pay attention to, besides GPA, is course selection throughout high school and especially senior year. They like to see students have momentum going into the freshman year. If you sit back your senior year, it's hard to recapture that momentum. Course selection can also affect admissions test scores. If you just go for a good GPA, you'll be less prepared for college and will score lower on entrance exams.
Checklist for Making the Most of High School
Take classes recommended for college preparation. Talk to your counselor. Use testing information. Examine your scores and take extra courses or get tutoring assistance for weaker academic areas. Establish goals for each school year. Talk to your counselor about what you should be doing in light of your college and career plans. Explore careers through research and experiences. Use a career counseling program and job shadow or do internships in careers you are interested in pursuing. Surf the Internet for information on education and career planning. Take a college entrance exam during your junior year.
Never stop learning. Education is a lifelong pursuit.
Senior Year–No Time to Slump Once you have a college offer in hand, you may get the urge to coast through the rest of the school year. Maybe you've already decided to slack off. It's your senior year and you deserve it, right? Before you give in to senior slump, you should know that the college may be watching you. Colleges, especially selective universities, have been known to withdraw offers of admission to students who drop college prep classes or begin earning uncharacteristically low grades. If you haven't slumped too far, colleges might send you a warning letter and add certain stipulations to your admission, such as requiring a 2.0 grade point average during the first year of college. Taking an extended breather during your senior year can make your freshman year in college difficult. So have fun your senior year, but don't give up on your college preparation.
Page 2
COLLEGE AND CAREER
October Scholarships
The 10 Best Sites to Look for Scholarships 1.Zinch.com 2. Fastweb.com 3. ScholarshipPoints.com 4. Cappex.com 5. Scholarships.com 6. College Board's Scholarship Search 7. NextStudent.com 8. StudentScholarships.org 9. ScholarshipExperts.com 10. SuperCollege.com
Coca-Coca Scholars Foundation Scholarship Deadline: October 31, 2015 The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarships an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. With the 26th class in 2014, the Foundation has provided over 5,400 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $54 million in educational support. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. Website: http://www.coca-colascholars.org/
The Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Scholarship Program Kaplan University and The American Freedom Foundation have teamed up to establish an academic scholarship program to assist family members of current and prior U.S. military service personnel in achieving their educational goals. The 2015 Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Military Family Scholarship Program will award a total of 900 partial tuition scholarships to qualified students to complete an associate´s or bachelor´s degree. These scholarships, offered on a first-to-apply, first-eligible basis, will cover over 50 percent of the tuition costs for attendance at Kaplan University. Twenty (20) full scholarships (covering all tuition and fees) will also be awarded from qualified partial scholarship recipients. Application Deadline: October 30, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Scholarship Program.
Checkout this NEW scholarship app on your iphone! SCHOLLY and it only cost $.99 cents and will provide you with a list of scholarships that best fit you! Take advantage of tons of scholarships that are unclaimed each year.
The 140 Scholarship New communication tools are changing the world and Twitter is aiming to lead the pack. They’ve developed The 140 Scholarship to help young students who use this product. Applicants are asked to tweet, in 140 characters or less, how we can all use Twitter to improve the world. Scholarships will be awarded in the following amounts:
$1,400 Winner $140 First Runner Up $140 Second Runner Up Application deadline: October 29 Learn more and apply for The 140 Scholarship
Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway The Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway awards more that $1,000,000 in tuition to "one of kind" students each year. Applicants must submit a 350 word essay. Application Deadline: October 19, 2015 Learn more about the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway.
Ayn Rand Novels: Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest Ayn Rand’s novels are inspiring and intellectually challenging. But they can also be financially rewarding for high school and college students. The Ayn Rand Institute sponsors annual essay contests that offer 600 prizes and $100,000 in prize money every year. Eligibility: 12th Graders, College Undergraduates, and Graduate Students Application Deadline: October 23, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Ayn Rand Novels Essay Contest.
Horatio Alger Association Scholarship As one of the nation’s largest college financial aid programs in the country, the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program is one of the major scholarship programs nationally that specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. Application Deadline: October 25, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship.
Additional October Scholarships AES Engineering Solutions Scholarship
Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship
Asian Women in Business Scholarship
Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship
Biannual MyProjectorLamps Scholarship
National Eagle Scout Association Scholarships
Fantasy Sports Daily Scholarship Program
Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship
Future Engineers Scholarship Program
SAFE Scholarship
Get Educated Online College Scholarship Program
Students with Heart Foundation Scholarship
HACU IES Abroad Scholarship
The Audrey B. Mastroianni College Scholarship
HCP National Annual Scholarship
The Twitter 140 Scholarship
HotelsCheap Scholarship
Veterans United Foundation Scholarship
Robert Guthrie PKU Scholarship IES Merit Based David Porter Diversity Scholarship Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship Branson Show Inspired Scholarship Olin E. Teague Memorial Scholarship College Fall Jump$tart Scholarship Page 4
COLLEGE AND CAREER
10 Must-Have Apps for Successful High School Students
.
1 The Chemical Touch This app's touch-sensitive periodic table will help make chemistry class much more interactive. Select different elements to learn more about their properties and get definitions of nucleobases, as well. You can even sort the table with different colors to identify periodic trends — and hopefully, make your chemistry homework less complex than amino acids. 2. Essentials by AccelaStudy Learning a foreign language is a core part of high school curriculum. Whether you've enrolled in fourth period French, Italian, Spanish or Chinese, this app will be your study guide. Plus, it's free. 3. Evernote Peek Making flashcards is a tedious process that most students don't have time for. Evernote Peek takes the work out of the process. The app turns your iPad and Smart Cover into makeshift flashcards. Strengthen your memory easily and for free. 4. Frog Dissection Slicing open a frog in biology class is fun for some, but for others, it can be messy and uncomfortable. This app removes the formaldehyde. You can still learn about the ins and outs of a frog's anatomy, but without the amphibian juice. 5. Graphing Calculator Graphing calculators are expensive, but it's almost impossible to get your calculus homework done without one. Consider investing in this app instead. It quickly plots and traces multiple equations on the same graph, using a custom keyboard to speed up entry. It even supports graphing polar and parametric equations and much, much more. 6. Math Formulas Struggling to keep your trigonometry formulas separate from your algebraic formulas? This app is your math savior. 7. Easel SAT Prep Lite The SAT is one of the most important tests in a high schooler's career. This app makes preparation easy and hassle-free, so you can keep your sights on test day. The app features three sections with 25 questions each and a "show me" function, which explains how to arrive at the right answer. 8. Shakespeare High school wouldn't be complete without the complete works of William Shakespeare. However, understanding the intricate passages of Romeo and Juliet is no easy task. This app will help ease your English class pains. It contains 41 Shakespearean plays and 154 sonnets to view on your iPhone or iPad. The app supports a glossary of common Shakespearean phrases and will provide detailed scene breakdowns of locations and characters in each act. And the best part — it's free. 9. Studious Instead of organizing your daily class schedule and homework assignments in a planner, turn to Studious to keep you on track. The app lets you set due dates for assignments and will remind you when big exams are approaching. Forget to silence your phone before class? The app will silence your phone during times you've scheduled on your calendar. It's available for free in the Google Play Store. 10. World Atlas This is the app you need to succeed in geography class. It provides high-res images with detail and accuracy beyond any Google image. For help in history class, the app provides world flags and facts about each country, including government types and capitals. Switch between three different map styles, including classic, antique and satellite. Bookmark your favorite places, as well. Page 5
NEWSLETTER TITLE
The GMS 2016 Application Now Available Online
The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. The program selects 1,000 talented students, each year, to receive a good-throughgraduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. Gates Millennium Scholars are provided with personal and professional development through leadership programs, along with academic support throughout their college career. The American Indian Graduate Center Scholars (AIGCS) is the American Indian/Alaska Native partner for the GMS scholarship. Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they meet all of the following criteria: Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American
Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2016 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student. First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients. Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities
Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria
Have completed and submitted all three required forms: the student's application (Nominee Personal Information Form), an evaluation of the student's academic record (Nominator Form) and an evaluation of the student's community service and leadership activities (Recommender Form), by the January 13, 2016 deadline.
Page 6
NEWSLETTER TITLE
Calendar of events
MHS College Fair Oct. 1st
University of Oklahoma will be here to present October 14th
ACT Test October 24th
Native American Culture Day November 19th
Here are five lessons student borrowers and their families can learn 1. Start the discussion early. Perhaps your family plans to contribute a certain dollar amount for each child. Or maybe you’re planning to save enough to cover in-state tuition at a public school. If your child wants to attend a private school or an out-of-state public college, you may want to ask him or her to make up the difference with scholarships, loans or his or her own earnings. 2. Know your options. Familiarize yourself with schools close to home. Some states and cities offer programs to pick up the tab for some students. O’Malley’s daughters could have graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park for less than $85,000 each. 3. Apply for financial aid. Even if you don’t expect to qualify, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the starting point for all financial aid. Plus, filing the FAFSA opens the door to other funds from the state or the school itself. Scholarships can also help ease the strain of paying for college. 4. Keep your borrowing in check. Do a little back-of-the-envelope math to make sure your student will be able to afford to repay her loans. One rule of thumb is that students should avoid borrowing more than their anticipated annual salary after graduation. Payscale.com lists salaries in specific fields.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Page 7
“Do you know where you want to go to college?”
FALL IS IN THE AIR!!!!
College and Career
MPS
What is the difference between the ACT and SAT? The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has only 3 components: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test. The College Board introduced a new version of the SAT in 2005, with a mandatory writing test. ACT continues to offer its well-established test, plus an optional writing test. You take the ACT Writing Test only if required or requested by the college(s) you're applying to. The SAT penalizes you for wrong answers, so guessing is discouraged. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing. The ACT has an Interest Inventory that allows students to evaluate their interests in various career options.
NEXT ACT TEST is OCTOBER 24th, 2015 Registration for the December 12th test is November 6th! ALL SENIORS THAT PLAN TO TAKE THE ACT SHOULD TAKE THE DECEMBER TEST SO YOU CAN QUALIFIY FOR EARLY SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES>
Top 5 reasons your students should take the ACT test
®
The ACT test is:
1. Accepted by all US colleges and universities 2. Based on what your students are learning in high school 3. Scored based on the number of correct answers—no points deducted for guessing
4. Currently the only admissions test with an optional writing test—not all colleges and universities require a writing test for admission
5. The nation's #1 college entrance exam
Request information from the colleges you want to attend.
Sign up to take the ACT
Volunteer! Volunteer! Volunteer!
Look for early scholarship deadlines
Keep good attendance
Keep good grade
Good to Know!! The GPA Myth "It
doesn't matter which classes I take in high school, as long as my grade point average is high."
If you're playing the GPA game and taking a light schedule that isn't challenging, it will catch up with you at the college level very quickly. One of the things admissions officers pay attention to, besides GPA, is course selection throughout high school and especially senior year. They like to see students have momentum going into the freshman year. If you sit back your senior year, it's hard to recapture that momentum. Course selection can also affect admissions test scores. If you just go for a good GPA, you'll be less prepared for college and will score lower on entrance exams.
Checklist for Making the Most of High School
Take classes recommended for college preparation. Talk to your counselor. Use testing information. Examine your scores and take extra courses or get tutoring assistance for weaker academic areas. Establish goals for each school year. Talk to your counselor about what you should be doing in light of your college and career plans. Explore careers through research and experiences. Use a career counseling program and job shadow or do internships in careers you are interested in pursuing. Surf the Internet for information on education and career planning. Take a college entrance exam during your junior year.
Never stop learning. Education is a lifelong pursuit.
Senior Year–No Time to Slump Once you have a college offer in hand, you may get the urge to coast through the rest of the school year. Maybe you've already decided to slack off. It's your senior year and you deserve it, right? Before you give in to senior slump, you should know that the college may be watching you. Colleges, especially selective universities, have been known to withdraw offers of admission to students who drop college prep classes or begin earning uncharacteristically low grades. If you haven't slumped too far, colleges might send you a warning letter and add certain stipulations to your admission, such as requiring a 2.0 grade point average during the first year of college. Taking an extended breather during your senior year can make your freshman year in college difficult. So have fun your senior year, but don't give up on your college preparation.
Page 2
COLLEGE AND CAREER
October Scholarships
The 10 Best Sites to Look for Scholarships 1.Zinch.com 2. Fastweb.com 3. ScholarshipPoints.com 4. Cappex.com 5. Scholarships.com 6. College Board's Scholarship Search 7. NextStudent.com 8. StudentScholarships.org 9. ScholarshipExperts.com 10. SuperCollege.com
Coca-Coca Scholars Foundation Scholarship Deadline: October 31, 2015 The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarships an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. With the 26th class in 2014, the Foundation has provided over 5,400 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $54 million in educational support. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. Website: http://www.coca-colascholars.org/
The Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Scholarship Program Kaplan University and The American Freedom Foundation have teamed up to establish an academic scholarship program to assist family members of current and prior U.S. military service personnel in achieving their educational goals. The 2015 Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Military Family Scholarship Program will award a total of 900 partial tuition scholarships to qualified students to complete an associate´s or bachelor´s degree. These scholarships, offered on a first-to-apply, first-eligible basis, will cover over 50 percent of the tuition costs for attendance at Kaplan University. Twenty (20) full scholarships (covering all tuition and fees) will also be awarded from qualified partial scholarship recipients. Application Deadline: October 30, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Kaplan University/American Freedom Foundation Scholarship Program.
Checkout this NEW scholarship app on your iphone! SCHOLLY and it only cost $.99 cents and will provide you with a list of scholarships that best fit you! Take advantage of tons of scholarships that are unclaimed each year.
The 140 Scholarship New communication tools are changing the world and Twitter is aiming to lead the pack. They’ve developed The 140 Scholarship to help young students who use this product. Applicants are asked to tweet, in 140 characters or less, how we can all use Twitter to improve the world. Scholarships will be awarded in the following amounts:
$1,400 Winner $140 First Runner Up $140 Second Runner Up Application deadline: October 29 Learn more and apply for The 140 Scholarship
Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway The Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway awards more that $1,000,000 in tuition to "one of kind" students each year. Applicants must submit a 350 word essay. Application Deadline: October 19, 2015 Learn more about the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway.
Ayn Rand Novels: Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest Ayn Rand’s novels are inspiring and intellectually challenging. But they can also be financially rewarding for high school and college students. The Ayn Rand Institute sponsors annual essay contests that offer 600 prizes and $100,000 in prize money every year. Eligibility: 12th Graders, College Undergraduates, and Graduate Students Application Deadline: October 23, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Ayn Rand Novels Essay Contest.
Horatio Alger Association Scholarship As one of the nation’s largest college financial aid programs in the country, the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program is one of the major scholarship programs nationally that specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. Application Deadline: October 25, 2015 Learn more and apply for the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship.
Additional October Scholarships AES Engineering Solutions Scholarship
Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship
Asian Women in Business Scholarship
Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship
Biannual MyProjectorLamps Scholarship
National Eagle Scout Association Scholarships
Fantasy Sports Daily Scholarship Program
Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship
Future Engineers Scholarship Program
SAFE Scholarship
Get Educated Online College Scholarship Program
Students with Heart Foundation Scholarship
HACU IES Abroad Scholarship
The Audrey B. Mastroianni College Scholarship
HCP National Annual Scholarship
The Twitter 140 Scholarship
HotelsCheap Scholarship
Veterans United Foundation Scholarship
Robert Guthrie PKU Scholarship IES Merit Based David Porter Diversity Scholarship Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship Branson Show Inspired Scholarship Olin E. Teague Memorial Scholarship College Fall Jump$tart Scholarship Page 4
COLLEGE AND CAREER
10 Must-Have Apps for Successful High School Students
.
1 The Chemical Touch This app's touch-sensitive periodic table will help make chemistry class much more interactive. Select different elements to learn more about their properties and get definitions of nucleobases, as well. You can even sort the table with different colors to identify periodic trends — and hopefully, make your chemistry homework less complex than amino acids. 2. Essentials by AccelaStudy Learning a foreign language is a core part of high school curriculum. Whether you've enrolled in fourth period French, Italian, Spanish or Chinese, this app will be your study guide. Plus, it's free. 3. Evernote Peek Making flashcards is a tedious process that most students don't have time for. Evernote Peek takes the work out of the process. The app turns your iPad and Smart Cover into makeshift flashcards. Strengthen your memory easily and for free. 4. Frog Dissection Slicing open a frog in biology class is fun for some, but for others, it can be messy and uncomfortable. This app removes the formaldehyde. You can still learn about the ins and outs of a frog's anatomy, but without the amphibian juice. 5. Graphing Calculator Graphing calculators are expensive, but it's almost impossible to get your calculus homework done without one. Consider investing in this app instead. It quickly plots and traces multiple equations on the same graph, using a custom keyboard to speed up entry. It even supports graphing polar and parametric equations and much, much more. 6. Math Formulas Struggling to keep your trigonometry formulas separate from your algebraic formulas? This app is your math savior. 7. Easel SAT Prep Lite The SAT is one of the most important tests in a high schooler's career. This app makes preparation easy and hassle-free, so you can keep your sights on test day. The app features three sections with 25 questions each and a "show me" function, which explains how to arrive at the right answer. 8. Shakespeare High school wouldn't be complete without the complete works of William Shakespeare. However, understanding the intricate passages of Romeo and Juliet is no easy task. This app will help ease your English class pains. It contains 41 Shakespearean plays and 154 sonnets to view on your iPhone or iPad. The app supports a glossary of common Shakespearean phrases and will provide detailed scene breakdowns of locations and characters in each act. And the best part — it's free. 9. Studious Instead of organizing your daily class schedule and homework assignments in a planner, turn to Studious to keep you on track. The app lets you set due dates for assignments and will remind you when big exams are approaching. Forget to silence your phone before class? The app will silence your phone during times you've scheduled on your calendar. It's available for free in the Google Play Store. 10. World Atlas This is the app you need to succeed in geography class. It provides high-res images with detail and accuracy beyond any Google image. For help in history class, the app provides world flags and facts about each country, including government types and capitals. Switch between three different map styles, including classic, antique and satellite. Bookmark your favorite places, as well. Page 5
NEWSLETTER TITLE
The GMS 2016 Application Now Available Online
The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. The program selects 1,000 talented students, each year, to receive a good-throughgraduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. Gates Millennium Scholars are provided with personal and professional development through leadership programs, along with academic support throughout their college career. The American Indian Graduate Center Scholars (AIGCS) is the American Indian/Alaska Native partner for the GMS scholarship. Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they meet all of the following criteria: Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American
Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2016 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student. First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients. Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities
Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria
Have completed and submitted all three required forms: the student's application (Nominee Personal Information Form), an evaluation of the student's academic record (Nominator Form) and an evaluation of the student's community service and leadership activities (Recommender Form), by the January 13, 2016 deadline.
Page 6
NEWSLETTER TITLE
Calendar of events
MHS College Fair Oct. 1st
University of Oklahoma will be here to present October 14th
ACT Test October 24th
Native American Culture Day November 19th
Here are five lessons student borrowers and their families can learn 1. Start the discussion early. Perhaps your family plans to contribute a certain dollar amount for each child. Or maybe you’re planning to save enough to cover in-state tuition at a public school. If your child wants to attend a private school or an out-of-state public college, you may want to ask him or her to make up the difference with scholarships, loans or his or her own earnings. 2. Know your options. Familiarize yourself with schools close to home. Some states and cities offer programs to pick up the tab for some students. O’Malley’s daughters could have graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park for less than $85,000 each. 3. Apply for financial aid. Even if you don’t expect to qualify, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the starting point for all financial aid. Plus, filing the FAFSA opens the door to other funds from the state or the school itself. Scholarships can also help ease the strain of paying for college. 4. Keep your borrowing in check. Do a little back-of-the-envelope math to make sure your student will be able to afford to repay her loans. One rule of thumb is that students should avoid borrowing more than their anticipated annual salary after graduation. Payscale.com lists salaries in specific fields.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Page 7
