While your student may be starting to tune in more to the weather forecast than to their schoolwork, the time is now for high school underclassmen to attend college fairs. These fairs offer a unique opportunity to talk with representatives from many colleges directly.  Students can learn a lot from the college representatives and are able to see multiple schools in a short period of time. Schools provide literature and representatives can help you get a feel for colleges you may have heard of but not be familiar with. There is a college fair scheduled for next week:

SPRING NEACAC College Fair at  Merrimack College
Monday, May 13, 2013: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
315 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845
Sakowich Student Center Building, Multipurpose Room
(978) 837-5000

While summer is not a big time for college fairs, many take place in the early fall, so take time this summer to identify which ones best fit your students’ interests, and consider scheduling college visits around the fairs. This site provides dates for many college fairs in New England in September and October. When visiting colleges, take along our campus visit checklist to keep track of your impressions.

DailyFinance.com recently shared an infographic that shows the astounding costs associated with the increases in college tuition over recent years. Created by online textbook provider CourseSmart, the visual focuses on various aspects of the financial picture, including tuition and fees, textbooks, and student debt, and offers some recommendations for ways to manage the cost of college. Below we’ve focused on some highlights.

College Tuition has increased 1120%

The percent increase of tuition approaches the sum of the percent increases for medical care, shelter and food during the same period. Since you still need to eat and live somewhere, there are some ways you can save on medical care, shelter and food:

-Medical care: Be extra vigilant about your health. Stay hydrated, get enough rest and maintain good habits about hand washing and use of hand sanitizer to avoid getting sick. Many health plans carry co-pays of $30 or more for sick visits. Staying healthy means less cash outlaid for copays and medicine.

-Shelter: Once you know the lay of the land, review all the options for upperclassman housing. Even if your school offers on-campus housing all four years, there may be some options that are less costly. Research triple rooms and opportunities to sublet space in a fraternity, sorority or a professor’s house near campus. Sharing an off-campus apartment may also save you money.

-Food: So what if you’re the worst chef in America – practice makes perfect! The overall price of buying groceries and cooking meals can save substantial money over meal plans if you live in an apartment with cooking facilities. Even if you are living in the dorm, you can save on meal plans, water and coffee.

Growth in Tuition and Fees

On average, the financial difference between attending a public two-year, public four-year or private four-year college is staggering. But there are strategies you can follow to identify private universities which will actually costs less than a public university. In addition, a wide variety of scholarships are available which can help reduce your tuition and costs. Do your research and make an educated decision about where to attend.

Growth in Textbook Sales

Students are beginning to catch on to saving money on textbooks; total money spent is decreasing even though the total number of textbooks being bought was increasing. The secret? eTextbooks, which are on a 58% sales rise. Renting is also a fantastic way to save money.

Student Debt

If you’re taking out loans during your four years, you will be stuck with a lot of debt at the end of your college career. The average student today starts their career $27,500 in debt. Seeking out relevant internships while you are in school can help in two ways: by providing some earnings along the way, and increasing your likelihood of landing a higher-paying job when you graduate.

And don’t fall behind in your classes. Graduating on time is a key way to keep college expenses under control.

If you’re a high school student thinking about starting college in the fall, you might be concerned about the expenses you’ll soon be facing. Aside from the big ones like tuition and room and board, there are other expenses like textbooks, travel, and incidentals that can really add up. While you’ve probably already focused on some traditional ways to save, like financial aid and scholarships, and hopefully you’ve secured a job this summer to earn more before you head off to school, you can also save in tiny increments …

Try these five tips, tricks, and techniques to save money.

1) Go Green on Water
While most freshmen enroll in a meal plan which offers plenty of food, there isn’t a kitchen to wander into for a glass of water or other cold drink. We all know that it’s important to stay hydrated for good health, and that means eight glasses of water daily. An easy solution is to buy a bottle of water en route to class, but that can cost you a couple of dollars each time, and you won’t be getting the amount of water daily that you should be drinking to stay healthy. A greener option — that’s also less costly — is to have a water filtration device (like  Brita pitcher) in your fridge and to fill a reusable water bottle each time you return to the room.

2) Consider Creative Ways to Earn a Buck
Many students work during the summer before going to college and during each summer after that, but you can restore your bank balance by working at those jobs during breaks and vacations, especially since college’s winter vacation is generally a full month long. It might also be possible to continue your job part time during the semester if it’s close enough to your campus, or to work remotely. Research other jobs that can be done remotely in your school’s career placement office or on Craig’s List — even a babysitting job once weekly can help supplement your bank account.

3) Rent Textbooks Online
College textbooks can be very costly. While your first inclination may be to head to the school bookstore, there are many less expensive options. Buying used textbooks from the school library, borrowing or swapping books with a friend, or renting textbooks are a few options. Campus Book Rentals let you cheaply rent the textbooks you need, and their site has a renting extension where you can rent the college textbooks you’ve already used to other students. It’s a win-win situation to access your books for less and rent your older ones for some money back. Other options are sites like FreeloadPress.com or FreeBookExpress.com which allow you to freely access and read online textbooks. Though their selection is somewhat limited, it’s worth checking their inventory to see if your required textbook is on the list. One caution: Make certain that you order the book in the correct edition.  There are sometimes major changes from one edition to the next.

4) Avoid Coffee Venues
Let’s face it, college students drink a lot of coffee. Many students buy these drinks daily to get through early morning classes or to help stay alert through exam periods. But stopping at a cafe and ordering a latte every day can quickly add up to a very large tab. One good alternative is to buy a coffee brewer for your dorm room; it will save you both time and money in the long run. There are many coffee brewers you can find online for a very affordable price. Try DormCo.com. If part of the fix is the cafe experience, order a normal cup of coffee or an Americano, since they generally cost less than lattes, frappes and other specialty drinks.

5) Be Smart About College Meal Plans
Not all meal plans are perfect; sometimes they provide not enough food, other times they provide too much. One of the most overlooked features of college meal plans is the credit that’s stored on your card or account, which can be used towards snacks and beverages. Typically the credits don’t carry on to the next semester, so it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re maximizing your credit usage and not losing any points by the end of each semester.

What other tips do you have to save money at school?

You’ve mastered the Common App, studied and have taken your SATs, ACTs, and maybe SAT 2’s. You’ve hedged your bets on whether to submit your scores to test-optional schools. All of your applications have been submitted and now you are in “wait” mode to learn of your possible choices for college starting in the fall. So, is it finally time to kick back and enjoy senior year? Sadly, no. Rather, it’s time for another set of confusing acronyms and complicated terminology. For anyone who needs help paying for college (and that can come in the form of grants, loans, scholarships or merit funding), it is time to complete the financial aid forms.

We’ll act as translator.

One of the first terms you’ll encounter as you begin the financial aid process is EFC, or Expected Family Contribution.  That is the amount that the federal government determines that your family should pay toward college. It is derived from your responses on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  Your EFC is the amount determined to be your family’s “fair share” of college expenses. Every school uses the EFC as computed through the FAFSA. It’s based on the income and assets of the parents and student and takes into consideration the age of the parents, family size, and the number of siblings in college (if any).

Some private schools, however, modify the EFC with the information they take from the CSS Profile (college Scholarship Service Profile). Schools may also add supplemental questions to the CSS Profile and then further refine the EFC using that information. One particular piece of data that is used on the CSS Profile but not on the FAFSA is the equity in your home.

Once a school determines your expected family contribution, they begin the process of determining the specifics of your financial award. They start with the published COA, or cost of attendance, which includes including tuition, room and board, and typical expenses like books and supplies, fees, and transportation costs. When the schools subtract the EFC from the COA, the result is the Need, which is the amount a family needs that is not covered by their EFC for education.

You may have all, some or none of the need covered by the school and federal government. Aid may come in many forms: federal and university grants and scholarships (which do not need to be paid back), federal or school loans (which must be paid back) and work-study jobs.

But here’s the rub: while the formulas used by colleges and universities calculate your financial need, they don’t necessarily fulfill it. You may need to secure private student loans, private scholarships or other means to cover the gap between the aid you’re provided and the cost of attending. An important factor to research for each of your student’s schools is the percent of need fulfilled.

Note this distinction made by FAFSA:

Note: Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.

Wednesday, February 27, 2012  ~  7:00 – 8:30 pm
Northern Essex Community College

100 Elliott Street, Haverhill, MA  ~  Building C, Room 116

• Learn strategies that will enable you to afford to send your child to the college of their choice without changing your lifestyle
• Get facts about the college funding process (including how complicated it can get!)
• Hear a step-by-step explanation of the FAFSA, CSS Profile, SAR, Pell Grants, Stafford and Perkins Loans
• Gain tips about how you can lower your expected family contribution legally

Limited space! Please reserve your seat. Call 1 888 285 4970 or email us.



]]> http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/02/22/show-me-the-money-free-college-funding-workshop-22713/feed/ 0 http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/02/11/never-mind-your-taxes-get-your-fafsa-done/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=never-mind-your-taxes-get-your-fafsa-done http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/02/11/never-mind-your-taxes-get-your-fafsa-done/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:43:46 +0000 Dick Joseph http://mvpcollegefunding.com/?p=1278 Continue Reading]]> We’re already well into February, and many high school seniors have not yet submitted the aid forms to secure financial assistance for college. If you’re among the guilty, it’s time to get into high gear and get your financial aid forms submitted. The early bird gets the worm, as the financial aid funds are essentially distributed on a “first come, first serve” basis. And while the official federal deadline is June 30, some states and colleges have instituted their own deadlines as early as February!

I’ll just get a job on campus

One common misconception is assuming that you can secure aid directly from the college, or get a work-study job on campus once you enroll. In fact, nearly all forms of federal, state, and school-specific aid — including loans, grants, work-study jobs, scholarships, and merit aid — are calculated based on your submission of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application. This form must be submitted to qualify for federal loans.

The FAFSA is a government form and as can be expected, it’s cumbersome. One reason many applicants put off submitting the FAFSA is because they are fearful of making errors on the form. You should know that if necessary, you can make changes after submitting the application. It is better to submit on time and then revise later than to miss the filing deadline. But accuracy is critical to securing aid; mistakes cause delays of up to six weeks for reprocessing. While your form is being reprocessed, other applicants are being awarded aid and the pot of money is growing smaller.

Responses on the FAFSA and CSS profile must match

It is critical, if the school requires both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, that responses on both forms match exactly. If they don’t, both will be returned for correction. A new requirement in 2012 is the necessity for the IRS tax information to be transferred to the FAFSA after your taxes are filed. So, for the 2013-2014 FAFSA, once you and your parents have filed your taxes, you need to go back into the FAFSA and automatically upload the data from the IRS to the FAFSA. You will be led through the steps, but the process can be confusing.

Another potential stumbling block for families where parents are divorced, is which parent should complete the financial aid forms. The decision is complicated and handling it strategically can mean the difference between a substantial award and a small one. US News and World Report’s Best Colleges offers helpful tips to avoid FAFSA errors. For more personalized assistance, contact us.

Now, waste no more time … get your financial aid forms submitted!

 

 



]]> http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/02/11/never-mind-your-taxes-get-your-fafsa-done/feed/ 0 http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/01/29/how-to-find-college-scholarships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-find-college-scholarships http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/01/29/how-to-find-college-scholarships/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:52:50 +0000 Dick Joseph http://mvpcollegefunding.com/?p=1268 Continue Reading]]> How to Find College Scholarships

With the cost of college in the US running between $15,000 per year and $65,000 per year, most families are concerned with how to pay for college, especially if they do not qualify for a great deal of need-based financial aid. Financing college is the single most neglected financial consideration for most families. After all, while kids are growing up, who has time to think about the abstract reality of college?  Even the average financial advisor knows very little about what families can expect to pay for college, so they will often just throw out a number and have the families put money aside in a 529 Plan. That’s typically it.

When a family receives tuition bills of $10,000 – $50,000 per year per child, I don’t care how much money you make, those are big bills!  So what can you do to ease the burden?

The students can do their part

First, the kids can help by getting good grades and doing well on the SAT’s and ACT’s so that they qualify for merit scholarships from the schools that they apply to, reducing the costs by $1,000 – $20,000 per year.  Kids can also apply for scholarships offered by local communities and corporations that are available to residents and  children of employees.

Learn from those who know how to find scholarships.

One very valuable resource for finding college scholarships is the site called How 2 Win Scholarships, operated by Monica Matthews.  She was able to send her son to college by finding more than $100,000 in scholarships and she teaches you how.

“Google” for Scholarships

Finally, students should utilize college scholarship search engines.  What should you look for in determining a good scholarship search site?  There are three important criteria that you should check on each site:

1. How often do they update their data? Search engines that keep the same information year after year will not typically have relevant searches.
2. Be sure that your personal information is protected. If the site shares the information with third parties, make sure that they have an easy to understand “opt-out” capability. The privacy policy for the company should be very understandable.
3. Does the site produce relevant search results for your specific needs? A site that offers engineering scholarships does you no good when you are a music major.

Which sites provide up-to-date, relevant and protected service? One new site that meets the above criteria is ScholarshipPoints.com. They provide “points” for using the site, reading blogs, buying merchandise and referring others. They are operated out of Quincy, MA and offer monthly drawings for scholarships just for using the site.

Other very good sites are:

Big Future - This site is operated by the College Board and the information is current and relevant and applies to a broad base of students.

CollegeNet.com  operates a scholarship search engine and social network where students create topics, participate in discussions, and vote on scholarship winners. Every Wednesday, the student with the most points wins between $3,000 and $5,000, making it one of the most unique search engines available.

www.Scholarships.com prides itself on being the largest of the search engines with the most scholarships and they update information daily.

FastWeb is the oldest and most utilized scholarship website. They require all scholarships to be updated every 11 months or be dropped from the site.  FastWeb also sends periodic emails to their customers listing new and relevant scholarships.

The bottom line: It takes work, dedication, perseverance and time to get the scholarships, but they can make the difference between being able to attend your to choice schools or having to attend a less expensive option. We’d be happy to help you through the process. Contact rjoseph@mvpcollegefunding.com or go to www.mvpcollegefunding.com.

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]]> http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2013/01/29/how-to-find-college-scholarships/feed/ 2 http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/10/22/does-it-matter-how-well-you-complete-the-college-application/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-it-matter-how-well-you-complete-the-college-application http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/10/22/does-it-matter-how-well-you-complete-the-college-application/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:57:17 +0000 Dick Joseph http://mvpcollegefunding.com/?p=1215 Continue Reading]]> Does It Matter How Well You Complete the College Application?

High school seniors are hustling to get their applications for colleges completed.  If students are applying for either Early Action or Early Decision, then the deadlines are fast approaching.  Since a large number of colleges use the Common Application, many students feel  it is a nuisance that you have to endure, get submitted and then wait to hear from the schools.  Students have asked me, “Does it really make any difference how well I fill it out?”  The short answer to the question is:  “Yes, it does!”

Admissions officers are pressured to assess the applicant pool to determine who are the right students for each school.  The admissions committee factors in qualities such as: motivation, curiosity, energy, leadership and distinctive talents during the review process.  With the thousands of applications that admissions officers review each year, each application has about one minute to make a good or bad impression.  You do not want to make a bad impression.  So, what determines whether an application is good?

1) Colleges are looking for students who will make a positive impact over the four years of college.  Therefore, it makes sense that your high school record should reflect a student whose record inside and outside of the school shows either consistent performance or a record of improvement in rigorous college-prep courses.

2) You need to pay attention to the details on the application.  Do not make an error of any kind.  Be succinct and direct in describing your merits and accomplishments.   A great essay can be negated if you exceed the word count, skip required questions, or if you don’t answer a question in full.

3) Be careful what you electronically attach to an application.  There are places in the application where you can attach videos and web sites.  Poor choices in what to send can move your application to the “Deny” pile.

4) Get your recommendations lined up early and make sure your teachers know who you are. Most schools set limits on the number of letters they will review.  Make sure that you do not give them more or fewer than what they require. Check each school’s website to make sure you have the correct number of letters.  Most colleges are looking for letters from guidance counselors and teachers from your area of interest.  Make the job easy for your teachers by providing them with a brief resume of your activities.  They know you, but they may not be familiar with everything about you.  A resume will be welcomed by your teacher.  Be certain to provide a stamped, addressed envelope for every school to the teacher.

5) Write a great essay.  Read the previous blog post for tips, but ultimately, write about something that matters to you and something that enables you to speak in your own voice.  Impressive vocabulary and complex sentences can hurt you.  Just be yourself.  Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!

6) Make sure that your transcript is sent on time and that it is correct.  It should tell what you did at school from freshman through senior year.  Ask your guidance counselor for a copy so you can make sure nothing was omitted.

7) Show that you have taken advantage of the resources and opportunities at your school and in your community.  As Yale President, Kingman Brewster wrote, “I am inclined to believe that the person who gives every ounce to do something superbly has an advantage of the person whose capacities may be great but who seems to have no desire to stretch them to their limit.”

Your comments are welcome.



]]> http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/10/22/does-it-matter-how-well-you-complete-the-college-application/feed/ 2 http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/09/25/the-dreaded-college-essay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-dreaded-college-essay http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/09/25/the-dreaded-college-essay/#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:19:09 +0000 Dick Joseph http://mvpcollegefunding.com/?p=1156 Continue Reading]]> The Dreaded College Essay

You are now getting your college list in order and your guidance counselor has told you that you need to get your Common Application and the private applications completed.  Everything is going well until … the college essay raises its ugly head.  What in the world am I supposed to write about?  What are the schools looking for?  What is the BEST essay to write?  All of these questions are great, but who has the “right” answer?

In 2003, a group of students compiled numerous quotes from college admissions officers at various colleges.  They published:  Essays That Worked for College Applications – by Boykin Curry, Brian Kasbar and Emily Angel Baer.  Here are some of the comments:

1.  Arrogance and pretentiousness are bad, but it’s worse when a student doesn’t put his personality into an essay.
2. The author should realize that he’s writing for an audience of real human beings.  Add a touch of excitement…and wit never hurts.  Be careful that the humor is not obnoxious or inappropriate.
3. Don’t try to “sell” yourself – We enroll people, not cars.  Self-confidence is a good thing – lists of accomplishments are bad.  Be careful that when you write about world hunger and taking care of the poor, that you have some community programs to back up your words.
4. The best essays have:  honesty, brevity, risk-taking, self-revelation, imagination and fine writing skills.  Unfortunately, many of these attributes are edited out of essays by very well-meaning people who are asked to review the essay.  If the student reads his application before sending it and can say, “This sounds like me,” then the essay is probably the best it can be.  Students should trust their instincts.
5. The essay isn’t about technical writing prowess – it’s about storytelling.  It’s about effectively communicating content and message.  It’s about showing the colleges who you are as a person – who are they getting as a member of their community.
6. Admissions offices are interested in knowing who you are – what you believe in, how you’ve grown, what you think about and care about and what your values are.

The bottom line is that the finished essay should show the reader the point or message, not tell it.  It’s not easy and it takes work, but all students at all levels can do it.

Just one caution:  while teachers, family and friends all mean well and might help craft a paper that is technically excellent, they typically don’t look at things from the perspective of the admissions officers.  It is important for you to get someone who has experience reviewing essays for college admissions so that you can get the appropriate guidance.

MVP College Funding provides college essay review as part of our service offerings.  We look forward to helping you through the entire application and financial aid process.



]]> http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/09/25/the-dreaded-college-essay/feed/ 0 http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/09/11/sophomore-year-in-high-school-raising-the-bar-on-extracurricular-activities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sophomore-year-in-high-school-raising-the-bar-on-extracurricular-activities http://mvpcollegefunding.com/2012/09/11/sophomore-year-in-high-school-raising-the-bar-on-extracurricular-activities/#comments Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:07:25 +0000 Dick Joseph http://mvpcollegefunding.com/?p=1149 Continue Reading]]> Sophomore Year In High School: Raising the Bar on Extracurricular Activities

College acceptance has become much more difficult than in past years.  A great number of factors are considered by admissions counselors, including grades, test scores, activities, and depth of involvement with them, and commitment to those activities. Competitive colleges are seeking the student with the unusual hobby, the unique approach to an activity, the creative expression of their passion. Simply being a member of a sports team or club may not be enough to gain a college acceptance from your child’s dream school.

Help your child to leverage the extracurricular activities he or she is passionate about, to pave a path to the kinds of leadership roles colleges and universities are seeking. Take this example:

Tami is a gymnast. She’s tried out for the high school team and has secured a spot on the JV team as a sophomore. She’s committed to the sport and loves it. She’s a solid gymnast but isn’t the star of the program. Tami plans to participate as a team member, train hard and do her best to secure a varsity spot for her junior year. Good, but not memorable.

Some possible ways to raise the bar:

1)      In addition to the above, Tami can offer to support the varsity team, such as helping at meets, keeping track of equipment, uniforms, bus schedules, or running fundraisers.

2)      She might offer to teach younger gymnasts or otherwise assist in programs at her private gymnastic academy, YMCA, or town after-school programs at the elementary or middle schools in her town.

3)      Tami can research organizations that would benefit from free gymnastics coaching for youths, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, or programs for physically or mentally challenged kids, and offer to teach or coach after-school or weekend gymnastics programs for free. 

4)      Tami could use her athleticism to consider related sports such as color guard or dance team, particularly if the seasons don’t coincide with gymnastics.

5)      She might try out for a part in the school musical or audition for town or regional musical theatre groups.

6)      Tami should seek out summer opportunities for any of the above ideas if time doesn’t allow during the school year.

Whether your student is an athlete or a writer, a debater or a passionate artist, help them to think creatively about ways to find leadership roles and increase the depth of their involvement with the activities that they like best.



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