Reservations are required as space is limited.  Please visit the Calvert Library site to register for a one hour appointment.

What to bring on Sunday-both parental and student financial information:

• Social security numbers
• Drivers license
• 2011 tax return (if completed), estimated numbers (if not completed)
• 2011 W-2 forms and other records of money earned
• 2011 untaxed income records – Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, child support paid/received, welfare, or veterans benefits records
• Your 2011 bank statements
• 2011 business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
• Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

Please contact SoMDCAN with questions.

Participants will gain an understanding of why certain questions are asked from the in-depth discussion of students’ dependency status and the student and parental income and asset information required for filing the FAFSA.

Anxiety is up, the financial market is down, and for some of us on the brink of sending a child to college – well, stressed is the one word that can sum it all up.
Having been in the Financial Aid field for the past 18 years, I have found it challenging this past year to guide parents and students onto a best course of action for financing their college education.

The question we should be answering from the early stages of knowing that your child is college-bound is “how much am I going to be responsible for?” That early stage could be as early as elementary school or even the beginning of senior year. Hopefully, you are catching this earlier rather than later.

The key acronym to introduce here is “EFC”, the expected family contribution. The EFC is the dollar amount that the U.S. Department of Education expects the family – the parents and the student – to be able to contribute toward the cost of education at any higher education institution. The EFC is derived from the calculation called the Federal Methodology, which is computed when a family files the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) during the student’s senior year of high school and each subsequent year engaged in higher education.

There are several free calculation websites out roaming the vast plains of the wild, wild web, but the one this author most often recommends is the www.finaid.org calculator for estimated EFC. I like this calculator the best because no information is stored and you can play around with income and asset scenarios without obligating yourself to stored data – such as at www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov . Although the latter website is useful if you are calculating your EFC for a student who is a high school senior, I’m just not comfortable with having my social security #’s and all my previous year’s tax information held in cyberspace! The usefulness of the fafsa4caster site is that the information will subsequently be downloaded into your FAFSA when you initiate that process.

Why is it a good idea to get an early read on your expected family contribution? Because you then have an idea of what the US Dept of Ed is going to expect you to pay for education whether that is at a community college or at an Ivy League institution. Each college has a budget for their cost of attendance, which is going to include tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation expenses, and personal expenses.

When your budding genius is still in diapers you can calculate what is expected from you and what is going to be offered to you from that Ivy League college you have your eye on. It’s really not as cut and dry as that, but determining your EFC early does give you a clear indication of what you should be saving for college.

There’s a simple formula, not without its own perils, that can give you an idea of your “financial need” at a particular institution. COA (cost of attendance) – EFC (expected family contribution) = Unmet Need (or financial need). So, if you have gone through an estimated EFC calculator and your estimated EFC is calculated at 24750 (the estimated EFC will not show you dollar signs or have commas – I think this is to throw you off and not give you arrhythmia) and you have two colleges in mind, you have the numbers you need to make an estimate of what your financial need at those two institutions is going to be. Example, Community College A has a COA of approximately $8,900 and Elite College B has a COA of approximately $47,500, with your estimated EFC of $24,750 you can expect a negative financial need at Community College A and an unmet financial need of $22,750 at Elite College B. Depending on the financial aid packaging policies at Elite College B, you may receive a hearty amount of grant monies and most definitely offered student loans.

Knowing how to interpret your contribution, the costs at the colleges of interest, and the financial aid packaging policies at said institutions is a valuable piece of knowledge. It may not increase your odds of receiving higher aid awards, but it can increase your ability to make sound decisions regarding the foundation of colleges you and your student put together.

Next installment will be College 101: Part III: Is There Any Financial Aid Out There?

More and more often our students – our own children – are bombarded with questions like “where are you going to college?”, “what are you going to major in?”, “what’s your reach school, your safety school?”. This seems to place undue pressure on students and doesn’t give them the breathing room to explore options which may not be on the radar of the parent or the student.

Keeping in mind that there is a “best fit” for the student at an institution can help us narrow down the options for our children headed to college. By best fit, we generally mean how the institution fits the student academically, socially, and of course, financially. Working with our students to help them determine a foundation of colleges/universities that “fit” should be a primary goal as parents, educators, advisors. The whole notion of “reach” and “safety” schools is rather bothersome, why not instead identify a school that has that best fit for the student. It would be wrong for us to advise students with low GPAs to “reach” for a Harvard, rather we would want to identify schools where the student fits academically comfortably within or above the mid-50% range of incoming freshman.

Another component of best fit is social fit. By asking specific questions we can help the student determine what his/her preferences are for location, size, atmosphere, and the culture of their type of school. Placing a student in a school of 30,000 when that student does not like crowds or being lost in one would seem to me to be a not-so-good fit. How many students at the institution? Small – under 2,000; Medium – between 2,000 and 15,000; Large – above 15,000. These are real determining factors. The atmosphere and culture of the school can be attributed to their attitudes toward diversity, politics, community outreach, etc. Some students want to be left alone to study and not get involved in the community, whereas other students are so immersed in the college culture that they automatically become a part of the community.

And then there is always the financial fit of an institution. Although students should be very aware of this “fit”, parents are ultimately responsible for determining the right financial fit. Because it is the parent who traditionally holds the purse strings, they are going to decide that “we can’t afford it” or that “this is a possibility”. This decision does not come without much consideration and homework on the part of this team of parent/student and their united pursuit of higher education. . Parents, a word of advice (and yes, I do have an 11th grader – so I’m right there with you): Please do not abandon your child. This is not the time to let the student start making all the hard decisions on their own.

Building a foundation of five or six colleges that FIT the student will be the best time you spend with your child during his/her junior and senior year in high school.

How do you start building a foundation? I could write a whole paper on steps to take, etc.; but instead I’ll just point you in the direction of one website – which is an unbiased assessment – and that is www.collegeboard.com . If your student has taken the PSAT or the SAT, they will have a student id which allows them access to not only their results on these tests, but also to a wide array of tools and resources to start building that foundation of best fit institutions.

Most relevant are the tools to assess the students interests and aptitudes, this will help you narrow down the type of coursework the student will be taking in college. Oh and by the way, most colleges don’t require the student to “declare” a major upon enrollment.

From this website, create a college search specifying the students geographical desires, their institutional type, the students test scores and/or GPA, their academic interests, and other points. The results will reveal a number of colleges/universities that “fit” the student which may have been unknown before this search.

If some of the schools that are revealed are unknown – get to know them. Review their websites and their curriculum for the academic area of interest of the student. If at all possible, visit the campuses, or visit a nearby college/university that has similar traits – just to get a feel for such things as a very large institution or a very small institution. Start comparing these institutions to one another and the result will be a list of foundation schools.

Next installment will be College 101: Part II: How Much Am I Responsible For?

The campus is beautiful and very active with students going to class and hanging out with their friends. Education, Business/Marketing and Health Sciences are their most popular academic offerings. They have a little more than 2,800 students enrolled in the five schools (Education and Social Sciences, Health and Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering and Business, Arts, and Humanities).

There are lots of things to do while enrolled at Messiah. You can get involved with a club, athletics, chapel, or any one of the multicultural organizations such as the African Student Union or the United Voices of Praise. Studying abroad and community service projects are also choices for enrolled students. There are no extra fees for studying abroad and there are programs on every continent (except Antartica).

99% of incoming studnts receive some sort of financial aid. There are both need-based scholarships and merit-based scholarships. There is even a scholarship awarded to 3 students who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting racial/ethnic diversity and reconciliation.

If you’re interested in the Nursing program I would suggest applying early. There are only 70 spots because they have to match the number of students to the amount of lab space available. They have a 100% passing rate for students in the Nursing program. Super great program!!

This is the college for you if your Christian faith is something you want heavily incorporated into your college classwork and aspirations.

Ursinus is a fantastic Liberal Arts College that produces top-notch students. Three-fourths of the graduating seniors go on to graduate school and 95% of the graduates in ’07 are either employed or in graduate school. The most populated majors are biology, business & economics and english. Every student has an opportunity to study abroad or hold internships.

Retention is very important to the college. Every student is issued a laptop and this is upgraded during their sophomore year (a great reason to stay at UC). There are more than 80 clubs for students to be active in, something for everyone. Freshmen are required to enroll in the Common Intellectual Experience (two seminars in their first year) which helps them employ the critical thinking process throughout their education and life. They also cluster the freshman in the centrally located residence halls to promote good college habits. There is a 13% diversity in the student body and students are strongly encouraged to become involved in the campus community (there are many minority associations to belong to). A special Bridge Program has been set up to help underrepresented students in the transition to college. These students arrive on campus three weeks prior to the start of classes. UC certainly focuses on the success of the first-year students which creates a strong foundation for future learning.

The faculty serve as advisors to all students in the first year and meet with students often. Advisors are there to support the students personally and academically with first year jitters. There is also a Career Services Office on campus that works with students on research opportunities and helps them to create a body of work to show potential employers or post-graduate school. Advising in subsequent years falls within the major course of study the student has chosen.

There are several financial aid opportunities for students who want to attend Ursinus. $27 million was given to students last year in aid. If you want to attend, they will find a way to help with the financial responsibilities. Visit http://www.ursinus.edu/ for admissions requirements and to read more about this thoughtful college.

And just in case you were wondering…we got soaked while leaving the building. Sadly, we were not able to take a walking tour of the campus. What we could see by driving around was very pleasing and comfortable looking.

This morning, Sunday, Sept 7, four SoMD CAN staff members embarked on what will become a most memorable tour of 15 colleges across the mid- and eastern sections of Pennsylvania. We will conclude our touring on Thursday, Sept 11. The colleges we are visiting and touring by appointment are: Wilson College, Susquehanna University, Misericordia University, Muhlenberg College, Ursinus College, Villanova University, Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, Immaculata College, Albright College, Lebanon Valley College, Messiah College, Elizabethtown College, Franklin & Marshall College, Millersville University of PA, and York College.

A peaceful and uneventful 2 1/2 hour drive into Chambersburg, PA found us at the doorstep of Wilson College, where Kathy Baker, Assistant Director of Admissions, greeted us warmly. Upon first sight, we liked the “feel” of the all-women’s campus. The buildings were beautiful, in that sense you get from old buildings built during the earlier 1900′s. Lots of stone and brick on this rather small, quite open campus. The college is on the outskirts of Chambersburg – yet another quaint, small PA town. Quite, serene, a place where the college is the center of the student’s universe. Ms. Baker was very hospitable and made sure that we had a good idea of what made Wilson tick.

What really made Wilson College tick for us was their Women and Children’s Program. This residential program is designed to allow single women with small children the opportunity to learn in an environment that nurtures not only the student but the student’s child. Young, single mothers are invited to apply to Wilson College and have the same rigorous admissions standards as do traditional students. When the student is accepted and enrolls, the student and the child are assigned a dorm suite for living, the child is enrolled in the pre-school on the college campus, and the student’s children eat in the cafeteria on campus at no charge. The student must obtain financial aid through the regular methods of FAFSA application. Most single mothers take out student loan dollars to help pay for the full costs of tuition/fees and room/board at Wilson College.

The college reports an admission rate of 51% and enrolls 49% of those students admitted. The school has approximately 800 students, with about 250 of those students as adult continuing education students. Wilson College has a cost of approximately $32,000 per year. They have also become a test optional school, meaning that SAT/ACT test scores do not have to be reported; however, make no mistake their admissions requirements are not slack. Students who opt out of reporting test scores have to show academic success in high school and also have completed a host of required coursework. Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Education are the most popular majors offered at Wilson College. The college has a very successful Equestrian program, where not only students are admitted but their horses have to be admitted as well. The stables and paddocks were well maintained and quite picturesque.

We were very fortunate to have Jackie Valesquez as our student tour guide. Jackie is absolutely delightful, she is a single mother in the Women and Children’s Program, an RA (resident assistant) in one of the dorms, works in the Admissions Office for Kathy Baker, is majoring in Psychology and hopes to pursue a masters degree. She embodies the model for a Wilson student, with her aspirations clear and her love for learning apparent.

When our tour was over we were thinking, “which of our SoMD CAN participants will be a good fit here?” Ms. Baker was enthusiastic about our recommendations to come.

Robin, Betsy, Shelby and Sonia drove away knowing that the “Sisterhood of the Traveling College Advisors” was off to a good start!

We traveled no further than half an hour to reach Shippensburg University. Although we were not able to schedule a tour of the campus – state public colleges are closed for tours on Sunday – we did drive through. Our impression of the University from the windows of the car was that it was a college that really emphasizes sports, it is spread out, well maintained, and not very populated this particular weekend.

During a late lunch in town, we talked with our waitress who is a Senior majoring in Psychology, with a certificate in women’s studies. She too will pursue a masters degree after her graduation in May, 2009. She was 100% happy to be at Shippensburg. She revealed to us that the President of the college was very approachable and personable – that he and his wife make the University their main focus, giving their social time to the University as well as their careers. This young lady mentioned that the campus does slow down significantly on the weekends – commuters.

As Shippensburg is a Div II school with a price tag in the low $20,000, we felt that many of our students in SoMD would benefit by looking closer at the Universities standards for admissions.

Our next detour of the day was a side trip to Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Dickinson College was not on our original list of schools to visit, but because we were “right there” we detoured long enough to drive through this pristine campus. This campus looked like the kind of place where “college themed” movies are made. Hefty tuition, but meets at least 97% of unmet need with about 80% in the form of grants/scholarships. Dickinson College shows stats of the mid-50% SAT at 600-690 for Critical Reading and Math, 91% retention of sophomores, and places an emphasis on recruiting academically qualified minority studnets. The words that come to mind as we drove through this absolutely beautiful campus were: venerable and legacy.

It’s so important that we emphasize the “college visit”. Would that we could bring all of our SoMD CAN participating students on this kind of intense tour of colleges … our budget barely allows four of us to do this! But the emphasis needs to remain on the students finding the right “fit” for their higher education experience. The SoMD CAN Pre College Advisors spend much of their time talking with students about the importance of finding a school that fits them academically, personally, and financially. And that’s what we are doing – taking some of the guess work out of stabbing at the dark.

Monday, Sept 8th, will see the four of us trapsing through Susquehanna University, Miseracordia University, and Muhlenberg College … unitl tomorrow, stay tuned and good night! Sonia

The beautiful sports complex, sports fields, campus student center, Weber Chapel Auditorium, and open outdoor spaces of the campus provide a great learning environment. Students will be inspired to work hard in class and get involved in campus programs. There are plenty of places for students to gather and share ideas about classwork and club happenings. Did I mention they are building a new state-of-the-art science building?

Susquehanna offers a wide variety of majors and minors in areas of business, communications, international studies, education, economics, performance and studio arts, pre-professional, and all human sciences. They are committed in the retention of students by providing an academic advancement program that assigns students a faculty advisor, runs a thorough freshman orientation, and keeps in touch with students regularily through the first year (second year in the program is optional). They also provide career services during all 4 years of attendance. Students can pick their major at the end of their sophomore year. They can take career classes to help them hone in on their true interests and schedule their classes to fit within these interests. Each student is required to have some type of cross-cultural experience. There are no addional fees to participate in the study abroad programs.

SU is a Division III school so they do not provide sports scholarships. They provide scholarships based on merit. A committed student is what they are looking for. If you are a committed student looking for an abounding education, you will definately find it at SU. Please visit the web site http://www.susqu.edu/ to find out the details in enrollment and admissions. This is a splendid school and an astonishing campus. Thank you Denise Moy and Andy Zayas-Ayala for a marvelous visit.

My response was directed to him, but I felt that it had some valuable information to share on the SoMD CAN blog.

Dear Mr. Andoh;

I was forwarded your post to your discussion group, and read your comments with great interest.

There are several factors that need to be considered during the selection process of the institutions our students apply to. First and foremost, keeping in mind your dismay over the admissions process, is whether the school has a “need blind” admission policy. A “need blind” admission policy, simply stated, is one that admits students based solely on their merit to be a productive and successful student at the institution and not on their financial need (or lack thereof).

During the 15 – 20 Financial Aid Night presentations that I give in the Southern Maryland region, I’m generally hit hard with questions from middle class families about why the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) does not request information regarding the families consumer debt. The answer is always – because the U.S. Department of Education’s philosophy is that they are not the primary source of funding your student’s higher education aspirations … that falls on the family and the student. The U.S. Dept of Ed Federal Student Aid funds are there for those who demonstrate financial need as determined by the Federal Methodology calculations. The result of the calculation is called the EFC (expected family contribution – what the Dept of Ed reasonably expects you to be able to pay toward the COA [Cost of Attendance] of any given institution.)

I’m often dismayed at the current culture of college admissions, myself. I am the parent of a bright (but totally unmotivated) sophomore son. Does this spell doom for his chances to be admitted to a fine institution of higher learning? I certainly hope not! One step that we are taking as a family is to save prodigiously for college costs – yes, we would be considered “privileged” by most (including admissions personnel), but we also know the consequences of not saving for college tuition/fee, room/board. Our EFC is going to be calculated higher than most COAs. There is a very good calculator onwww.finaid.org that allows you to input income and asset information for the purpose of receiving an estimated EFC. Very good step for all families to take! That way you are equipped with information about how much the colleges/universities are going to expect you to be able to contribute to the cost of attendance at their institution.

There is a terrific book written several years ago by Thomas LaVeist, Ph.D. and Will LaVeist – 8 Steps to Help Black Families Pay for College: A Crash Course in Financial Aid. Step 1 in the book is about “getting your mind right” … about college, about personal finances, about how it all relates to a student’s future success.

Back to the topic of college admissions. If you have a son or daughter like mine, quite average – but rather extraordinary in the scheme of things! – is involved in a sport, a club, community experiences, then what are you to do? Don’t set the student up for a fall by having them concentrate on ONE school only. They can have dream schools, but please encourage your student to have in hand at least five schools that will want to admit that student. Pick schools where the student is solidly in the top 25% academically (and folks, that may mean NO Harvard!) There are approximately 3,800 institutions of higher education out there! Also, choose schools that fit the student’s personality … would you send your student to a school in NYC if they are totally uncomfortable in a large city – look for greener pastures, literally. Visit the schools, skip the beach retreat this year and drive around the Midwest or the Atlantic Coast. There is no experience greater for choosing a college than an actual visit to the campus. ALL websites and catalogues show the gorgeous buildings and the “pretty” people lounging in the quad.

Mr. Andoh, thank you for your questioning perspective of this rather daunting time in the lives of our students (not to mention the stomach churning created for the parents!). Just a reminder, for parents of senior high school students, NOW is the time to complete the FAFSA. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to start the process. Download the FOTW Worksheet for a paper copy. I always find that it works better to complete the worksheet before actually completing the online version. You can estimate 2007 taxes if you are not prepared to complete your 1040 or 1040A just yet. Also, be aware that “taxes withheld” is much different than the FAFSA question of “taxes paid”. Taxes paid is referring to the amount of taxes you pay on your taxable income (AGI – deductions and credits).

Please don’t let me hear another family say, “But we make too much money and have too many assets to be eligible.” The FAFSA is the gateway to opening up opportunities for financial aid from Federal, State, Institutional, and Private Scholarship sources. And financial aid includes grants, loans, scholarships, and work programs. I’ve been at this for 18 years, not much has changed except for the tremendous and outrageous cost of tuition/fees and room/board at higher education institutions.

The adage “knowledge is power” is absolutely true in this case. Contact me if you have any questions! I’d love to hear from you.

Happy New Year!