248.Unstack the Odds--GO TO COLLEGE:STEP 11

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!
by

Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

18. GO TO COLLEGE: STEP 11

11) Both student and parent undertake the online PIN application process, complete and submit, by priority deadlines for financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/).

73. To be considered for financial aid, including federal and state grants, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

74. To start your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), student and parent apply for a PIN at http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

75. To see a Draft FAFSA for 2010-2011, click that link under FAFSA in the left margin of our MVCAP blog at http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

76. To see which documents students and parents will need to file the FAFSA, they can check out this link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before003.htm

77. If your goal is to file a FAFSA by February 1 for priority consideration for financial aid, prepare your IRS Form 1040, 1040 EZ, or 1040 A now!

78. To view "The Five Minute FAFSA Video" for an introduction to completing that form, check out a link: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/video.phtml

79. To search for a Federal School Code before filing your FAFSA online, check out this link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/FSLookupServlet

80. Start completing a 2011-2012 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet from your guidance office--or download one at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before012.htm

81. To learn more about financial aid, click this link to our blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/1-confused-about-college-financial-aid.html

82. To begin understanding the concept of "financial need," click this link to our blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/2-financial-need.html

83. To get an overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/3-fafsa.html

84. To learn about the Student Aid Report (SAR) you'll receive after filing the FAFSA, click here: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/4-sar.html

85. To learn about the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) you'll get from filing a FAFSA, click: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/5-efc.html

86. To learn about a Financial-Aid Package a college will award you, click here: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/6-financial-aid-package.html

87. To learn about Gift-Aid a college may put in your financial-aid package, click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/7-gift-aid.html

88. To learn about Self-Help colleges may put in your financial-aid package, click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/8-self-help.html

89. See how students with an EFC of $0 can go to college locally: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/21-efc-of-0-go-to-college-in-valley-for.html

90. To see an outline of common criteria for merit aid, click this link to our MVCAP blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/14-merit-aid.html

91. To read an explanation of need-based aid, click this link to our MVCAP blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/15-need-based-aid.html

92. To calculate how much a college may cost you, check out this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/11/16-how-much-will-college-cost-me.html

93. To read an update from Money on college costs, click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/22-college-more-expensive-than-ever.html

94. To see a survey on how U.S. families pay for college, click: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/23-survey-finds-that-many-families-dont.html

95. To learn about saving for college with a 529 plan, click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/24-529-savings-plan-for-college.html

96. To compare the tuition of 168 colleges in Ohio, click:
http://www.collegeview.com/SearchSchools.do?state=48&location=1500&referLocation=4860

97. To see tax credits for college in the stimulus bill, click: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/25-stimulus-bill-offers-tax-credit-for.html

98. Watch an ABC 20/20 video and decide "Is College Worth It?" here: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/26-john-stossel-is-college-worth-it.html

99. To read about students choosing colleges in this recession, click: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/28-college-applicants-forego-dream.html

100. See factors--including finances--that stress college dropouts: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/31-college-dropouts-cite-low-money-and.html

101. Read an article on the average loan-debt of college seniors: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2009/12/32-average-debt-for-graduating-college.html

102. To access the information on financial aid of FinAid! just click this link: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/38-financial-aid-websites.html

103. To find information on financial aid from the College Board, click here: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/38-financial-aid-websites.html

104. To find information on financial aid from Peterson's, access this site: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/38-financial-aid-websites.html

105. To see information on financial aid from the U.S. Dept. of Ed., click here: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/38-financial-aid-websites.html

106. For student accounts of loan-debt from college, hit this from HuffPost College: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/39-student-loan-debt.html

107. Lindsay Carroll, 21, Pitt, has $15,000 loan-debt; see why at HuffPost College: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/39-student-loan-debt.html

108. To seek scholarship opportunities that may fit you, investigate fastweb at http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/02/40-search-for-scholarships.html

21. EFC of $0? Go to College in the Valley for Free—or Almost.

With the economy in a recession, some parents and students might think college is out of reach. However, if students stay in the Mahoning Valley for college, they may be able to attend classes for free—or almost free.

When students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid--or FASFA, as it is better known--they learn of their expected family contribution (EFC). The EFC is determined by responses on the FAFSA (available on-line at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.) An EFC can range from $0 to $99,999, with those students on the low end qualifying for the most need-based, financial aid.

Dr. Joe Rottenborn, executive director of the Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP), says students with an EFC of zero may be able to attend some area schools--like the regional campuses of Kent State University--for free and Youngstown State at a greatly-reduced cost.

“Students can go to Kent Salem, KSU East Liverpool, or Kent Trumbull and avoid loan debt--if their EFC is zero,” Rottenborn says. “And that’s just based on the full federal Pell grant of $5,350 this year--which doesn’t even take into account the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) for a student with a O EFC.”

Rottenborn explained the full Federal Pell grant of $5,350 annually is split between the fall and spring semesters, for $2,675 in financial aid per term.

“Since tuition at KSU regional campuses for freshmen and sophomores is $2,469 per semester, students could not only get their entire tuition paid but also get money back they can use to buy books.” Rottenborn says.

“Furthermore,” he explained, students who commute to Youngstown State University could also have much of their tuition and fees paid if their EFC were zero by the full Pell grant and the full OCOG of $1,008.”

“Best of all,” says Rottenborn, “this is ‘gift aid,’ which does not have to be repaid.”

Rottenborn explained that students who have an EFC of zero are eligible for both the full Federal Pell Grant and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, or OCOG.

“We’re not talking about all students, to be sure,” he notes. “But the ones who do qualify can go to college locally for free or at little cost and, thereby, avoid loan debt.”

Rottenborn also says he feels students don’t understand how much loan debt they incur by going away to school.

“Paying to ‘go away to college’ at a state institution – with tuition, fees, and roughly $7,000 yearly for room and board –can be as expensive as buying or leasing a new car,” he explains.
Dr. Rottenborn says that, often, by the time a parent realizes how much college is going to cost, their child may be left with few choices. “Education rations opportunity,” Rottenborn says. “These particular students have viable financial options for college—if they choose to stay local.”

The Mahoning Valley College Access Program seeks to increase the number of students in the Mahoning Valley who pursue education after high school graduation. For more information, please contact/consult:
Dr. Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director
Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)
Offices:
KSU Salem: 330-337-4214
YSU: 330-941-7477
KSU Trum: 330-675-7602
Facebook: MVCAP Financial-Aid Friends http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=126580419181&ref=nf
Twitter: twitter.com/rottenbornj
YouTube: www.youtube.com/THEMVCAP
Blogspot: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/