Don't Lose Your Financial Aid Because of a Misunderstanding!
To continue to be eligible for all available Financial Aid Student must demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Before receiving financial aid students are required to complete what is called an entrance interview online that covers the requirements for SAP. Students are told to read a study guide, and then are required to pass a test. Unfortunately the test is way too easy and some of the questions have links to hints that contain the answer. Many students who pass the test are unable to correctly answer simple questions regarding SAP guidelines.
Many students lose their financial aid due to SAP issues that could have easily been avoided, if the student was properly educated regarding the policies and how they are calculated. I will cover all the info parents and students need to know, and clear up a few common misunderstandings along the way.
There are separate GPA requirements for new students, and students with over 32 credits (juniors and up). For students with less than 32 credit hours a GPA of 1.7 is required. Once a student has earned at least 32 credits, they are required to maintain a 2.0 GPA. Sap reviews are conducted after Spring Semester every year so if you have a rough Fall Semester you can make up for it with a strong showing in the spring. Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Continue reading ...
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 25, 2010 at 6:14 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
College students rent textbooks to save money - washingtonpost.com
You may have noticed that your student is spending a fortune on text books. You can figure at least $1000 a year. If you are giving your student the money up front, they may be pocketing the money and skipping the purchase of some of the expensive texts.
Just like renting videos, your student can rent their books for half the amount. There are very few text books that your student will want to keep. The information changes by the year and by the professor. Renting is a great option.
So keep this information. There may be some books your student has not purchased yet - for this semester... Share this information with them.
For the Freshman students next year - gather this information now. Freshman are the largest group of students still shopping in the expensive college book store. Get smart early. Use the saved cash for something more fun than text books!
Article by, College Parenting Expert, Dr. Debi Yohn, whose advice on successfully getting college students through college with an emphasis on graduation and rewarding employment is sought by parents from around the world. Now for the first time, she reveals 27 Winning Strategies for Success - a guidebook geared to parents of new college students. Get her free e-Book now at http://www.collegeparentsadvice.com/ and improve your child's chances of a successful college experience.
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 8, 2010 at 12:15 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
A Guide for Parents and Students
College tuitions increase every year, regardless of the state of the economy. In Pittsburgh, there was even talk about a tuition tax, proposed by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, to help the city raise $16 million for its 2010 budget. According to the Pitt News, the tax was removed from consideration when the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and health insurance provider, Highmark, stepped forward and offered to increase their charitable donations to the city in exchange for elimination of the proposed one percent tuition tax; Ravenstahl agreed.
Even without the extra strain of a tuition tax, like the one proposed in Pittsburgh, paying for college is difficult. Knowing how much money to save and how to save it are questions on the minds of many parents and potential college students. An article in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Reader's Digest, The Best Way to Pay for College, by Lisa Goff, offered a lot of helpful hints.
Continue reading "Paying for College in 2010"
Posted by Candice Arnold on January 11, 2010 at 7:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
No matter what age you are, choosing to enroll in college is a big decision. And with the high price tag of a college education, most people cannot afford to pay a tuition bill, no matter how "affordable" the university claims it to be. What more students need to take advantage of are
school grants.
School grants are different than scholarships and loans. Scholarships are given by the college or university and are offered to students based on academic or athletic performance. In order to keep the scholarship, the student must hold a certain GPA and/or remain on the sports team, depending on the criteria of the scholarship. Loans on the other hand, are borrowed money that needs to be paid back to the school or state once the student graduates. Continue reading ...
Article by, Valerie Carver and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.
Posted by Candice Arnold on January 5, 2010 at 7:20 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
On Campus: Advice to college students: Graduate in four years
As parents, be wise and add up the time your child will be your dependent as a college student. Pay attention to the classes they are dropping, the class loads they are taking and the majors they are changing. All of these event EXTENDS their time in college.
Many students are in no hurry. The life of a student is not that bad when you add up the hours they are in class per week - 15 to 18 hours if they are taking an average load of 15 credits. The rest of the time - FREE. yes, it is suppose to be for study but look at the coffee houses, the quad, student union, the basket ball courts... These kids have a lot of free time.
Continue reading "The Best Financial Advice: Graduate in Four Years"
Posted by Candice Arnold on December 15, 2009 at 10:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Best Campus Jobs
During these troubled financial times, finding a good job is difficult. And, for today's college students, newfound independence comes with a price- some degree of financial responsibility. With parents already financially strapped, students have to find ways to cover some of their own costs. Finding an on campus job will be a great help for so many reasons; however, some campus jobs are better than others for college students. Here are a few suggestions of primo college employment opportunities.
Campus Guides/Student Ambassadors
Welcome to college! One of the first people you'll meet won't be the President or a Professor, it will be a campus guide or a student ambassador. All colleges have them and it's a wonderful job for students. Work hours are easy to schedule around classes. This position also is a great resume boost for those interested in marketing and community service positions. Little experience is necessary. All you need is a positive attitude, a welcoming smile and great walking shoes. Continue reading ...
Article by, Ramona Taylor and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 30, 2009 at 10:26 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Although some colleges and universities, like Harvard and the University of California system, have introduced programs to ease the burden of tuition on their students, paying for college in today's economy is still tough. And going to college in Canada, where tuition costs are considerably lower than they are here in the U.S., isn't an option for everyone. The following tips from Marc Hill could be helpful.
1. Apply early in your senior year - which means apply now! Colleges go under extreme amounts of pressure to meet early deadlines for enrollment goals. To help meet their goals, some institutions will award merit scholarships to students who apply early in their senior year. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost your family pays out of pocket for college. So get busy filling out college applications now.
Continue reading "10 Ways Parents Can Cut College Costs Now For Their Senior High School Student"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 6, 2009 at 6:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
