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)

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)