JLV College CounselingQuestions To Ask About Financial Aid
College is a huge investment of time, energy and money. The money factor puts a lot of stress on students and families because they think that they cannot afford a college education. Luckily, there is financial aid to help with the cost. However, the world of financial aid can be quite intimidating and confusing because each college has its own financial aid policies.
To help you understand the financial aid process at each college, I’ve provided a list of questions you can ask either the Admissions Representatives or Financial Aid staff at each college you are considering.
Questions to ask before applying
General questions about financial aid can be answer by either the admissions representatives or the financial aid advisors. You can contact either department early in the admissions process about financial aid.
What is the total cost of attendance?
Cost of attendance should include tuition, fees, room and board and other costs that must be paid directly to the college. The cost they quote might also include estimates for books and transportation. These items are not paid directly to the college, but are considered a cost you will have while attending college.
Are there other fees I might have to pay that are not published with the general cost of attendance?
At many colleges, some courses will require extra fees. The fee is usually published in the course catalog or class listings, but these are typically not something incoming students see before making their final decision on the college. If there are extra fees, it might be worth asking if you can see a list of all possible additional fees the college may charge.
If there are extra fees to be paid, are they added into MY cost of attendance when figuring out financial aid?
Some colleges will figure these extra costs in, while others do not. It’s good to find out.
How much has the cost of attendance increased over the past four years? Do you expect the cost of attendance to increase at the same rate during my time at the college?
The cost of attendance increases at many colleges every year. It is important to know that what you’re paying your first year will probably be less than what you’ll pay your last year of college.
If the cost of attendance goes up during my time at the college, will financial aid increase as well?
Scholarship amounts do not have to go up with the rising cost of attendance. It is up to the individual college to determine scholarship amounts. Some colleges will increase scholarships, while others will not. If aid does go up, you might see it in loan amounts.
What percentage of your students graduate in four years?
This is an important question because there are many colleges in the country that have students graduating in an average of five years or more. If it takes you five years to graduate, that is five years of tuition and fees to pay! That’s probably a year more than you were expecting. There are many reasons students take longer to graduate. If most students are not graduating in four years, you might want to ask why not.
If the percentage of students that graduate in four years is low, will financial aid, including scholarships, be offered past the fourth year of attendance?
Many scholarship programs are offered with the idea that students will graduate in four years. An additional year may not be covered. This is important to understand because you may not receive any free money after the fourth year.
Besides the FAFSA, is there another application I must submit to be considered for financial aid?
Many colleges do not require anything other than the FAFSA, but there are still some that need more information. You don’t want miss any opportunity for financial aid.
What are the deadlines for applying for financial aid?
Again, you don’t want to miss your opportunity to get financial aid. Students that submit financial aid documentation after the deadline could miss out on scholarships.
Questions to ask after you receive your financial aid award letters
Are the scholarships I received renewable?
Most financial aid award letters will state the terms of the scholarships and grants, but if not, make sure you ask. Colleges sometimes add one-time scholarships to financial aid award letters to encourage a student to choose them over another school.
If the scholarships are renewable, what must I do to renew the scholarships?
You want to make sure that you will be able to do what is required to keep the scholarship.
Will there be opportunities to get more scholarships after the first year?
Some scholarships are only available to first year students. But, there may be others that are only open to upperclassman. It’s good to find out if you’ll have more opportunities to get scholarships.
How can outside scholarships affect my financial aid award letter?
Outside scholarships at some colleges don’t change the scholarships that colleges offer students. At other colleges, the outside scholarships you receive could lower the aid a college offers you.
If offered work-study, are work-study jobs guaranteed? If not guaranteed, what is the process of obtaining a work-study job on campus?
Work-study jobs are not always guaranteed. Many times, students will have to seek out and interview for work-study jobs. It’s good to know this ahead of time so that you can figure out where you want to apply to work.
If I am not offered work-study, are there part-time jobs available on campus?
Some colleges have extra jobs on campus for students that did not qualify for work-study. Others do not.
If you did not receive enough financial aid, can I appeal for more financial aid?
The answer should always be yes. It doesn’t hurt to ask if you can receive more financial aid. Some colleges have tighter budgets for financial aid than others, but if you state your case and show your interest in attending the college, they could increase your financial aid.
If your circumstances have changed since filing the FAFSA, how do I let the college know? Can this change the amount of financial aid I was offered?
Many times, if circumstances have changed, you can notify the college. They may ask for documentation or proof, but they could make changes to your award letter. Again, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
What are the requirements for paying my student account bill?
After financial aid is figured in, most students will still have a balance to pay to the school. At some colleges, the balance is due on the first day of classes. Other colleges require the balance to be paid by the end of the semester/quarter. There are also colleges that allow students to set-up payment plans. It is important to find out your payment options so that you don’t get charged late fees – that just adds to your cost of attendance!
Conclusion
I hope that the questions above will help you to find all of the information you need about financial aid at the colleges you are considering. By taking the time to ask these questions, you’ll make the most informed decision when applying to colleges and choosing the colleges you will ultimately attend.
Understanding And Comparing Financial Aid Award Letters
We’re very close to May 1st (National Decision Day) and thousands of students are trying to decide what college they will attend in the fall. One of the most important factors in choosing a college in this late stage of the decision process is cost. But, do you know how to read the financial aid award letters you’ve received?
One of the biggest mistakes that students and their families make when reviewing financial aid award letters is that they assume that the award letter with the biggest “award” total is the best. This is not always the case.
The main reason it is so difficult to compare financial aid award letters is because colleges are not required to use a standardized form. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education asked colleges and university to use a “shopping sheet,” but it is not required at this time. Until all colleges use a standardized form, it won’t be easy to compare financial aid offers.
I will help you decipher how to read those award letters so you can figure out what college is giving you the best deal. Keep in mind that the review process can take a while, especially if you need to do some research on your own – and more than likely, you will need to because not all colleges will provide all of the information you need.
As you go through the steps, I recommend creating a spreadsheet so that you can compare everything side-by-side.
Step 1: Figure out the Cost of Attendance.
Cost of attendance includes:
- Tuition and fees
- Housing and meals
- Books and supplies*
- Transportation*
- Other educational costs**
*Transportation, books and supplies are not paid directly to the school. These figures are provided to give students an estimate of how much they will pay while attending college for the academic year.
**This will vary from each school depending on other things the college may require.
Not all of the award letters will include the cost of attendance. Students may have to go to college websites or contact the school directly to get this information.
Some things to keep in mind about cost of attendance:
- Cost at many colleges will go up over the years. Some might have increases every year. Although the colleges might not have the figures for each year, it doesn’t hurt to ask about cost increases.
- Although all colleges give estimates for the cost of books, the amount will be different for each student and can change each semester or quarter depending on the classes the student is taking.
- There may be added costs after students register for classes that are not included in the quoted tuition and fees. For example, courses that require labs usually have extra fees not included in the quoted tuition and fees cost.
Step 2: Calculate “free money.”
Free money is all of the grants and scholarships that students do not need to pay back.
Things to keep in mind about free money:
- Find out if the scholarships and grants are renewable all four years. Sometimes colleges will add one-time scholarships to incoming student’s financial aid award letters to encourage students to choose them over other colleges.
- If the scholarship is renewable, find out what you must do to renew it all four years. Will you be able to keep up the requirements to keep the scholarship?
- As tuition goes up, will scholarships amounts increase or remain the same? This is a question to ask the financial aid department at each school.
Cost of Attendance – Free Money = Total YOU Will Pay (somehow)
The college with the smallest “Total YOU Will Pay” is the college that will cost you the least, at least the first year. I mention the first year because multiple things can change from year-to-year as I discussed above.
Step 3: Were you offered work-study?
Work-study is another option that does not need to be repaid. However, as the title suggests, students have to work for the money. Work-study wages are usually given to the student in the form of a check, just like a regular job. Most work-study jobs will be on campus, but there may be off-campus positions also available.
Questions to ask about work-study:
- Is the work-study job guaranteed?
- Will students be assigned a work-study job, or will they have to apply for the work-study position?
Step 4: What loans were offered?
Many financial aid award letters will include loans. These loans will need to be paid back at some point. There are multiple loans that could be added on the award letter:
- Federal Subsidized Loan – Student does not pay on the loan until the student has been out of full-time education for six months. During the time the student is in school, interest WILL NOT accrue.
- Federal Unsubsidized Loan – Student does not pay on the loan until the student has been out of full-time education for six months. During the time the student is in school, interest is accruing on the loan.
- Federal Perkins Loan – Students do not pay on the loan until student has been out of full-time education for ten months. During the time the student is in school, interest WILL NOT accrue.
- Parent PLUS Loan – This loan is offered to the parents of the students. Although this loan is included on the financial aid award letter, parents will need to show they do not have adverse credit history. Parents will set-up a payment plan.
Cost of Attendance – Free Money – Work Study – Loans =
Amount you must pay out of pocket
The amount that the student has to pay out of pocket is usually paid at the beginning of each semester. Many colleges will allow students to start a payment plan. Typically, if the student has a payment plan, the balance for the term should be paid by the end of the term.
Comparing the Offers
The most important numbers to pay attention to when comparing the offers is the cost of attendance and the free money (scholarships and grants). When you subtract the free money from the cost of attendance, the difference is what you will ultimately have to pay one way or another to attend the college.
Choosing the college that you will attend in the future should not be solely based on cost. However, we all know and understand it is a huge factor. Hopefully the explanation you’ve found here makes it easier to compare the financial aid award letters that you have received from the colleges!
Building Your College List
Starting to build your college list can be very confusing. How do you know what colleges should go on the list? How many colleges should be on your list? Many students will create a list of colleges based on their name recognition. I highly discourage this because although the college name may be recognizable, it may not be a good fit for you.
So, how do you compile a good college list for you? I’ve come up with a list of things to do that will help you compile a college list that is just for you.
1.Get to know yourself.
That’s right, you need to know what you’re looking for in a college. You need to think about what you want in a college. Some key factors to consider include:
Location
What locations are you willing to consider? Are you open to anywhere in the country? Or, are there only specific states that you’d consider? Or, do you only want to be a certain amount of miles from your home?
Location Type
Do you want a college that is in an urban, suburban or rural setting?
Major
What majors are you considering? If you don’t know exactly what you want to do, are their subjects that you lean towards? If there are multiple areas of interest, I encourage students to find colleges that offer all of the areas you are interested in studying.
Extracurricular Activities
Are there specific extracurricular activities that are important to you and you want to participate in at college?
Athletics
Do you want to be a college athlete and compete competitively for the college? What division do you want to consider? NCAA Division 1, Division 2, or Division 3? What about NAIA? If you don’t want to participate competitively, do you want to play in a specific intramural sport?
Religiously Affiliated
Do you want to attend a religiously affiliated college? Or, do you want to stay away from religiously affiliated colleges? Or, you don’t mind either way?
Student Population Size
Do you want to go to a college that is the size of your high school? Or, do you want to attend a college that is the size of a city? Or, somewhere in the middle?
Take time and think about your preferences. College is at least four years of your life and you want to make sure that you make the right choice the first time around.
2. Compiling the BIG List.
After you get to know yourself and what you’re looking for in a college, you can start doing your initial research. This list can be quite large depending on your preferences, and that is okay. There are a few good tools when creating the first draft of your list:
College Counselors
Talk to your high school guidance counselor and/or an independent college counselor. College counselors have a lot of knowledge about colleges and can provide recommendations.
College Search Websites
There are many websites available that allow you to plug in your preferences and then you will get a list of colleges that meet your criteria.
3. Research
Now that you have your list, start researching the colleges on your list. As you start researching, you’ll find things that make you like the colleges more. And, sometimes, you’ll find things that make you dislike the college. Take notes and keep editing your college list as you discover more information.
- Review college websites.
- Sign up to receive more information from the colleges.
- Attend college fairs and talk to admissions representatives from the colleges on your list.
- Attend the college presentations of the colleges on your list.
- Contact the Admissions Representatives from the colleges and ask questions.
- Visit college campuses – this will be a very important step because I recommend that students follows their gut feeling when on the campus. Sometimes you’ll love the campus, and other times, it just won’t feel right. Follow these feelings.
- Talk to current students about their thoughts on the colleges. This can happen on college visits. You can also contact the Admissions Office to get you in touch with a student or follow the college on Facebook or Twitter and find current students there. Currents students won’t be selling the college like someone in Admissions will be doing. Current students will tell you the truth – good and bad – about the college.
- Review the cost of attendance at each college, as well as the net price calculator. The price tag for a college can seem very high. However, don’t rule out a school at first because of the price. There is a lot of financial aid available. I encourage you to fill out the net price calculator for many of the colleges you are considering. After providing academic and financial information, the net price calculator at each school should be able to give you estimates of the financial aid you would receive if you attending that particular college.
4. Keep Reviewing and Changing Your List
As you learn more and more about colleges on your list, make changes to your list until you can narrow it down to approximately six to ten colleges. These will be the colleges that you will apply for admission. I recommend that students have a few types of colleges on their list:
- 1 Reach School – A reach school is one that you have a chance of being admitted, but something in your profile might be a bit off of the colleges averages, such as test scores. You don’t have to apply to a reach school, but if there is one that you really like, go for it.
- At Least 4 Match Schools – A match school is a college that you are pretty likely to be admitted.
- At least 1 Safety School – A safety school is a college that you will almost certainly be admitted. Safety schools are important because college admissions is something that can change from year-to-year and can be very subjective. The safety school should be one that you would consider. Don’t just pick any safety school when it comes time to applying just because college counselors recommend it. Really look into the safety schools to make sure it is one that you would enjoy.
Remember, your list is going to continue changing, and that is okay. You want to make sure that you thoroughly research all of the colleges on your list because you want to find the right fit for you. Remember: what might be a perfect fit for your best friend, may not be a good fit for you. Therefore, do your research – you won’t regret it!
If you have any questions about building a college list, please contact me. I would be happy to hear from you!
Questions to Ask At College Fairs
One of the first steps in the college admissions process is attending the college fair. Many colleges can seem cool and interesting, but not all of them will be for you. The college fair is a great opportunity to start making your interest list and/or taking colleges off your list. It’s a lot like window shopping – no commitments, just learning more and figuring out what you want (or don’t want).
Some college fairs will have a few hundred colleges attending. This, itself, can be very intimidating. But, preparing before the fair can take some of the intimidation factor away. After you’ve figured out what colleges you will talk to, what will you say or ask?
Before attending any fair, write down some questions that you want to ask the college representatives. Ask questions that are important to you. Below is a sample list of questions you can ask the college representatives to learn more about the college.
First, things first, make a good first impression. Extend your hand to the college representative and introduce yourself.
- What makes your college unique? This will be the representative’s opportunity to tell you what makes the college special. It also tells you what the college values. Sometimes, also hidden in the message, they will tell you why they think their college is better than a competitor.
- Please tell me a little about the ______ major. This is your opportunity to ask about the major or majors you are interested in studying in college. They will probably tell you what makes the program unique, opportunities within the major (internships, research, etc.) and what graduates are doing now. If they don’t tell you these things, you can ask.
- If you’re undecided on a major, ask the representative if you can apply undeclared and what services they have to help students choose a major.
- How many students return after the first year? The answer to this question will give you a glimpse into how satisfied current students are at the college. If the percent is low, ask why students are leaving.
- How would you describe the student body? This will tell you what the college atmosphere might feel like if you were on campus. This question is especially important when deciding if the college should stay on your list or not. If you are looking for a very lively campus and they tell you it’s quiet, it might not be the place for you.
- What is the surrounding community like? The representative will probably tell you about the things to do around the campus, as well how the college fits in with the city/town.
- Can you tell me about campus safety? By law, each university has to provide crime information on their websites. The representative might tell you specific statistics, or they might tell you the specific campus safety features the college offers, such as emergency phones, campus shuttles, escorts, etc.
- What are you looking for in an applicant? The representative will probably tell you the requirements for admission, as well as some things that might make your application stand out.
- How do you award scholarships and financial aid? Again, they will probably tell you the requirements to apply for financial aid, as well as information about institutional scholarships and how to become eligible for the scholarships.
The above are questions that most students should ask when talking to a college representative. After that, you should ask questions about things that are important to you. This can include information about a specific extracurricular activity, study abroad, fitness center on campus, etc. Ask your questions. Remember, you are the shopper and need to have your questions answered. This is your opportunity to ask your questions to a person face-to-face.
Lastly, get the business card of the Admission Counselor that works with students where you live. Keep in touch and ask questions as you have them about the college. Not only will you be getting your questions answered by a person, you’ll continue a good rapport with someone that will probably be making the decision on your application. This, in the long run, can help when they make a decision on your application.
Have fun at the college fair. I hope that the above questions can make the college fair feel a little less intimidating for you!
Photo Credit for Above Photo: “College Fair 48” by COD Newsroom licensed by CC BY 2.0 | Texted added to original
California State University, Monterey Bay
Orientation Map
On a quick weekend getaway with my family, I decided to stop by the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus. I had never visited this campus before, so it was a must see.
Campus Quad
CSUMB is located in the city of Seaside, California. The campus is approximately ten minutes North of Monterey – the city where many people might think it is located. It is also located approximately one hour South of San Jose and two hours South of San Francisco. The campus is just minutes away from the beach and the students on campus take advantage of this – while there, I noticed a few students drying out their wetsuits from the windows of the dorm rooms.
Visual and Public Art Buildings
The CSUMB campus is very unique. The school sits on a former Army base named Fort Ord. The campus has a unique blend of new and old. There are classes in the old airplane hangars and barracks, but there are new buildings on campus as well. Many of the residence halls are old office buildings from the base. In addition to being a unique fact, the rooms in the residence halls are much bigger than what might be found at other universities. The old buildings that are being used by the university have been updated. However, there are many unused buildings on campus and in the area that look dilapidated. The university will continue to make changes to the campus, so students that attend the university will be sure to witness changes throughout their time as a student.
Reminders of the Old Army Base
The school was founded in 1994, making it one of the youngest CSU campuses. The school is also one of the smaller CSU schools. With just under 6,000 students, the school has the feel that one might find on a small, private university. This makes the campus conducive to quiet studying. There are clubs, activities and sporting events on campus, but nothing too big. I found that this is one of the complaints of students. However, again, this can be used as an advantage if you’re looking for a quiet university (for studying) with the potential of building meaningful friendships because “there’s not much to do here,” as one student told me.
The surrounding community and area is great. The one plus that all of the students I spoke to said was the beaches. The school is literally within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. Other activities students mentioned were the two California Missions within driving distances and the many hiking trails. The students did say that most things off campus close by ten, but if you’re looking for a more lively area, Cannery Row in Monterey is only a ten-minute drive away. Just off campus is The Dunes Shopping Center. The center has Target, Kohls, Best Buy, REI, Michael’s, Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond. There are plans to build up this area and add a movie theatre and restaurants, but no date of completion has been given.
Sunset at the beach near campus
The university currently offers 23 majors. The most popular majors are Business, Psychology and Kinesiology. The university calls itself a residential college. With 85% of first year students living on campus, that is quite a lot, especially for a public university. And, because CSUMB is a state school, students will enjoy in-state tuition. In addition, parking on campus is very cheap. To park on campus for an academic year, it is only $144. Although this might sound like a lot coming from high school, this amount is small compared to other public institutions.
I think California State University, Monterey Bay would be a good fit for students that are looking for a small school where they can make a name for themselves. Because the university is small, students will get to know many of their professors and other students. This school is also good for a student that wants to be focused on their studies because of the small amount of campus activities available. This is also a great place for students that love the beach and the outdoors because of it’s closeness to the ocean
If you’re interested in California State University, Monterey Bay, find out more information and sign up for a campus visit with he CSUMB Admissions Office.
For all of the photos of CSU Monterey Bay, visit Flickr. You’ll be able to find descriptions of all of the photos.
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