Tag Archives: financial aid

Paying for College

collegeweekliveToday is CollegeWeekLive’s FREE online event that will answer many of your questions about paying for college.  They have taken the time to gather all the experts and bring the information to you in the comfort of your own home. Sit down with a cup of coffee and watch, listen and chat while they give your their tips on financial aid, scholarships and financing.

Straight from College Week Live’s email:

Would you like to talk live with representatives of the US Dept of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid office about the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and federal financial aid options? Want to speak with an expert from US News & World Report about tracking down cash for college? Would you like to find scholarships or get advice from college financial aid officers?

Get all this and more at CollegeWeekLive PAYING FOR COLLEGE on January 14th from 3:00 – 10:00 PM Eastern. Register for free and login this Thursday to speak live with this all-star cast of financial aid and scholarship experts!

3:00 PM Eastern How to Raise $15K for College Right Now
Kim Clark, Staff Writer, US News & World Report
3:30 PM Eastern How to Tap Into $11 Billion in Merit Scholarships
Chris Long, President and Chief Operating Officer, MeritAid.com
4:00 PM Eastern Elks National Foundation Scholarships
Kristen Scaletta, Programs Relationship Associate, Elks National Foundation
4:00 PM Eastern Money for the Student Athlete
Dion Wheeler, Author: “Sports Scholarship Insider’s Guide”
4:30 PM Eastern The Scholarships.com Program
Kevin Ladd, Vice President, Scholarships.com
5:00 PM Eastern Finding Money: A Guide To Financial Aid
Featuring Martha Savery, Director of External Relations, MEFA
7:00 PM Eastern Funding Your Education: Expert Tips to Navigate the Financial Aid Process
Adam Essex, Senior Project Manager, US Dept of Education, Office of
Federal Student Aid
9:00 PM Eastern Ask a Financial Aid Officer
Financial Aid Officers For Hawaii Pacific University and University of Alaska Fairbanks

Visit the Scholarships.com booth on the Financial Aid floor for more scholarship information and live chat!

Don’t forget about the CollegeWeekLive scholarships: Click here for more information!

  • $1,000 scholarship for the student of a parent who registers and attends CollegeWeekLive PAYING FOR COLLEGE
  • $3,000 scholarship for a student who registers and attends any 2010 CollegeWeekLive event prior to March 31, 2010

You don’t want to miss this FREE resource. Set your alarms, your watches, your smartphones and your Outlook calendars. See you in cyberspace!

Ready. Set. Go.

The 2008-2009 school year is coming to an end. Seniors will be graduating and moving on to college, technical school or trade school. Juniors will officially be seniors with a busy year ahead of them before walking across that stage next May or June. Senior year is NOT the time to coast, relax and develop senioritis. It’s the time to get all your ducks in a row and start a timeline for college planning. Here’s some suggestions from experience that might help.

Summer

  1. Start refining your college list by viewing college tours online and deciding which schools you would like to pursue further by visiting and requesting an admissions interview.
  2. Do some online practice tests of the SAT and/or ACT to determine your weaknesses. Spend time over the summer studying and improving your vocabulary, math skills and essay skills.
  3. Start writing your application essays and refining them so they will be ready for submission.

Continue reading Ready. Set. Go.

An Ivy League School Steps Up

harvard_u_shieldHarvard University has adopted a new financial aid policy. It’s geared toward reaching out to families who are considered middle-low income ($180,00-$60,000). And if you’re in the low end (below $60,000)–hold on to your socks–your child can attend at no cost! That’s right; an Ivy league education FREE OF CHARGE.

According to President Drew Faust:

Our new financial aid policy has dramatically reduced the amount families with incomes below $180,000 are expected to pay, and parents of families with incomes below $60,000 are not expected to contribute at all to college costs. We no longer consider home equity as a resource in our determination of a family contribution, and students are not expected to take out loans, which have been replaced by need-based Harvard scholarship. This new program has reduced the cost to middle income families by one-third to one-half, making the price of a Harvard education for students on financial aid comparable to the cost of in-state tuition and fees at the nation’s leading public universities.

What’s the catch? Your child has to be accepted. But if you have an honor student who has the grades and can meet their admission criteria, my advice to you is to GO FOR IT! With the cost of education rising every year, Harvard has taken the lead by offering this amazing opportunity and making their school affordable to the middle class. They are even claiming that the graduating class of 2008 is graduating with ONLY an $8300 debt. Considering the cost of a Harvard education, that’s a remarkable claim.

What have you got to lose? A $200,000 private university education completely PAID IN FULL. I don’t know about you but I wish it had been available when my kids were applying for financial aid and scholarships. It would have eased the burden and provided a much-needed financial savings.

You can read all about the offer by clicking this link:

Harvard College Financial Aid Office