How to Pay for College

Financial Aid Options

Types of AidO Grants

O Don’t pay backO Scholarships

O Don’t pay backO Student & Parent Loans

O Pay backO Student employmentO Tax credits

Cost of CSU

At Home On Campus

Off Campus

Fees $6,698 $6,698 $6,698Books/Supp $1,719 $1,719 $1,719Room/Board $4,532 $12,080 $12,089 Trans $1,345 $1,169 $1,391Personal $1,364 $1,364 $1,364TOTAL $15,658 $23,030 $23,261

Sticker ShockO Total price of college attendance

O Don’t close a door because of the “sticker price”

O Look at “net price”O Wait and see the cost after the entire

financial aid package has been appliedO Examples

O UOP was less than CSU MontereyO UC Santa Cruz was less than Stanislaus

State

GrantsO FAFSA

O Federal moneyO Fill it out no matter whatO Apply now for FSA ID

O Serves as legal signature

O Cal GrantO California moneyO Must turn in GPA form by 2/27/15O Must also complete FAFSA by 3/2/15

Middle Class Scholarship

O California state scholarshipO UC/CSU specificO New this yearO Income up to $150,000O Must file FAFSA & Cal Grant

O Meet 3/2 deadlineO Pays 10-20% of tuition this yearO Pays 10-40% of tuition next year

Specific CircumstancesO Veterans BenefitsO DREAM actO CHAFEE grantO EOPSO BOG fee waiverO UC university grantO CSU state university grant

Financial Aid FactsO 77% of CSU students received some

type of aid last yearO 60% of all undergraduates have full

cost of tuition and fees covered by grants, scholarships, or waivers

O 100% of students who don’t apply will not receive financial aid

LoansO Federal Student LoansO Federal Parent LoansO Other Parent Loans

Other Types of AidO Federal Work StudyO Student-held jobO Tax Credits

O Lifetime Learning CreditO American Opportunity Tax Credit

Scholarships

Sometimes feel like this!

So work smart…

?? Question ??

If you had the opportunity to work for 1 to 2 hours, and possibly make $250 to $2000,

would you do it even if it wasn’t a guarantee?

What are Scholarships?

• Free $$• Usually one time

payments• Awarded for

– Academic Achievements– Athletic Achievements– Extracurricular

Achievements– Areas of study

Why Apply?

• A shocking number of scholarships go unawarded!!

• Its free $$, only time typically involved

• Scholarships often feed into MORE scholarships– Gets your name out there– Can list on resume or

mention in essay

Where to look?

• High school counselors or district websites

• University Financial Aid offices & websites

• Individual departments or collegesIe, “College of Business”“Department of Math and Science”

• Regional online scholarships

• Organizations– Extracurricular– Religious & cultural

associations– Community organizations– Hobbies– Parent’

employer/company– Professional associations

related to field of study

How to Apply (or be ready to)

May have a short window of opportunity, so do some prep in

advance!

Complete FAFSA

• Many scholarships will only be awarded to students who have also completed FAFSA.

• Just because you are/are not eligible for financial aid doesn’t eliminate from scholarships

Essay

• Write a broad, adaptable biographical essay

• Highlights– History– School achievements– Activities including

community service– Passions, interests– Plans for future study

and career

• Make your “voice” heard in the essay

• Have one or two adults then help you edit

The Important PartSave this essay and adapt to fit specific scholarships, ie an emphasis on career plans, or community involvement etc.

Letters of Recommendation

• Many want one or more letters from a non-related adult

• Good letters = Second look

• Diverse, not just teachers

• People who you have relationships with

• Ask in advance for open (non-addressed) letters to keep on hand

• Tailor specific requests for big, or important, scholarships

• No last minute!• Don’t overuse one

source

Resume

• Create a basic resume – Jobs– Volunteer work– Organizations involved

with– Awards/Recognition– References (not same as

letter of rec.)

Portfolio

• Great for interviews• Samples of writing• Copies of resume &

letters of recommend.• Photos of

work/activities & community service

• Awards, certificates of merit

Final Tips

• Get rid of nonprofessional email or voicemail – what if an interview emails or calls?

• Keep trying, and keep improving writing skills

• Look frequently for opportunities – winter and spring especially!