MVCAP Newsletter Spring 2010

MVCAP Newsletter Volume IX, No. 1 Spring 2010

MVCAP to again offer “gap” scholarships For the seventh year, the Mahoning Valley College

Access Program (MVCAP) plans to award Last-

Dollar Scholarships this summer to help finance

the “gap” between the cost of college attendance

and a student’s expected family contribution (EFC)

plus his/her financial-aid package.

Any student served (i.e., advised) by the

MVCAP who graduates from a high school in

Mahoning, Trumbull, or Columbiana Counties or

who resides in one of these three counties may

apply if they meet the following requirements:

a. A cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of

a least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale;

b. Passage of all required sections of the Ohio

Graduation Test (OGT);

c. A composite score on the ACT or a

combined score on the verbal and math

sections of the SAT; and

d. Completion of all requirements for earning

a high school diploma.

In addition to meeting these requirements, a

student must submit a completed MVCAP Last-

Dollar Scholarship Application and copies of each

of the following, postmarked no later than June 1:

1. His/her official high school transcript;

2. His/her completed form, “College Prep For

the Four-Year State-Assisted Universities

in Ohio,” signed by his/her high school

counselor or principal;

3. The acceptance letter from the post-

secondary institution he/she will attend;

and

4. Evidence of unmet financial need, as

indicated by both of the following

documents:

a. The Student Aid Report (SAR),

containing his/her expected family

contribution (EFC), gotten after

filing the Free Application for

Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and

b. The financial-aid award offer letter

from the post-secondary institution

he/she will attend.

Applications can be accessed online at

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/46-mvcap-

last-dollar-scholarship.html

The MVCAP has awarded 140 “last-dollar”

scholarships—most for $1,000—to help

graduating seniors reduce their unmet need to

attend the college of their choice.

M V C A P E N T E R S 9 T H Y E A R O F F R E E

S E R V I C E I N 2010

Started up on January 1, 2002, the Mahoning Valley

College Access Program promotes early college

awareness through the KnowHow2GOOhio program and

provides financial-aid advisors in Valley high schools to

guide students and their parents through the maze of

applications and forms—like the FAFSA.

The MVCAP is one of 36 local college access

programs affiliated with the Ohio College Access

Network (OCAN), whose goal it is to help high school

graduates in our state pursue a postsecondary

education. The Mahoning Valley College Access

Program provides services at no cost to schools,

students, and parents in Mahoning, Trumbull, and

Columbiana Counties from its offices at KSU and YSU.

The MVCAP is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization

under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

If you wish to support the Mahoning Valley College

Access Program through a tax-exempt, charitable

contribution, please contact the MVCAP for details.

MVCAP Newsletter Spring 2010

MVCAP activities in 2009-2010

Financial-aid advisors from the Mahoning Valley College Access Programs (MVCAP) have provided

information on college admissions and financial-aid to high school students at Warren G. Harding,

Youngstown Chaney, Youngstown East, Youngstown Early College, Salem High, and the Columbiana County Career & Technical Center. More than 870 students and parents/guardians have been assisted in

filing admission applications and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

During 20090-2010, the MVCAP implemented free “online advising,” issuing daily messages

regarding college admissions and financial aid on Twitter and Facebook, providing KnowHow2GO videos on YouTube, and posting blogs on Blogspot. In addition, 12th-grade advisees were sent daily e-mail

messages, while students in grades 9-11 were also advised via e-mail.

MVCAP offices—in Trumbull County at Kent State Trumbull, in Mahoning County at Youngstown State, and in Columbiana County at KSU Salem—are provided gratis by the Valley’s public universities.

To learn more about the Mahoning Valley College Access Program, please contact or consult:

Dr. Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

Offices: KSU Salem: 330-337-4214 jrottenb@kent.edu

YSU: 330-941-7477 jfrottenborn@ysu.edu KSU Trum: 330-675-7602 jrottenb@kent.edu

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rottenbornj Facebook: MVCAP Financial-Aid Friends

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=126580419181&ref=nf YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/THEMVCAP

Blogspot: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

MVCAP Trumbull County Office: Kent State University Trumbull Campus Technology Building, 118L

4314 Mahoning Avenue, NW Warren, OH 44483 Mahoning County Office: Youngstown State University

Meshel Hall, 247 One University Plaza Youngstown, OH 44555 Columbiana County Office:

Kent State University Salem Campus Academic Center 2491 State Route 45 South Salem, OH 44460

MVCAP Board of Directors: Paul Dutton, President John Taylor, Vice-President Charles Jarvis, Treasurer Lynn Gibson, Secretary

Karen Abrams

Al Brant Jamael Brown Patty Brozik Mike Craig

Dennis Mangan David Sabine MVCAP 2009 Last-Dollar Scholarship awardees Stephanie Shaw Clarence Smith, Dave Heilman, Diane Sauer, Don Cagigas, & Bill Bresnahan, Honorary Founding Trustees