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1 What you will learn in this chapter: 4 The importance of engaging in “authentic conversations” 4 The importance of elementary and middle school students getting an early start on college and financial aid planning 4 The percentages of students requiring financial aid and student loans 4 Colleges where students leave with the highest amount of student loan debt 4 How to avoid “undermatching” in your choice of colleges 4 The four areas that impact college admissions and scholarship consideration 4 The five primary sources of financial aid 4 How to use the book to personalize your plan Overview: Who This Book is For

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1

What you will learn in this chapter:

4 The importance of engaging in

“authentic conversations”

4 The importance of elementary and

middle school students getting an

early start on college and financial aid

planning

4 The percentages of students requiring

financial aid and student loans

4 Colleges where students leave with the

highest amount of student loan debt

4 How to avoid “undermatching” in your

choice of colleges

4 The four areas that impact college

admissions and scholarship

consideration

4 The five primary sources of financial aid

4 How to use the book to personalize

your plan

Overview:Who This Book is For

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2 Overview: Who This Book is For

B e gi n n i n g t h e Co nve r s a t i o n

The documentary film, 2 Million Minutes, profiles the differences in attitudes of U.S. high

school students versus the attitudes of students from China and India in regard to the

amount of effort put into their high school course work and attitude toward their education.

Beyond the global comparisons of those students profiled, the film provides a cause for self-

reflection for any student with college aspirations, and particularly those students who are in

need of scholarship money to pay for college. As you begin the process of planning for college

and identifying the financial resources to pay for college, there are important truths that the

information contained in this book reveal:

• College admissions is highly competitive, particularly at those institutions that have

generous merit- and need-based financial aid policies

• Competition for such scholarships as the Gates Millennium Scholarship is 3 times

greater than the competition to get accepted into Harvard University, one of the

country’s most selective colleges

• Students who qualify for state-sponsored tuition scholarships at in-state public colleges

and universities, will still be responsible for as much as $15,000 per year in room, board,

fees, and books

The conversation begins with you. Completing the Student Profile Form on the opposite page

begins an important self-reflective examination of your academic achievement and where you

have committed your time. Does your grades, course taking, and test scores distinguish you

academically? Does your involvement in clubs and activities distinguish you as a leader or a

student committed to community service? Does your personal qualities indicate that you have

overcome obstacles, developed your gifts, and been recognized for your achievements?

Completing the Student Profile Form either establishes you as a great college and scholarship

candidate or reveals important areas of improvement to which you must commit yourself

between now and when you begin applying for college admissions and college scholarships.

While you cannot become great at everything, you can become great at something. You can

commit to developing a great essay to tell your story. You can write a great poem to provide

insight into your journey. You can make a commitment to rise from the bench and earn a starting

position. Anything is possible if you have the will to succeed. I believe in engaging students

in ‘Authentic Conversations.’ You must be willing to engage in honest self-assessment, honest

college and scholarship evaluation, and honest planning for what is required for you to earnestly

pursue your college and career aspirations. While this book can prepare you for the race, only you

can strap on your shoes, get into your lane, and commit to running the race toward your dreams.

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3Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

Academics Extracurricular ActivitiesGrade ________ Class Rank____________School Type: [ ] Public [ ] Private [ ] Home SchoolProgram Type: [ ] General [ ] Magnet [ ] IB[ ] Dual/Joint Enrollment [ ] Early CollegeGPA (unweighted) _______ GPA (weighted) ________Total Classes: AP ______ IB _______ Honors ________SAT: Total________ Critical Reading (Verbal)________ Math____________ Writing_______________ACT Composite: ______ Math______ Writing _______Reading_______ English_______ Science_______SAT Subject Test: ____________________ Score ____SAT Subject Test: ____________________ Score ____Strongest Subjects:

Weakest Subjects:

Clubs, Organizations, and Activities: [ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

[ ] Member [ ] Officer

Personal Qualities IntangiblesAwards, Competitions, and Achievements: Race _________ Gender ______ Religion: ______________

State of Legal Residence ______ U.S. Citizen ________

Parent(s) is/are college graduate: [ ] Mother [ ] Father

Indicate college(s): ______________________________

Dependent Status: Military [ ] Government Employee [ ]

Foster Care [ ] Adopted [ ] Ward of State [ ]

Parent’s employer has a scholarship programs: [ ]

Company: ____________________________________

Planning to apply to: GMS [ ] Posse [ ] Questbridge [ ]

Preferred College: [ ] major university [ ] liberal arts

[ ] 2-year [ ] 4-year [ ] Will consider all options

College Major: _________________________________

Career Aspiration: _______________________________

Attach a résumé or summary of unique experiences (mission trips, pre-college programs, specialized training, etc.)

Student Profile Form for:

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4 Overview: Who This Book is For

B e Pu r p o s e f u lI recently spoke to a group of Simon Scholars at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo,

California. The group was comprised of recent high school graduates planning to begin college

in the fall and current college students who were recipients of the Simon Family Foundation’s

Simon Scholar Scholarship. The focus of my presentation was the importance of the students

“Purposefully” pursuing their college and career aspirations. During the presentation I shared

information from the Public Agenda report, With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them: Myths and Realities About Why So Many Students Fail to Finish College, which notes that:

• nearly 3 million students enroll in some form of higher education each fall, however,

• only 20 percent of students at two-year colleges graduate within three years, and

• only 40 percent of students at four-year colleges and universities graduate within six

years

The report cites some of the challenges contributing to students’ low college completion

rates:

• Most students leave college because

they are working to support themselves

and going to school at the same time.

At some point, the stress of work and

study just becomes too difficult (p. 10).

• Young people who fail to finish college

are often going it alone financially.

They’re essentially putting themselves

through school (p. 9).

• Among students who don’t graduate,

the college selection process is far more

limited and often seems happenstance

and uninformed (p. 12).

• Students who leave college realize that

a diploma is an asset, but they may not

fully recognize the impact dropping out of school will have on their future (p. 14).

The important consideration for Simon Scholars is the same for you as you begin reading

this book—you must be committed to “Purposefully” responding to the challenges ahead.

Your answers to the following 3 questions will in part determine if you are likely to be among

With only 20 percent of students attending 2-year colleges graduating within 3 years and only 40 percent of students attending 4-year colleges and universities graduating within 6 years, students require much more purposeful academic preparation and parents require much more purposeful financial preparation!

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5Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

Despite the enormous number of students applying to college and for scholarships each year, few students do so ‘purposefully.’ As a result of poorly written essays, incomplete college applications, and missed deadlines, thousands of students sabotage their own admissions and are left with few college options.

those students who earn their college degrees

in the pursuit of their educational and career

aspirations:

• Are you purposefully committed to

expanding your college admissions and

financial aid knowledge?

• Are you purposefully committed to

applying what you learn to getting

admitted into the right college and to

acquiring the necessary financial aid to

pay for college?

• Are you purposefully committed to

preparing for the inevitable challenges

of succeeding in college and earning your degree?

O n l i n e R e s o u rce sDespite the enormous amount of information contained in this book, you will be required to

access much more information via the Internet. Our foundation website, www.accessandequity.

org, serves as portal to many resources such as books and materials, mini lessons, public

presentations, and partnerships with faith and community organizations. Throughout the book,

you will be directed to websites providing more detailed information in such areas as, government

and state sources of financial aid, private and institutional scholarships, SAT/ACT prep programs,

college planning support programs, careers and college majors. If you are working from the

ebook, you will be able to link directly to many college and scholarship websites.

G e t S t a r te d E a r l yThe ACT report, The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are on Target for College

and Career Readiness before High School, notes (p. 3):

The amount of progress toward college and career readiness that students have made by eighth

grade is crucial to their future success. Despite the fact that students may pass eighth-grade

exit tests, too many are arriving at high school so far behind academically that, under current

conditions, they cannot become ready for college and careers regardless of the rigor of the high

school curriculum, the quality of high school instruction, or the amount of effort they put into

their course work.

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6 Overview: Who This Book is For

Students and parents must begin the college conversation long prior to students entering

high school. The conversation can begin with two simple questions:

• What must students do to prepare for college?

• How will the family pay for college?

It does not matter whether the student or the parent can answer either of these questions,

particularly if a student has just entered kindergarten. However, considering these questions

early, will lead to many important conversations over the course of each student’s journey from

preschool through high school:

• How can the gifts, talents, and interests,

oftentimes revealed during elementary

school, be nurtured and developed in

ways that will expand college admissions

and scholarship opportunities years

later?

• What after-school and summer program

experiences can be used to expose

and enrich students in exploring their

passions and developing their gifts and

talents?

• What course work, enrichment activities,

and extended learning opportunities

can provide opportunities for students

to deeply explore their academic and

creative interest in ways that will make

them well prepared and highly sought

after in the college admissions process?

• What are the in-state tuition costs, state

scholarship opportunities, and federal

programs that each family uniquely qualifies for to support a student’s college or career

aspirations?

Millions of students do not maximize their elementary and middle school opportunities

to participate in such activities as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, after-school programs, summer

camps, community service, and leadership activities as a result of their failure to engage in

conversations about how they are planning to prepare for and pay for college. Not only can

“I have loved running track since I began running the 50 meters, as a third-grader, on an AAU track team. Before I entered middle school, my parents and I knew that running track could be my pathway to a full college scholarship. By the tenth grade I was being recruited by colleges in the SEC and I eventually accepted a full scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.” Cierra D. — Freshman University of North Carolina

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7Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

students begin earning college scholarships during elementary and middle school, thousands

of dollars more will be awaiting those elementary and middle school students, who, as high

school seniors, have discovered their passion on basketball courts and athletic fields, in

theatres and concert halls, through creative arts and academic competitions, and through

their demonstrated leadership and many hours of community service.

S e e k H e l pThis book has been written for anyone who wishes to purposefully assist students in

pursuing their aspirations to attend college. However, students must accept responsibility for planning their own college pathway and seek help from parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, mentors, and even older siblings. A combination of students’ own initiative and the guidance of others familiar with the college admissions and financial aid processes, students will increase their chances of identifying the right colleges and identifying the many sources of financial aid to assist in paying for college. An important consideration for students, and those persons committed to assisting students, is that college research and financial aid planning should begin long before students enter high school, let alone 11th or 12th grade. Students who fail to develop a college readiness focus during elementary and middle school can find themselves far behind those students who enter high school with a clear pathway to academic, athletic, music, and performing arts scholarships.

Fi n a n c i a l N e e dAccording to the U.S. Department of Education report, The Condition of Education 2012 (p.

266), over 8 out of 10 undergraduate students entering college require some form of financial aid.

• 85.5 percent of students entering 4-year colleges and universities (41 percent of high

school graduates) receive financial aid:

• 73.6 percent receive grants or scholarships

• 58.7 percent receive student loans

• 75.5 percent of students entering 2-year colleges and universities (27 percent of high

school graduates) receive financial aid:

• 66.9 percent receive grants or scholarships

• 39.1 percent receive student loans

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8 Overview: Who This Book is For

Th e R i g ht Co l l e g e C h o i ceMaking the wrong college choice or entering college without the appropriate financial aid

plan will put you at risk of becoming one of the 1,015,000 students attending 4-year colleges and universities who receive an average of $6,391 (per year) in federal student loans as part of their financial aid packages or one of the 424,000 students attending 2-year colleges who accumulate a nearly identical amount of student loan debt with an average of $6,253 in federal student loans

as part of their financial aid packages (Condition of Education, p. 264). The table illustrates how

the average amount of student loan debt widely varies by type of institution:

• 86 percent of students attending 4-year private for-profit colleges receive student loans

averaging $9,641 (e.g., University of Phoenix, DeVry, ITT Technical Institute, Strayer)

• 63 percent of students attending 4-year private nonprofit colleges receive student loans

averaging $7,466 (e.g., Yale, Davidson, Howard, Duke, Stanford, Baylor, Spelman)

• 50 percent of students attending 4-year public colleges receive student loans averaging

$6,063 (e.g., University of Georgia, Virginia Tech, University of Wisconsin, UCLA)

Borrowing an average of $6,000 to $9,000 to assist in paying for each year of college results in a staggering amount of money, whether or not a student ever receives his or her degree. The report by the Project on Student Debt, Student Debt and the Class of 2011, notes that

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9Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

average student loan debt ranges from a high of $32,440 in New Hampshire to a low of $17,227 in Utah. The number of students graduating with student loan debt also widely varies by state and by type of institution within the state (i.e., public, private, nonprofit, for-profit). Low-debt colleges varied from public universities like the former Augusta State University in Georgia ($7,779) (since merged with Georgia Health Sciences University to form Georgia Regents University) to highly selective private colleges like Williams College in Massachusetts ($8,801).

The answer to why so many students are

graduating from college with so much student

loan debt may be revealed in part by the College

Board’s report, Trends in Student Aid 2012 (p. 3),

which indicates that despite the fact that a third

of all students qualify for the Federal Pell Grant,

it is far from sufficient to cover the entire cost of

college tuition, room, and board:

• 9.4 million students (37 percent of all

undergraduates) qualify for the Federal

Pell Grant

• Students borrowed $105 billion in

federal student loans with federal loans

making up 38 percent of undergraduate

student aid and 67 percent of graduate

student aid

• Students borrowed $22.9 billion in private student loans

• 57 percent of students attending public 4-year colleges graduate with an average of

$13,600 in student loan debt

• 66 percent of students attending private 4-year nonprofit colleges graduate with an

average of $29,900 in student loan debt

As if the amount of student loan debt is not bad enough, the interest rate on federally-

backed student loans is subject to Congressional approval each year and the eligibility criteria

“We dropped Ryan off at Syracuse today. I learned the campus and the city quite well. Ryan said to me, ‘I belong at this college! This is where I was meant to be !!!!’ Now, does that summarize how happy and excited he is ... Our visit to the campus and meetings with several African American faculty members were just heartwarming! They were referred to me by a co-worker who is a Syracuse alum. Ryan has angels all around to support him there. I trust that they will take good care of Ryan and that he will do what is required. Thank you again for all of your help and many kindness!!! You have been a blessing to us!” Parent of 2014 Posse Scholar

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10 Overview: Who This Book is For

for qualifying for student loans is subjected to annual changes by the U.S. Department of

Education. This alone, results in uncertainty as to how much interest can accrue on the billions

of dollars in outstanding student loans and whether year-to-year changes in the qualifying

criteria can result in thousands of students who depend on student loans as their primary

means of paying for college, can even return to college to continue in the pursuit of their

degree.

The Right College Match

Overwhelmed by the college admissions and financial aid processes, many high school

seniors (and their parents) are left questioning if college is affordable, let alone possible. Among

these students are those who are highly qualified to attend college, yet, without the benefit of

effective guidance, frequently make the wrong college choice and fail to receive the amount

of financial aid they are entitled to based on their academic record, gifts and talents, school

involvement, community service, and financial need.

In the paper, The Full Extent of Student-College Academic Undermatch, the authors note

(pp. 1-2):

Academic undermatch occurs when a

student’s academic credentials permit them

access to a college or university that is more

selective than the postsecondary alternative

they actually choose. Initial research shows

that undermatching is pervasive, especially

among lower-income students, minorities,

and first-generation college goers. In North

Carolina, 40 percent of students who were

highly qualified to attend a selective college

in 1999 did not enroll in one (Bowen et

al. 2009). In the Chicago Public Schools,

about two-thirds of the 2005 high school

graduating class undermatched (Roderick

et al. 2008). We also find that academic

undermatch affects students with a range of

academic credentials, but is more common

among those students from low socioeconomic status families, who live in rural areas, and

whose parents have no college degree.

“I was totally unaware of the types of colleges that I was qualified to apply to. I only knew of a few schools outside of the state of South Carolina and I had never even heard the term, ‘liberal arts colleges.’

I now know that my ‘Student Profile’ (i.e., salutatorian, lower income, and foster care) will qualify me for full-need based financial aid at Williams, Amherst, and Swarthmore.”

Mikayla H. — 12th Grader

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11Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

For students with financial need, getting accepted into the right college can be the key to having the lowest out-of-pocket costs AND avoiding student loans.

The College Board report, The CollegeKeys Compact—Getting Into College: Postsecondary Academic Undermatch, notes (pp. 7-9):

• 49.6 percent of students from lower-income backgrounds undermatch

• 34.0 percent of students from upper-income backgrounds undermatch

• 61.3 percent of students who undermatch, do so as a result of their failure to apply to

academically matched colleges

To increase your chances of making the right college match, begin by expanding your

conversations. For example, have conversations with your school counselor to assist in developing

a list of colleges and universities where you would be a strong candidate for admission. Expand

the conversations to parents, teachers, coaches, tutors, and mentors who can share their college

experiences to expand your list of colleges. Finally, carefully research colleges that have the

financial aid policies that will best meet your family’s financial needs and your educational and

career aspirations.

Financial Aid Options

Financial aid reflects all those sources of

financial support you receive to assist in paying

your college costs, such as tuition, room, board,

books, fees, and personal expenses. The financial

support to pay for college typically comes from

5 general areas:

1. Government: In the form of grants,

scholarships, work-study, and loan

forgiveness.

2. Institutional: In the form of merit- and need-based grants and scholarships.

3. Private: In the form of grants, scholarships, tuition reimbursement, loan forgiveness,

book awards, donations, and contest winnings.

4. Personal: In the form of personal savings, U.S. Savings Bonds, college savings accounts,

life insurance policies, retirement accounts, inheritance, gifts, and earnings.

5. Loans: In the form of federal student loans, private student loans, credit card debt,

home equity loans, refinancing automobiles, etc.

Your plan will be to maximize government, institutional, and private sources of funding

while minimizing, or eliminating, the need for personal money and loans to pay for your college

education.

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12 Overview: Who This Book is For

Successful college planning involves developing strategies in four broad areas, as outlined in

A High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams (p. 4):

• Academics: Course work, grades, class rank, test scores, enrichment programs, and academic honors

• Extracurricular Activities: Sports, clubs, student organizations, community service, volunteer hours, and work experience

• Personal Qualities: Contribution to your school or community; unique artistic, musical, athletic, mathematical or public speaking talent; or personal achievements, e.g., overcoming adversity, resiliency, integrity, worthy ideals, or innovation

• Intangibles and Other Influencing Factors: Ethnicity, gender, family background, geographical area, and things uniquely special about you and your life

The strategies, and resulting success, experienced within each of these areas combine to

influence how competitive you will be in the college admissions process and college scholarships

competition. For example, if you have a high Grade Point Average and you are a 3-sport varsity

athlete, you will substantially increase your college admissions opportunities and financial aid

Gifts &Talents

Sports

Art

Music &Dance

AcademicsExtracurricularActivities

Admissions &Financial Aid

Wh at ’s Yo u r P l a n

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13Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

dollars. However, the same will be true for a student who is a brilliant artist, musician, dancer,

or who has a history of demonstrated leadership. You must reflect on each of the four areas

and allow your gifts, talents, and individuality to guide your college admissions and scholarship

planning efforts.

E a r n i n g Yo u r D e gre eResearch indicates that removing the

financial stress and overwhelming burden

of paying for college will not only be good

for you and your family, but also will have a

positive impact on the college you attend and

communities in which you are involved. The

Institute for Higher Education Policy examined

the impact of being free of the financial burden

of attending college on students selected

as Gates Millennium Scholars. The report,

Expanding Access and Opportunity: The Impact of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (pp.

1-2), notes:

• Scholars worked fewer hours, which

allowed them to become more

academically and socially engaged

during college

• Academic engagement during college

led to higher levels of civic engagement

both during and after college

• Scholars generally completed their

degrees more quickly

• Scholars were more likely than non-

recipients to enter graduate school

immediately on completion of their undergraduate degree

“Being a Gates Millennium Scholar has made all of the difference during my matriculation through Howard University. Without the burden of worrying about financial aid, I have been free to focus on my demanding studies, which have been very stressful. Not having to pay anything toward my college education has been a huge burden lifted from the shoulders of my parents. In 2015 I will graduate and continue on to medical school.” Brianna M. 2011 Gates Millennium Scholar

Website Web Address

Gates Millennium Scholars Program www.gmsp.org

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14 Overview: Who This Book is For

The Posse Foundation’s partner colleges,

provide full four-year tuition scholarships

to students selected as Posse Scholars. The

Posse Foundation report, Posse: A Twenty-Year Retrospective, notes results similar to those

identified in the Gates Millennium Scholar

Program research:

• Posse Scholars have over a 90 percent

college graduation rate

• 70 percent of Posse Scholars start or

lead an organization, club, or academic

program on campus

These conclusions are further reinforced

by the report, Lifting the Fog on Inequitable Financial Aid Policies (p. 2), in which the authors

note:

“The typical low-income college student

must finance an amount equivalent to

about 72 percent of his or her family’s annual income each year to attend a four-year college

or university after federal, state, and institutional grant aid. Because of these high costs, low-

income students must work long hours and borrow heavily — negatively affecting their

chances of success — in order to meet the onerous financial demands of higher education.”

The Simon Scholars Program (currently operating in California, New Mexico, Georgia, and

Washington D.C.) is a 6-year scholarship program that begins during a student’s junior year

in high school and continues through 4 years of college. The program requires students to

maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA by the end of their junior year of high school. Students are provided

with a cash stipend, computer, social skills training, academic support, leadership training and

engaged in community service activities. Students also receive college-preparatory assistance

through ACT and SAT prep courses, college tours, and assistance in the application process

from college coaches. Upon graduating from high school and being accepted into college,

students receive a $16,000 college scholarship ($4,000 per year).

Website Web Address

Posse Foundation Scholars Program www.possefoundation.org

“As a Posse Scholar as part of the Syracuse University Posse, I have been actively involved in the Syracuse University student community. I felt right at home from the moment I walked onto campus and into my first Posse meeting. The other students in my Posse have become great friends and we are all matriculating on-time toward our respective degrees.” Eric N. — 2011 Posse Scholar Syracuse University

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15Show Me The Money: Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice

While the Simon Scholars Program provides a much smaller scholarship amount than

the Gates Millennium Scholars and Posse Foundation Scholars programs, the Simon Scholars

Program works with students over the course of their final two years of high school providing

much needed assistance in helping students to qualify for a broad range of college scholarships

and expands students’ college admissions options to highly selective colleges and universities

with generous need-based financial aid policies. Increasing students’ college readiness and

expanding students’ sources of financial aid provides further evidence of the research findings

pertaining to students’ college success and campus involvement:

• 86 percent of Simon Scholars who have started college are still enrolled or have

graduated

• 97 percent of Collegiate Simon Scholars are actively involved in campus life

• 65 percent of Collegiate Simon Scholars are involved in community service on campus

A n O n g o i n g Tre a s u re H u ntEach year, many students successfully

navigate the college admissions and financial aid processes without support from parents, counselors, teachers, or coaches. However, for most students, identifying people and support programs within their school and local community is critically important if they are to significantly expand their college admissions and financial aid options. If you are such a student, you will discover that finding the money to pay for college is a treasure hunt, where billions of dollars are buried in books; over the Internet; in the knowledge and experiences of your high school counselor, coaches, teachers, and administrators; in local organizations; at local businesses; at the financial aid office of the colleges to which you are applying; and in the minds and experiences of friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers. Literally, the information that can lead you to the treasure is everywhere. Each of the chapters that follow will guide you toward pieces of the treasure. However, keep in mind that the treasure hunt does not end with your college acceptance, it continues during undergraduate school and through the completion of your graduate or professional degree.

Website Web Address

Simon Scholars Program www.simonscholars.org

“Whenever my friends ask, ‘why do you know so much about college planning?’ I used to say, ‘Mr. Wynn says...’ Now I simply tell them to ‘read the book!’” Kimberly H. — 10th GraderClass Rank 1/407

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16 Overview: Who This Book is For

Important websites are enclosed in boxes or placed into tables so they stand out (if you

have the ebook, then you can click onto the link). As I indicated in About the Author (you

probably did not read it did you?), I would really like to hear about how you use the book and

any “OMG” moments where you learn something new.

Please send me an E-mail [[email protected]] (along with a photo of you,

your scholarship or institutional award, and college acceptance letter) so I may share your story

with others.

As you proceed through the book, you must personalize your plan by identifying the types

of programs and opportunities best suited to your personality and circumstances. To assist in this

regard, checks and boxes are provided in each chapter:

4 Checks

q Boxes

The boxes represent areas you should check if they apply to you. The checked boxes relate to

“must do” areas you should not casually read over, but carefully consider as part of your college

admissions and financial aid plan. Activities are provided to further guide you through a step-by-

step process for performing important tasks and engaging in important research.

Examples of actual scholarships are placed into boxes, oftentimes accompanied by an

example of how to perform an Internet search to find other types of similar scholarships. Many

of the Internet searches will lead to several million results. Clearly, you will not have enough time

to research them all so you must narrow your search and prioritize your time by focusing on the

type of scholarship programs and colleges where you have the greatest chances for success.

Federal Employee Education Assistance Fund (FEEA): FEEA sponsors the only merit-based scholarship competition program open exclusively to federal employees, their spouses, and their children. More than 400 students from across 27 regions will receive scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500.

Federal Employee ScholarshipsInternet Search:

Website Web AddressCollege Results Online www.collegeresults.org