Only rich people can afford to go to college. If you don’t know how to apply to college, you can’t go. Anything that is taught in college you can learn on the job. If you’re tired of school there’s no way that you’ll like college. Many people don’t know what they want to study when they start college. Middle school and high school don’t really matter. FALSE. Different colleges have different requirements for admission. Colleges also look at other qualities in addition to your grades, such as activities, involvement in the community, and hardship. TRUE. Most teens say that they want to go to college. But getting to college takes hard work and careful planning, such as taking the right courses during high school. Remind students that if they think they would like to go to college – like most teenagers – they will need to work hard during middle school and high school. Remind students of the definition of “college”. FALSE. There are jobs available to people who only have a high school diploma, but most of these jobs are low-paying and won’t support a family. Statistics show that, on average, the more education you have, the more money you will make and the easier it will be for you to find a good job. FALSE. There are many types of colleges and degrees. Some careers require one or two years of college. Others require four years. Still others require more than four years. It just depends on what you want to do.
Event Time Allowed: 60 minutes. Directions: Welcome everyone. Introductions. Introduce yourself and other presenters/team members. Provide overview of workshop. Review what we mean when we say “college”. Discuss the perception of the cost of college. Present the Cost of College PowerPoint. Allow time for questions. Reflection Log: At the end of workshops, have students/families: Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Label each quarter. Reflect on their learning by writing several sentences in each section of the paper. As a result of this workshop: I learned: I need: I can: I will: After The Event: GEAR UP staff should record this activity in the portal using the service definition “Family Event”. Be sure to maintain a sign-in sheet. Send thank you email or text messages to attendees who provided contact information. Send any photos/videos to to be posted on the Washington State GEAR UP social media pages. Financial Aid 101 Glossary College Fees: Money you pay to access school activities, fitness centers, libraries, and student centers. Every college has different fees. Cost of Attendance (COA): The total cost of attending an institution including tuition, room and board, books, lab fees, transportation, and basic living expenses. Estimated Financial Aid Package: An overview, provided by each institution you’ve applied to attend, of the amount of financial aid you likely will be eligible to receive. Your financial aid package may be very different from college to college. Cost of attendance is different at each school, and schools may offer different types of scholarships. Expected Family Contribution (EFC): To be eligible for most financial aid programs, families must complete the FAFSA/WASFA and provide their financial information. The EFC is calculated based on this information and shows the amount of money a family can be expected to contribute toward the student’s education. The EFC is used to determine the student’s eligibility for need-based financial aid, but is not necessarily representative of the amount a family actually will pay for college. FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The standard form students must complete to apply for federal and state need-based assistance/aid programs and, in some circumstances, campus-based assistance/aid. Learn more at fafsa.ed.gov. Merit-based: Financial aid programs that require students to meet a certain level of achievement, usually academic.
Financial Aid Race Cards Volunteer to help a youth soccer team – it’s fun and it shows leadership skills. TAKE 1 STEP FORWARD Join the public library summer reading program in order to improve your grades. TAKE 2 STEPS FORWARD Lie on a scholarship application about the amount of school activities you have. TAKE 5 STEPS BACK Buy a new pair of shoes instead of putting money in your college savings account. TAKE 2 STEPS BACK Only apply to one scholarship because if you win it your entire education will be paid for. STAY WHERE YOU ARE Start filling out the FAFSA or WASFA but give up when there is a question that you don’t know the answer to. TAKE 4 STEPS BACK Get a job babysitting and put half of what you earn into a college savings account. MOVE FORWARD 4 STEPS Miss the deadline for a scholarship you really wanted to apply for. STAY WHERE YOU ARE Decide to use a credit card or bank loan to pay for college instead of filling out the FAFSA or WASFA MOVE BACK 6 STEPS Watch videos about the financial aid process on YouTube. TAKE 1 STEP FORWARD Set up a college savings account that you and your parents can contribute to. TAKE 2 STEPS FORWARD Assume you can’t afford to pay for college, so don’t apply to college or for financial aid. TAKE 4 STEPS BACK Update your activity log in your High School and Beyond Plan every year so you remember all of the activities you participated in. TAKE 2 STEPS FORWARD Complete the FAFSA or WASFA as close to October 1st as possible because financial aid dollars are limited and often are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. TAKE 3 STEPS FORWARD Get help with your FAFSA or WASFA by going to a College Goal Washington event near you. TAKE 2 STEPS FORWARD