Finding Funds for Oregon Student

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Finding Fundfor Oregon Students
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Topics

• 1. Financial Aid Terms
• 2. OSAC Opportunity Grant and eApp Scholarship
  Workbook
• 3. Scholarship Tips

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Financial Aid Terms

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Calculates the family and/or students Expected
  Financial Contribution (EFC)
• Need-based aid
• Determined by FAFSA /or other statement of
  financial need
• Merit-based aid
• Determined by other factors talent, academics,
  interest, etc.

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Financial Aid Terms, cont.

• Grants
• Eligibility based on need
• No repayment
• Scholarships
• Eligibility based on EFC, remaining need, merit,
  or a combination
• No repayment
• Remaining Need Calculation
• Schools cost of attendance
  minus (EFC) Remaining Financial Need

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Financial Aid Terms, cont.

• Federal and Private Student Loans
• May be listed as Financial Aid and must be
  paid back
• Work study
• Awarded by the college using FAFSA
• Federal Education Tax Credits
• Hope Up to 1,650 per student per year for
  first 2 years of college
• Lifetime Learning Credit Up to 2,000 per
  family per year for additional years

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Oregon Student Assistance Commission The state
student financial aid agency

• 2008-09
• Oregon Opportunity Grant will provide a projected
  72 million for 34,000 students
• 400 scholarships provide over 14 million for
  3,200 Oregon students
• Targeted programs for foster youth, student
  parents, rural health practitioners, and more
• www.GetCollegeFunds.org

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• 1,400 ASPIRE Advisors --- 115 ASPIRE sites

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Oregon Opportunity Grant

• File your FAFSA to apply
• Indicate the Oregon college you plan to attend or
  those you are considering on your FAFSA
• Family income level is 70,000 or less
• Maximum award depends on 2-year or 4-year school
  and if full or half time student
• Get an estimate of your grant and your EFC

www.fafsa.ed.gov
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Estimators
www.GetCollegeFunds.org
2009-10 Estimator coming soon!
www.FinAid.org
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
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The Oregon eApp Workbook
www.GetCollegeFunds.org
 
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Whats New

• Workbook worksheet - no paper application
• Search streamlined descriptors in the workbook
  tool bar or filter online and fill out the
  worksheet
• Go online and fill out your electronic
  application a.k.a. eApp
• Upload transcript and extra documents
• If you must send hard copies they must be at OSAC
  by the deadlines (NO postmarks)

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Find Scholarships

• The Sections
• High School by County
• Academic interest, career choice and specific
  populations
• Member Organizations / Employers
• Donor Name

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Workbook Toolbar
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The Ford Family Foundation Scholarship Programs

• Ford Scholars For graduating high school
  seniors and community college transfer students
  pursuing bachelors degrees in Oregon
• Ford Opportunity For single parents, heads of
  households pursuing bachelors degrees at
  eligible Oregon colleges
• Ford ReStart For age 25 or older,
  nontraditional students to begin or return
  full-time in an Oregon certificate or degree
  program
• Ford Sons Daughters - For dependents of
  Roseburg Forest Products employees

Details at www.GetCollegeFunds.org or www.tfff.org
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Your OSAC eStudent Profile

• FIRST TIME eApp user Log in to set up your
  eStudent Profile
• CURRENT YEAR eApplicant Return to your eApp to
  finish, submit, or to make limited updates to
  your submitted eApp
• PRIOR YEAR Applicant Return to last years eApp
  to refresh your information and resubmit for the
  current year.
• MORE
• Check if your application has been processed
• Check if you have been awarded a scholarship and
  if awarded, accept it online
• Print your application

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OSAC Activities Chart

• Enter each Activity under the categories
• A. School, Family, and Community activities
• B. Volunteer Service
• C. Work for Pay
• Include
• Dates
• Hours
• Responsibilities/Accomplishments
• (15 words)

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OSAC Short Essay Questions

• Explain your career aspirations and your
  educational plan to meet these goals.
• Describe a challenge or obstacle you faced in the
  last ten years. What did you learn about
  yourself from this experience?
• Describe a personal accomplishment and the
  strengths and skills you used to achieve it.
• Explain how you have helped your family or made
  your community a better place to live. Please
  provide specific examples.

150 words or 1,000 Characters
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Transcripts

• Follow the directions!
• OSAC application requires
• High schools students submit transcripts that
  reflect grades through December/January
• College students submit transcript that includes
  all work through fall semester/term
• If sending a hard copy, blacken first 5 digits
  of SSN for security purposes

1 reason for a rejected OSAC application A
missing or incomplete transcript
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Transcripts, cont.

• New Upload scanned transcripts required
  documents to your eApp
• Options for transmitting and scanning
• Scan transcript and required documents into one
  file at home, school, or a local copy center
• Transmit transcript from your high schools
  registrars office via the OSAC portal
• Extra essays, birth certificates, etc. can be
  scanned/saved
• Check www.GetCollegeFunds.org for other options
• Upload to the eApp when prompted

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OSAC Scholarship Deadlines

• Monday, February 16
• Priority deadline for Early Bird Scholarship
• 20 scholarships, 500 each, awarded by lottery
• A chance to recover! You are notified by email or
  text message if you are missing information
• Monday, March 2
• FINAL deadline All materials must be submitted
  online or received at OSAC

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Tip Keep Searching

• Use a scholarship search engine on the web or CIS
• Colleges and universities (including departments)
• Employers and parents employers
• Member organizations
• Local civic organizations, foundations, high
  schools

Do not pay for search tools use the FREE ones!
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Tip Writing Essays

• Get inspiration from your activities chart
• Answer the question
• Consider the reader
• Dont repeat information (like your GPA)
• Cute doesnt always cut it
• Be clear purposeful about your academic/career
  goals

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Tip Dont be shy

• In what ways are you unique?
• What are your leadership qualities?
• How do you take initiative?
• Any special recognition?
• Tie your past and present with your future
• Put YOU on paper
• Passion with a purpose

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Tip Get help and feedback

• Friends and family
• Office/job associates
• Professors/teachers
• Learning resource centers
• Writing centers

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Tip What scholarship committees consider

• Academics
• GPA, course rigor, and test scores
• Outside the classroom
• Volunteer activities, leadership, work, etc.
• Life experiences
• Serving your community by helping your family
• Tell your unique story using your transcript,
  short essay answers, and activities chart

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Tip The Interview

• Remember your audience
• Reread your application essays
• Practice your interview skills
• Make a positive first impression
• Establish eye-contact
• Display poised, confident body language
• Dress appropriately
• Be yourself

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Tip Beware of Scams

• Why pay for a service you can get for free?
• Must still do the work and getting a refund is
  not that easy!
• Services that guarantee scholarships are
  questionable!
• Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission
  

For more information www.ftc.gov
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How to learn more

• College financial aid office
• High school counselor / ASPIRE program
• Federal student aid information center
• 1-800-433-3243
• www.finaid.org
• Opportunities booklets

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Resources

• GetCollegeFunds.org
• AspireOregon.org
• CollegeGoalOregon.org
• Collegenightinor.org
• OSAC 800-452-8807
• ASPIRE Program 541-687-7400

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Final Tips to Remember!

• Use all your resources to maximize
• Follow the instructions
• Meet deadlines
• Spell check proofread
• Order correct transcript(s)
• Reflect your best work
• Submit all required documents and keep copies for
  yourself

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Thank You for AttendingFinding Fundfor Oregon
Students
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Ford Scholars Program

• Up to 120 scholarships annually
• Minimum 3.00 GPA (lower GPA requires special
  recommendation by counselor/teacher)
• Apply as a high school grad or a community
  college student transferring to a 4-year school.
  
• May attend any public/private, non-profit college
  based in home state
• Must plan to earn bachelors degree
• Award is 90 of unmet need, after other aid and
  family/student expected contribution
• Scholars who graduate with a college GPA of 3.60
  or higher may apply for graduate school
  scholarship

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Ford Opportunity Program

• Similar to Ford Scholars Program - except
• For single parents - men or women heads of
  household
• without financial support of
• a domestic partner
• Can apply at any time during college career
• Up to 50 scholarships awarded annually

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Ford ReStart Program

• Similar to Ford Scholars Program - except
• At least 25 years old as of the scholarship
  deadline with high school diploma or GED
• Seeking technical certificate, associates or
  bachelors degree
• Preference given to applicants with limited or no
  college experience
• Up to 50 scholarships awarded annually

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Sons and Daughters of Employees of Roseburg
Forest Products Co.

• For dependents of mill employees
• Age 21 or younger as of the scholarship deadline
• Any Title IV eligible public, private, technical
  school in the U.S.
• Not need-based, 3,000 or 5,000 award
• Average of 58 awarded annually