Access to Financial Aid for Higher Education for Homeless Students

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Access to Financial Aid for Higher Education
for Homeless Students

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Presented by

• Cheryl Maplethorpe, Ph. D.
• Director of Financial Aid Division
• Minnesota Office of Higher Education

• Judy Swanson
• Associate Director, Office of Student Finance
• University of Minnesota

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Financial aid for homeless students

• Academic preparation
• College admission timeline
• Financial aid process
• Cost of attendance
• Contacts

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Academic Preparation

• What do colleges look for?
• Different types of institutions
• Planning during high school
• ACT and SAT tests

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What do colleges look for?

• Challenging classes
• Maintaining high grades or continually improving
  grades
• Extra-curricular activities
• Strong work history

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Different types of institutions

• Technical and vocation schools
• Community colleges
• Tribal colleges
• Private colleges
• Public colleges/universities

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Planning during high school junior year

• 11th grade explore options
• ACT/SAT free review course
• Take the ACT or SAT
• Make college visits
• Investigate scholarships
• College prep curriculum

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Planning during high school senior year

• 12th grade finish strong
• Know high school rank
• Visit college campuses
• Take or retake ACT or SAT test
• Apply for admission in the fall

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What does college cost?Minnesotas average
annual tuition fees cost

• Private Colleges 27,829
• Private Career Colleges 12,233
• University of Minnesota 10,756
• State Universities 6,373
• Community Technical Colleges 4,548

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Estimated Annual Cost of Attendance (COA)

• 4,548 - 27,829
• 350 - 1,000
• 4,100 - 6,696
• 124 - 1,000
• 1,000 - 2,000
• 10,122 - 38,525

• Tuition Fees
• Books Supplies
• Room Board
• Transportation
• Personal Expenses
• Total

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What is financial aid?

• Grants
• Scholarships
• Employment Opportunities
• Loans

Where does it come from? Federal and state
government, schools, employers, and other public
and private sources like clubs and organizations.

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...more on grants

• Federal Pell Grant need-based annual award
  range is 523 - 4731
• Federal SEOG Grant limited funding priority
  given to students with exceptional need annual
  award range is 100 - 4,000
• Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) completed
  rigorous secondary curriculum GPA requirement
  freshman/sophomore award range is 750 - 1300
• Institutional Grant college or university funds
  awarded to students with financial need

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Work Study

• Part-time student employment
• Earnings paid to student
• Work-study earnings not included when determining
  EFC on next years FAFSA

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more on loans

• Federal Perkins Loan 5 interest rate no fees
  interest and repayment begins nine months after
  school
• Federal Stafford/Direct Loan fixed interest rate
  at 5.6 subsidized, 6.8 unsubsidized 0 - 2
  fee repayment begins six months after school
  5,500 1st year maximum
• subsidized no interest charged while in school
• unsubsidized interest accrues while in
  school-can be deferred
• Federal PLUS Loan for parents of dependent
  students fixed interest rate of 7.9 at Direct
  lending schools and 8.5 at FFEL schools 2.5 -
  4 fee repayment may be deferred until six
  months after school
• Alternative/Private Loans

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How to apply for financial aid

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student
  Aid (FAFSA)
• Complete school financial aid application (if
  required)
• Meet financial aid priority application deadlines
  if possible
• Contact financial aid administrator if questions
  or to check on application
• Must apply for financial aid every year

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FAFSA on the Webwww.fafsa.ed.gov

• Completing and processing the FAFSA are free!
• Do not pay a fee to file the FAFSA.
• Contact colleges financial aid office if you
  need help.
• College Goal Sunday offers free professional
  FAFSA help to low-income students.

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Avoid Errors!

• Put student name and SSN on FAFSA exactly how it
  appears on social security card.
• If entry is zero or none, enter 0. Dont leave
  blank.
• Questions 55 60 simplify application process
  for foster youth, dependent/wards of the court,
  emancipated minors, youth in legal guardianship,
  and unaccompanied youth who were homeless or at
  risk of being homeless .
• Enter school code(s).

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Documentation will be needed later

• Financial aid offices are required to verify a
  percentage of FAFSA applications. Many FA offices
  verify 100.
• Students who answer yes to a question 58 60 can
  now submit FAFSA application without contacting
  FA administrator, but will be asked later for
  documentation from a homeless liaison, director
  of an emergency shelter program, or director of a
  runaway or homeless youth basic center or
  transitional living program.

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What to doand when?

• Continue to search and apply for scholarships.
• Apply for admission to college(s) of choice in
  the fall of senior year of high school.
• Complete the FAFSA (each year) as soon as
  possible after January 1 (usually done in
  Feb/Mar).
• Review estimated award letter (usually in April).
• Make college choice by May 1. (Does not apply to
  some schools.)

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More on what to doand when?

• Respond if college requests more information.
  Student may be selected for verification and
  asked to submit documentation.
• Respond to actual financial aid award notice
  (often sent in June or July).
• Financial aid is disbursed to students college
  billing account at start of each semester.
• If awarded work-study, student obtains work-study
  job and begin working once school begins.

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Contact FA office for help

• Financial aid director vs. front staff
• One point person for student
• Housing must be thought through
• Training and awareness of needs
• Asking for help

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Where to get more information

• U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov
• National Association of Student Financial Aid
  Administrators www.nasfaa.org
• State Financial Aid Associations
• College Goal Sunday www.collegegoalsundayusa.org
  
• FinAid! - The Financial Aid Information Page
  www.finaid.org
• FastWEB scholarship search www.fastweb.com
• The College Board www.collegeboard.org

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Where to get more information

• College Navigator www.nces.ed.gov/collegenavigato
  r
• CareerOneStop www.careeronestop.org
• National College Access Network (NCAN)
  www.collegeaccess.org
• KnowHow2Go Campaign www.knowhow2go.org
• Pathways to College Network www.pathwaystocollege
  .net
• Education Finance Council www.efc.org
• /

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Other Resources

• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth
• www.naehcy.org
• National Network for Youth
• www.nn4youth.org
• National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty
• http//www.nlchp.org
• Foster Care Alumni of America
• https//www.fostercarealumni.org/
• National Center on Homeless Education
• http//www.serve.org/nche

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Other Resources Contd

• Casey Family Programs (http//www.casey.org)
• Its My Life Postsecondary Education and
  Training, a guide that gives professionals the
  recommendations, strategies and resources to
  improve their work preparing young people for
  college access and success. 
• Its My Life Financial Aid, a guide intended for
  those primarily interested in helping young
  people find funding sources for college or
  vocational training. 
• Supporting Success Improving Higher Education
  Outcomes for Students from Foster Care, a guide
  that provides program development tools for
  college counselors, administrators, professors
  and staff to help these education professionals
  define a plan for improving their institutions
  support for students from foster care.
• Casey Life Skills Education Supplements,
  provides four levels of education-focused self
  assessments with Level II targeting high school
  students and Level IV for students in a
  postsecondary education and training program. 
  These assessments provide students and caregivers
  and their advocates with valuable information
  pertaining to school success.  

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Contacts

• Cheryl Maplethorpe, Ph. D.
• Director of Financial Aid Division
• Office of Higher Education
• 1450 Energy Park Dr. suite 350
• St. Paul, MN 55108
• cheryl.maplethorpe_at_state.mn.us
• 651-259-3910
• 800-657-3866
• Fax [phone]

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Contacts

• Judy Swanson
• Associate Director
• Office of Student Finance
• University of Minnesota
• 200 Fraser Hall, 106 Pleasant St SE
• Mpls., MN 55455-0422
• swans046_at_umn.edu
• 612-624-3562