COLLEGE GUIDE
2 | Sunday, September 18, 2016
Contents COLLEGE GUIDE Setting course ...................2 7 things ............................. 4 FAFSA ............................... 8 University of Iowa Community Credit Union .13 Succeed ........................... 15 Gap year ..........................18 Campus visits .................. 21
COLLEGE PROFILES Prairie Lakes Church Center for Learning and Leadership ........................5 Kirkwood College ............. 6 Kaplan University ..............7 Mount Mercy University.... 9 Central College ................10 North Iowa Area Community College ..............................11 La James International College ............................. 12 Upper Iowa University ....16 Hawkeye Community College ............................. 17 Iowa Lakes Community College .............................18 Ellsworth College ............ 19 Northeast Iowa Community College ............................ 20 Allen College ................... 21 University of Iowa ...........22 Iowa State University ......23
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Advice for setting your future course If you want to get into the college of your choice, start focusing on your education in your freshman year — of high school. Start early to set your future course. In other words, high school shouldn’t just “happen.” That doesn’t mean you have to choose your college major or career on your first day of high school. It just means getting the best education possible and getting the best grades you can from day 1 as a high school freshman.
Make the grade
Colleges view grades as the most important way to measure focus, but the courses you choose also are part of the equation, experts point out. Successfully completing challenging classes or taking advance placement (college-level) courses
can help prove your potential. Colleges want well-rounded students, not just the academically brilliant or athletic stand-outs. That’s a given. But does that mean you should sign up for a bunch of clubs or extracurricular activities because they look nice on your college application? No. Instead, find activities or sports that make you feel fulfilled and give them the attention they deserve.
Make a list
Figure out your college wants and needs. What do you expect from your education? What can you compromise on? You should have a rough idea of where you want to go and what you want to do with a couple of schools in mind. Your list may be lengthy, but begin narrowing it down in your
junior year. By the time your senior year rolls around, the list should be narrowed to your top two to five or six schools. The application process can take time and create stress, so relieve the pressure by NOT overapplying. And don’t get sucked into school rankings. It’s OK to look at rankings, but don’t obsess. Find colleges that genuinely interest you. If they end up being on a top list, think of it as a bonus. Take virtual tours, watch YouTube and other videos about campus life at your potential colleges and universities, and make plans to visit your top contenders with your parents.
an investment in your future. There are lots of options when it comes to choosing a school or program that’s right for you, but they all cost money, right? Don’t let that be a roadblock in your desire to attend college. Financial aid is available for many students, but you have to fill out the form to find out if you qualify, and for how much. And you’ll have to fill out those forms and reapply each year you enroll in an institution of higher learning. Grant aid from federal and state governments, institutional funds and private sources lowers the net price for a majority of college students, while benefits from federal education tax credits and deductions can reduce the costs students and their families incur. Cover the cost A college education is a large Sources: Iowa College Access Netfinancial investment, but it’s also work, U.S. News & World Report
COLLEGE GUIDE
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Fill out FAFSA for financial assistance For many students, the road to college begins before they ever set foot on a campus, with filling out a form — a long one. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, determines how much financial aid (grants, loans, work study) a student can receive. To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, loans, and work-study, you need to complete the FAFSA. Completing and submitting the FAFSA is easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school. Many states and colleges also use it to determine how much state aid, like HOPE scholarships, and institutional aid to award. The FAFSA is also imperative for parents and students to determine how much of their own money they will have to provide and which colleges they can afford. Go to http://studentaid.ed.gov/ eligibility/basic-criteria for information on eligibility. Other forms of financial aid that might be available to students include: state government aid, aid from the college; scholarships; tax credits for education expenses; and aid for military. To apply for federal student aid, you must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can find more information about federal student aid through the following sources: Visit StudentAid.gov. Visit the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend. Because of the variation in state and college deadlines, it is highly recommended that you fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1 to ensure that you do not miss out on available aid. Because eligibility for federal student aid does not carry over from one award year to the next, you need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each award year in which you are or plan to be a student.
Be realistic, do homework on costs JOANNA NESBIT
Special to the Washington Post
It’s that time of year when families are mentally processing their high school senior’s college financial aid award and quietly freaking out. I know I was doing that last year, and I had researched my patookie off to learn the costs of my daughter’s college choices in advance. We used net-price calculators to gauge financial aid, yet we still got caught up in hoping for a stratospheric windfall from one of her preferred schools. A couple colleges were generous with aid — in fact, they met our “need” — but that pesky “expected family contribution” on our FAFSA was still ours to pay. We live in a state whose public schools don’t offer big scholarships to anyone, and our EFC equals the cost of an in-state college, so living at home and commuting was the only cheaper option. At least I was somewhat mentally prepared for the price tags of the colleges she had applied to. But many families have that deer-in-the-headlights look right now because until they received the financial aid letters this spring, they had no idea how much college would cost. We can moan and groan about college costs, but it’s up to us to do our homework, because hope isn’t a strategy. Deciding at the last minute — like this young man and his family did — to take on burdensome debt isn’t in our young people’s best interest. Or our families’. The hard part, of course, is when no college is affordable. The sad truth is that college costs have increased so much, so quickly that many middle-income folks can’t keep up, even if we plan carefully. Because, you know, cost of living. In short, go where the money is. It won’t be at the highly selective colleges. It might mean a regional state school. It might mean commuting. That doesn’t mean kids should rule out selective colleges entirely. I know
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students attending selective colleges on good need-based aid, including my daughter. But her college still wants a quarter of our income (the same as the cost of a public in-state school), because that’s how our FAFSA rolls. Information on college costs abounds; families just have to take the time to learn about it. Yes, families are busy, but this is one big enchilada you and/ or your kid are paying for. And you can’t start teaching yourself about college costs in the spring of your child’s senior year. That’s way too late. I started reading up during my daughter’s sophomore year in high school because I’m like that. It still didn’t shelter me from the shock. If you are a high school junior, learn your EFC. Knowing what the feds expect you to pay is a huge head start to preparing, if only mentally. This calculator helps you predict both your federal EFC and your institutional EFC (for private colleges). Most
Favorite resources “Right College, Right Price,” by Frank Palmasani “The College Solution” by Lynn O’Shaughnessy “Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke” “Colleges that Change Lives” “College Navigator” “College Data” “Edvisors “(college planning information) people want to vomit when they see the number. But at least you’ll know it. After that, tell your kid what you can afford, and give him parameters for his college search. Prestigious public or out-ofstate universities likely won’t be your friend. Expensive private colleges might do a good
job of meeting your financial need, but not if they’re reach schools for your child. Your child will do better applying to schools that want them. Look at schools where grades and SAT/ ACT scores fall in the top third or quarter. Use net-price calculators on the college websites to see what they predict (be aware, some are not great; the more they ask, the better they are). Be sure to learn about “gapping” (colleges offering admission without enough financial aid) and “front-loading” (a package that offers more for freshman year than later years) because college is a four-year (or more) plan. The biggest challenge is figuring out how to start the search. It’s overwhelming, and your student probably has their own ideas of where to go. Start talking to friends with older kids, especially friends in the same income bracket. Learn what their favorite resources are. I’ve included a few of mine.
COLLEGE GUIDE
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The UNI pep band performs. CEDAR FALLS — Every high school senior thinking about attending college is searching for the right fit. For a lot of students, that right fit is the University of Northern Iowa. From the size of the campus (around 12,000 students) to the academic freedom (more than 160 areas of study), there are a variety of reasons why students have chosen UNI. It could be the right fit for you, as well.
UNI. The Right Fit.
her education. UNI prides itself on being one of the most affordable four-year institutions in the state for Iowa residents. With more than 12,009 scholarships awarded annually, UNI students owe less many when they graduate than students who graduate from any four-year public institution in the state. Worry less about student debt and So why choose UNI? Choose an education you can more about the quality of your edafford. No one should have to ucation. Choose a campus where you can break the bank to further his or
live and work. With more than 250 student clubs and organizations to get involved with, you’ll have no trouble finding your niche at UNI. There are also 4,000 students working on campus, so you won’t have to go far to find employment opportunities. As your new home away from home, UNI will strive to provide everything that you need to live, learn and have fun. Choose a university that prepares you for success after gradua-
tion. You need a university that will help you succeed both before and after graduation. With 96 percent of UNI graduates finding employment or furthering their education within six months after graduation, take comfort knowing you’ll be well prepared for life after college. With internship, study abroad, research and leadership opportunities readily available, you’ll receive an education both in and out of the classroom.
Choose a national reputation for academic excellence. With a 17:1 student to faculty ratio, you won’t feel lost in the crowd when you step into a classroom at UNI. Our faculty members are dedicated to providing an outstanding education to each and every one of our students. And having been ranked second in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Regional Universities (Midwest)” category for public universities for three consecutive years, we’re not the only ones who believe that UNI offers a student experience unrivaled by other universities. Learn more at uni.edu.