College Info. From Los Alamos HS

From our friends in Los Alamos:

Students With Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education
More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools, including vocational and career schools, two- and four-year colleges, and universities.
For more information parents may wish to order Students With Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education (Pamphlet) at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html or contact:
Customer Service Team
Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
Phone: 1.800.421.3481
TDD: 1.877.521.2172
E-mail: ocr@ed.gov
Web site: www.ed.gov/ocr
Another valuable resource can be found at LD Online, http://www.ldonline.org/



German Tutor Needed
Frau Boshier, our German language teacher, is in need of a German tutor – one for a German 2 student and one for an AP student. If anybody can volunteer or recommend a tutor, please let her know at a.boshier@laschools.net.




E-mails to Parents from Guidance Counseling
The feedback we have been receiving about possible problems with the e-mails and/or attachments has been wonderful. We really appreciate the time you have taken to be in touch with us. Thank you.
If you could continue to let us know what problems you may be encountering in the receipt of these e-mails, we will look forward to making improvements. E-mail e.burgess@laschools.net




Financial Aid Workshop
Ms. Lieb, our Career Resource Center (CRC) coordinator, 663-2595, conducted a financial aid workshop the evening of November 1, last month. It was such an informative evening that we want to make sure the information is available for all parents who could not make that meeting irrespective of the grade level of your student. Thus, the remainder of this e-mail is directed to presenting that information to all of you, and it is quite long. The information is also available in printed format in the CRC.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid: FAFSA
As you think about the costs associated with sending your child(ren) to college, the following information may be of help to you.
In order to be eligible for any need-based program, families must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This year, the form may be downloaded and filed through the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
You should file the form electronically but may download a paper worksheet ahead of time from the above site. You and your student will each need a PIN number: www.pin.ed.gov.
Parents who do not have Internet access at home are welcome to use the Career Center’s computers, both for general searches and for filing the FAFSA.
The formula the federal government uses to come up with your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) takes into account parental income, parental assets, student income, and student assets.


Parental Income
This includes all taxable and nontaxable income from the year prior to the award year (2007 for the 2008-2009 school year). From that, an income protection allowance is deducted: the bigger the family, the bigger the allowance. You may also subtract federal and social security taxes, and a variable allowance for state and local taxes. Finally, you may receive an employment expense allowance. What remains ultimately is an adjusted available income, which is multiplied by a percentage ranging from 22% to 47%.

Parental Assets
This includes the value of stocks, bonds, trusts, savings accounts and business assets as of the date you sign the form. For FAFSA, you may subtract an asset protection allowance, which takes retirement into account. What remains is multiplied by a sliding factor of up to 5.6%. The federal government does not count home equity as an asset, although private colleges may factor it in if they ask you to file an institutional form or the CSS Profile (fee charged, a College Board service), in addition to the FAFSA. Schools will tell you if they require this.

Student Income
Students must contribute up to 50% of their income beyond an income protection allowance, all federal taxes, and variable state tax allowance.

Student Assets
Student assets are now assessed at a rate of 20%, though prior to July 1 the rate had been 35%. If you have been saving money for college in your child’s name to reduce your federal tax burden, you may find yourself questioning that decision.
· The aid calculation excludes parents who are attending college from the calculation of the number of a student’s family members who are in college, but gives a financial aid officer the discretion to count parents in that calculation if deemed appropriate. This closes a loophole which college aid administrators felt was unfairly used by some families to make them appear more eligible for aid.
· Financial aid officers may use their “professional” judgment to adjust a student’s expected family contribution in calculating aid eligibility by taking into account such matters as elementary- and secondary-school expenses, childcare costs, unexpected medical expenses, a recent divorce, or a lost job.
· Student convicted of state or federal drug offenses are ineligible for federal aid for at least one year, depending on the offense. Completion of a drug rehab program may restore eligibility.

By signing the FAFSA, students give the Department of Education authority to verify income reported on the application with data provided to the IRS on their tax returns. The Department of Education has more information at www.studentaid.gov. You may download several publications, including the comprehensive Student Guide.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
The Western Undergraduate Exchange program is coordinated by WICHE, the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, a nonprofit regional organization established by interstate compact to help its member states meet the work force needs and educational needs of their residents.
Students in the participating states may enroll in designated two-year and four-year schools in another state and pay regular instate tuition plus an additional 50% of that amount, a considerable savings over the usual out-of-state rate.
At some schools, WUE openings are very limited in number, and may be restricted to specific programs or may carry high scholastic requirements. Each state determines which institutions and programs it will make available to students through the program, and changes are made every year.
In spite of restrictions, there are many excellent educational opportunities available through WUE for students who would like to leave New Mexico, but are unable to pay full out-of-state rates.
Complete information may be found at the WUE web site, http://wue.wiche.edu (no www).

Reciprocal Tuition in Colorado
There are 300 spaces for NM residents allowed at certain Colorado schools – neither Boulder nor Ft. Collins, though – with criteria including the “shortest distance by passable road from the resident’s place of residence.” Adams, Ft. Lewis, Gunnison, CSU-Pueblo and four two-year schools participate.

Texas Tech and West Texas A & M
NM residents may attend these schools and pay approximately $900 over the instate rate. Last year we were told this had been discontinued, but the Texas legislature reinstated the program a few days before the two schools started classes this fall.

New Mexico State Lottery Success Scholarships
Currently, the Lottery Success Scholarships provide graduates of New Mexico high schools eight continuous semesters of tuition-free education at our publicly funded universities and colleges. There is no separate application to fill out
while in high school. Students must enroll
full-time in the first regular semester immediately following their high school
graduation (fall), and must obtain at least a 2.5 GPA during that first semester, with at least 12 credits, with no F's; the scholarship would then be in effect the second semester. Some schools will make a bridge scholarship available to cover the first semester's tuition, but they are not obligated to do so by law. The Lottery Success Scholarship does not cover fees, room, board, or books.
This scholarship program was established by the legislature, and is always subject to revision during legislative sessions. Students may be asked to file a FAFSA for the purposes of data collection, but this award is not based on need.

Innovative Programs
Some schools offer special programs to help with tuition, or to make students feel
they are getting more for their money. Clark University offers a master's for the price of a bachelor's degree in ten fields in
an accelerated five-year program. The University of Rochester's Take Five program will let qualified students spend a fifth year on campus tuition-free, once they have completed their degree
requirements. Several college handbooks have sections devoted to cost reduction and payment programs. Discounts and Deals at the Nation's 360 Best Colleges (in our collection) by Sandia Prep's Bruce Hammond, has some helpful information in this area.

National Student Exchange
UNM, NMSU, and ENMU participate in this program. Beginning with sophomore year, students may apply to spend up to one year at a participating school in the US, including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, at instate rates. Several Canadian schools participate also. www.nse.org

Cooperative Education
Over 900 schools, both two-year and four-year, offer cooperative education programs. Students are able to earn money toward their tuition while they gain valuable job experience. Co-op Ed benefits students in many ways. They are able to confirm their career choices, or make appropriate changes in their majors based on their job experience. Programs vary from school to school; some will place only specific majors, others will accommodate a wide range of interests, including liberal arts.
In 1991, statistics from the National Commission for Cooperative Education indicated that 80 of co-op students received offers for full time employment from one of their undergraduate employers.
The National Commission maintains a web site with a complete listing of its member schools: www.co-op.edu.
Military Service
Academies: Highly motivated students may gain admission to one of the service academies, where they obtain a free education in exchange for at least five years of active duty. Not all students are suited to the rigorous physical training, discipline, and limitation of personal autonomy, but for those who qualify and see the experience through, the academies offer an excellent education and open many doors for career advancement in civilian life. Students must plan ahead, as congressional representatives expect candidates' files to be completed by Oct. 1
of senior year.
ROTC: The different service branches offer varying levels of ROTC scholarships of up to full tuition with living expenses, with an active duty commitment of four years following graduation. Some ROTC participants begin their graduate studies while still on active duty, with the military paying for a significant amount of their tuition.

Enlistment: Students interested in military service who would still like to pursue their studies may be able to do so on a part-time basis while on active duty, depending on where they are stationed; or they may choose service-specific programs, such as the Community College of the Air Force, which offers an associate-level degree, with the Air Force paying 75 of the tuition. Recruiters are always eager to speak about educational opportunities in their branches of the military, and about the Montgomery GI Bill benefits which are available once service is completed.
Recent statistics suggest that only a little more than 50 of eligible veterans actually use these benefits. We have contact information for our current recruiters, as well as for the Full Disclosure Recruiting Effort of SF Veterans for Peace.
The combined branches offer information at www.myruture.com. Another URL is http://todaysmilitary.com (no www).

Advanced Placement Program/CLEP
Last year, 207 students at LAHS took at least one AP exam, for a total of 410 exams. In exceptional cases, students can graduate from high school with enough AP credits to receive full sophomore standing; a few more may graduate with enough credits for a full semester. Since each institution treats AP credits differently, there are no simple guidelines to offer. Students who have already successfully completed AP courses should check with each school to which they apply, to see how AP classes are handled. The most selective colleges will only offer credit only for a score of 5. For a College Board link to a specific institution's policy go to http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp
Usually, CLEP exams are taken by adults who have been in the work force for several years and are seeking credit for on-the-job or independent learning once they return to school. Again, students should check the policies of specific schools to see if this is worth their while.


Local Scholarship Program
We are fortunate to have many generous individuals and community organizations, which provide scholarships to our graduating seniors. These scholarship offerings are put together in a packet, which is made available to seniors in mid- February. Criteria vary, and are determined by the group awarding the scholarship. The information packet will be available in the middle of February.

LANL Employee Foundation
Recipients from LAHS have typically been above the minimum standard described on their site.
www.lanlfoundation.org.

Career Center Resources
The Career Center has several books available on the subject of financial aid, but we have not been buying new copies of scholarship listings; web offerings are far more extensive and less expensive.
Families now have complete access to our college and career software, Bridges.com. You may search for schools using tuition rates as one of your criteria by going to www.bridges.com.
Bridges is a proprietary program for which the school buys a yearly license to use with students. There is a site identification number and a password you will need to sign onto the program. Guidance counselors ask you to visit with your student to obtain this information rather than sending it via mass e-mail and violate our license agreement. Students were provided with guide sheets upon which this information is printed, however should your student have lost the information, please call, see or e-mail the following people for the site ID and password: Eva Pacheco, Receptionist, 663-2510 or Pam Hohenstein, Guidance Secretary, 663-2797.

The Internet
Yahoo's Financial Aid link at their Education listing is one place to start your net search, but it is hard to beat www.finaid.org. which has comprehensive information about loans, scholarships, and the aid process in general. There are links to several different automatic calculators, which can help you, estimate your EFC, loan payment amounts, and how much you will need to save to meet expected college costs (better late than never).
Once independent, the site is now owned by monster.corn, and there are more paid ads, though they are still relatively low-key, compared with those on some other sites. You can't miss the fact that Citibank is a major advertiser, and that it appears at the top of the list of lenders in the loan section. Still, this is a great resource.
The best-known Internet scholarship search is FastWeb, located at www.fastweb.com. and linked from Finaid. FastWeb is a commercial site-also now owned by monster.corn—but the scholarships are carefully screened for sleaze, and there are no opportunities, which require application fees. You can't lose anything by setting up a mailbox there. In fact, each year we receive fewer paper scholarship advertisements, since so many organizations both have their own web sites and are linked to FastWeb. This site has become extremely commercial, so make sure to pay attention when you register, as there are several opportunities to refuse disclosure of your personal information. If you catch them all, you will not be spammed.

Fafsa.ed.gov vs. fafsa.com
Please note that fafsa.ed.gov takes you to the Department of Education’s official site for filing, while fafsa.com is a commercial web site, which offers to file your FAFSA for you, at a hefty price. The site gives the appearance of legitimacy, with links to other sites and a BBB seal of approval. However, we advise against paying money needlessly and encourage you to call us with questions. Equally to be avoided are those “invitations” from financial aid services to seminars or “appointments” with guaranteed offers of assistance – please ignore them.

A Word or Two About Private Scholarships
In spite of all that we read about the millions of dollars in scholarships which go begging each year, private scholarships are not easy to get and, according to one college finance specialist, they make up no more than 5 to 7 of available financial aid. Private scholarships are added to a student's aid package, so the repayment plans and loans for special amount of college-based assistance for which the student is eligible could be reduced. Increasingly, though, schools will let students use private scholarships to reduce loan amounts, but some will still reduce their grants by the amount of outside scholarships a student wins.
If students do not hear morning announcements, they should check the LAHS web site e or ask to be on the CRC e-mail list for the most recent information.
Special Loan Plans
Information about advantageous fields of study and postgraduate work may be found at www.nmstudentloans.org operated by a nonprofit lender New Mexico Student Loans.

Getting State Residency Elsewhere
In a nutshell, don't count on your child moving to Colorado for a year, getting a license, and getting residency, because it won't happen. Requirements vary from state to state, and each state school is your best source for current information. College Board also has some at http://www.collegeboard.com/about/associaaon/intemational/residency.html

Scam Signs - From FastWeb
• A scammer will offer an award for which you did not apply.
• A scammer does not release the company's contact information.
• A scammer guarantees you will win an award.
• A scammer will charge a fee for services.
• A scammer will require personal financial information (such as credit
card or checking account numbers) to "verify" or "hold" a scholarship.
Remember...
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true! Don't pay money to get money!



The FAFSA 2008-2209 Worksheet is supposed to become available in PDF format on December 10.
This cannot be submitted before January 1, 2008. In the meantime, gather your documents: social security number, driver’s license, income tax return, bank statements and investment records.