Now is the Time to Shine!

To the Mighty Thor "Mjollnir" is a supernatural hammer that was cast from the fire of a dying star and was made to destroy worlds or to build them. For a high school senior Mjollnir is a immiginative hammer that is used to build a plan for post high school opportunities. Over the past few months senior high school students from all over the nation have been applying for addmission to get into college, and applying for financial aid to get there. As 2011 comes to an end students are getting excited to go on winter break and relax from a busy fall semester. For seniors in high school this is a great time to be getting in college admission applications and searching out financial aid if you have not done so already. NOW is the time for you to shine and use Mjollnir to start making a plan for post-secondary education opportunities. As we get closer to the beginning of the new year time is running out for making a plan to meet admission and financial aid requirements. Seniors, here is a to do list for your winter break if you have yet to make a plan for post high school opportunities!

• Decide on a college you wish to attend.
• Apply for admission if you have yet to do so.
• Look up scholarships from your financial aid providers.
• Talk to your parents/guardian about filing taxes and preparing for the FAFSA.
• Apply to retake the ACT if need be.
• Do not let your grades slip! Prepare yourself to do well on final semester exams.

Remember time is running out to make plans for attending college this upcoming fall. Even though there is still time to apply for admission, some financial aid opportunities have passed their deadlines. One thing that students have to remember is that college is a possibilty, you can be succesful in college, and that it is affordable. Graduation is not far away so NOW is your time to SHINE and make college a reality.

Have a great holiday season and remember your future planning starts today! Not the end of April!

As Thor says "All the answers you seek will be yours, once I reclaim Mjöllnir." Use Mjollnir wisely my friends and make a plan for post high school opportunities.

Cheers!

Aaron Taylor - Riverton High School College Adivsor

It is never too early to start!

Well it is that time again and the topic of choice for this month is… SCHOLARSHIPS!

Let me introduce myself before I get too carried away.  My name is Lauren Johnson.  I grew up in the small town of Kemmerer, WY.  For those of you that have heard of Kemmerer, I’m sure you are thinking “Oh, Kemmer-er-er-er”.  Trust me, it is not the first I have heard that little joke.  After I graduated from Kemmerer High School, I packed up my things and zoomed off to the University of Wyoming.  During my college career, I participated in a variety of activities.  I loved competing on intramural sports teams, was elected as a student body senator, traveled to Jamaica on an alternative break, and joined several different student organizations.  I had no idea what I wanted to do or be when I grew up.  I was undeclared for two years until I finally declared a major in Political Science.  I finally enjoyed going to class and loved learning about my major.  Somehow I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science in two years.  Eventually I would like to attend law school.  Until then I needed a job.  Luckily enough, I received a college advisor position in Evanston. 

But enough about me… let’s talk SCHOLARSHIPS. 

Scholarships are the easiest way to earn money for your college fund.  Just think of it as FREE MONEY!  Scholarships come in many shapes and sizes.  Some scholarships require essays, letters of recommendations, or transcripts.  Others may only want your name and what you are interested in.  Some scholarships are awarded once.  Others can be renewed every year.  Scholarships can also range in value.  One scholarship could award you $50 and another may away you funds for tuition and fees.  They also differ from where they come from.  Here are some examples of where scholarships come from…

·         School scholarships- most colleges will have scholarships for in-state and out-of-state students.  Many schools will use your GPA and ACT/SAT scores to determine how much scholarship money you will receive.  Wyoming awards the Hathaway Scholarship to resident students.  Utah State University has the Presidential Scholarship which funds four years of tuition and fees to out-of-state students.  To find these scholarships look on the college website.

·         Department scholarships- many departments within colleges award scholarships.  Usually a student needs to be declared in that major and fill out a separate application.  Again, look on the college’s website to find these scholarships.

·         Local scholarships- these usually come out in early spring. 

·         Companies

·         Religious

·         Disabilities

·         Ethnicity

But how do you find all these scholarships?  Good question.  An excellent place to find scholarships is your guidance counselors and college advisors.  Another good place to find scholarships is the internet.  Great tools to use are scholarship search sites.  You can enter in your information (name, grade, interests, background, etc.) and the site searches for scholarships for you.  How easy is that?!?! Some good scholarship searches to use are…

·         www.free-4u.com

·         www.wyo4ed.org

·         www.scholarships.com

Even though the internet is a great place to find scholarships, you need to be cautious of scholarship scam sites.  Here are some helpful hints for scams…

·         Fees- application fee, loan fee, or info fee.  Don’t ever pay for a scholarship or for a site to search scholarships for you.

·         Guaranteed winnings-  no one can guarantee you a scholarship

·         Unusual requests for personal information- do not give away bank account numbers, cred card numbers, or social security numbers

·         No contact information- if a scholarship does not have any contact information, take caution.

·         If you are suspicious of an offer, it is usually with good reason. 

To check legitimacy of scholarship search services or individuals, for information about financial aid scams, and tips to avoid being scammed visit…

·         U.S. Department of Education: www.studnetaid.gov/students/publications/lsa/index.html

·         Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov

·         Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.com

My last tip for scholarships is START NOW!!! Scholarships are available now.  You will have a better chance to receive scholarship money if you start now.  Over the past couple years, deadlines for scholarships are earlier and earlier.  It is your responsibility to fill them out NOW.

Seniors are busy.  We understand there are a lot of activities going on.   Scholarship committees will not accept late submittals though.  They do not care that you went to a basketball game or you had a big assignment due.  Take a couple hours each week and apply for those scholarships.  It may be worth it in the end. 

REMEMBER: You will not get every scholarship you apply for but you will not get any you do not apply for!!!

Until next time,

Lauren Johnson, awesome college advisor

P.S. Have a great Turkey Day!    

   

Time to Get on That Horse!

It's that time of year again. Yep, it's time get on that horse and ride towards college. There are a few things you should be working on right now to get on the right path, but before I get to heavy into that, let me take some time to introduce myself...

My name is Ted Doty. I'll be working for WyCAC at Rawlins High School, as well as assisting transfer students at Casper College. I graduated in May from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor's degree in marketing. I am a proud alumnus of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and I also hold the (at least somewhat made-up) title of Mr. Wyoming. I enjoy everything outdoors from hiking to biking. In addition to all of these things, many of my friends call me Tedward, and every time I type my last name on the computer, the spell check squiggly red line comes up underneath it. But I digress. Let's get back to what you all came here to read...

As I mentioned before, there are several things that seniors should be working on to prepare them to take a big step towards college. Applying for admission, creating and/or updating resumes, and checking out scholarships are all important things to at least start doing. I'll focus on applying for admission and checking out scholarships in this post.

Let's tackle applying for admission part first. Ideally, you already have an idea of which colleges you want to apply to for admission. If not, here a a few things to consider:

Location: Think about what kind of environment you might want to study in. If you don't like the clutter of the big city, NYU probably isn't for you. Likewise, if you aren't the biggest fan of sub-zero winter temps, you might want to steer clear of Montana.

Programs of Study: Make sure all of the schools you apply to have a few different things that you might want to study. You don't want to get hung out to dry if you realize biology isn't your thing and there isn't anything else you want to study on campus.

COST: College isn't cheap. Some are less expensive than others though. Check to see what you can expect to pay for a year in terms of tuition and fees, room and board, books, and other expenses. Remember, there are personal expenses and other things that you need to take into account beyond traditional expenses. Also, check for financial aid offerings. I'll touch on this with a bit more depth in a bit.

Once you have taken these things into consideration, start on the applications. It's a good idea to apply to at least three different schools. One of these is a reach school that you might get into, but is far from a lock. The next should be one you feel you have a pretty good shot at getting into, based on admission requirements. Last, apply to a safety school. This is one you know you will get into. It may not be your preferred place, but you'll still be getting and education.

Most applications these days can be filled out on line. These are fairly easy to fill out, as they guide you step by step through the process. Make sure to read and fill out carefully. You don't want to not get in because of a silly error! These applications should allow for you to save what you have filled out so far and come back later. Pay close attention to whether or not you need to write an admissions essay or get one or more recommendation letters. These allow you to set yourself apart from the rest of the herd of students applying. Finally, pay the application fee. Many college require an application fee, which is generally used to fund the processing of the application. These fees often fall between $30 and & $70.

While you're online filling out applications, go ahead and check out some scholarships. It's way better than wasting time on Facebook! Scholarships are really easy to find online. There are numerous websites that help make the search easier like fastweb.com and studentscholarships.org. In addition to these and other sites, feel free to head on over to Google and search for scholarships. There are thousands of scholarships out there. You can be rewarded money for college for almost anything, from you ethnicity and background to your hair color (check it out redheads!). You can even get scholarship money for being left-handed!

As I said earlier, while checking out schools, see what kind of financial aid and scholarships they offer. Most schools offer some form of financial aid to help students pay for school. Some are based on grades and test scores. Others are based on need. Some schools even have financial aid available for specific programs of study or even students from specific states.

Make sure to look carefully at all forms of financial aid. There is no reason why you should pay more for college than is necessary.

That's all I have for y'all today. Until next time, I bid you adieu.


Ted Doty
WyCAC, Rawlins High School

Getting Mentally Prepared

As your first college days get closer and closer, you review your checklist over and over again. Extra-long twin sheets? Check! Textbooks? Check! It seems you are all prepared. But how to you know that you are mentally prepared for the big transition? Nobody seemed to have given out a checklist for that one.

College is so immeasurably different than high school. Being a college student is looked at as having a job. While you may only be spending fifteen hours in the classroom, you will definitely be putting in at least forty hours a week- just like a full-time job. Typically, students will tell you for every hour in the classroom, count on two to three hours of studying outside of the classroom. 15 x 3 + Finals?!? That adds up really quickly!

A great way to mentally prepare yourself for this adjustment is to set your habits early. Many studies have shown that students will set their habits for the entire year in just the first two weeks of class. This can be challenging because things haven’t fully picked up speed in the first two-weeks, but we have to practice self-discipline to set those good habits. For example, if you review your lecture notes first thing after class every day, that will most likely be the habit you set and the routine you follow for the rest of the year. BUT… if you party every night and are cutting class in the first few weeks, well… be ready for a reality check come grades.

Another way to mentally prepare yourself for the new independence that college brings is to force yourself to become immersed in life on campus. With this, you have to know yourself and how you function best.  If you know that you get bored easily and always seem to have too much free time, join a club! If you tend to spread yourself too thin and get over involved, maybe limit yourself to only a few extra-curricular activities. Also, try to resist the temptation to go home every chance you get. It’s really easily to be swayed towards mom’s home cooking, free laundry, and a community that you have so many memories in, but it makes the transition so much harder. It’s tough to connect to your new life at college if you’re running away from it every chance you get. Try giving yourself at least a month of life at college before going home on the weekend. Soon enough you will begin to feel connected and form a support network of friends on campus.

Once you’re mentally prepared, you’re ready to rock & roll!

Dara Anderson

College Advisor Assistant

Summer Fun....

Wow...can you believe July 4th has came and went already, and for so many of us school is right around the corner; whether you are returning back to high school for your final year(s) or heading off to COLLEGE! =)

For those of you continuing life in high school, it’s very important you keep a focus on life after high school; especially those entering your senior year! Summer is a great time to do a little research on careers and college that fit your interests. Be organized, and the best way to do that is to create a folder or notebook with this information, so you can refer back to it at any time. Among the research and summer fun, visit those colleges that interest you, so you can get a better idea of the campus lifestyle and culture. Also, for those soon to be seniors, create a timeline or calendar for the upcoming year with important dates and deadlines of admissions applications, scholarships, and financial aid that you can easily hang on the refrigerator, and not miss a deadline! And last, be sure to enjoy your summer with friends and family!

High school graduates, life is taking you on your next adventure now, COLLEGE! At this point in the summer, you should have requested your final high school transcript to be sent to the college you will be attending in the fall. Without that transcript, your admissions may be revoked! So do that as soon as possible if you haven’t already. It might also be a good idea to finalize with your college of choice that all paperwork is complete and forms have been processed. To start, if you are living on campus, make sure your housing contract is in, your financial aid information has been processed, and the organizations that funded your scholarships have the information of the college you will be attending, so they can send the check. It would be a sad day to show up on your first day of college only to realize you didn’t complete all financial aid paperwork, and nothing was processed, leaving you no way to pay your tuition!

With that said, the most important item on your summer check list is to enjoy the last few months of summer doing what you like best with your family, and friends!

**Faith Helton

WyCAC

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Testing Facebook connection.

The Next Step: Orientation

Now that you’ve decided on which institution you will be attending in the fall, what do you do?

Well, there are many things, but first and foremost, look into what kind of orientation program your college offers. Orientation is really important! To “orient” means to familiarize oneself with the campus, the culture of college, and how academics work at your school. For example, is your college on the quarter system? Trimesters? Semesters? This is just one of the things that you’ll want to make sure you know. Usually, at Orientation, you will have the opportunity to tour campus, meet other incoming students, register for your fall classes, and sometimes even stay overnight in the dorms depending on your college’s program. Another thing to look into is the option of attending virtual orientation. This is a great alternative if you will be attending a campus that is far away and would be too costly to visit in person before the fall. Your college admissions center would be able to give you more information about if they offer virtual or alternative orientation options if this is your situation.

If you are nervous about attending orientation, ask other college-going friends what their college orientation sessions were like so you can gain some insight. While it may feel intimidating at first, remember that everyone attending is a first-time student, just like you! You never know, you could meet a friend at orientation that sticks by you for your entire college career! Also, some colleges welcome family and parent attendance at orientation sessions as well, so look into that with your college if that interests you.

Orientation is an event in which you will receive lots of important information, but it also is about having fun and meeting lots of new people. Be sure to bring a positive attitude, a friendly smile, and an open mind!

Now, go forth and orient yourself!

Dara Anderson
College Advisor Assistant

Easing The Transition

Moving from either your hometown, high school or your familiar community college campus can be a daunting task. Most universities are comprised of a larger number of students, are located in larger cities and offer a thousand different activities in which you can become involved. Lucky for you, those numerous activities can make the transition into university life that much easier. While you most likely have gone to school with the same group of people for a number of years, a university offers a thousand new strangers to encounter. The plus comes from the fact that a thousand strangers create the potential for as many new acquaintances and friends. By getting involved on campus, you increase your chances of meeting your new best friend, as well as eliminating many of the anxieties that come with the first semester at a new school.

Student organizations are a great way to get into the university scene.  The semester or summer before starting at your new institution, begin researching what types of organizations are active on campus. Use orientation to check out the different organizations further. Student organizations can range from religious to philanthropy groups, from degree related to outdoor clubs, and even personal interest organizations like scrapbooking club, book club, film club, language club and innumerable others. Chances are that the university you plan to attend will have something for you to get involved in, whatever your interests.

If you are athletic but not eligible to play on the varsity team, there are both club and intramural groups that you can get involved in. Club sports travel and play against different universities in the area. These groups usually require a signup fee but are more official and organized than intramurals. Intramurals are sports teams organized by students or an organization on campus and played among the university’s students. These can be extremely competitive because you might sit next to your greatest Water Polo rival in Biology. Both club sports and intramurals are fun ways to interact, stay healthy and get the most out of your college experience.

Students can also get involved by joining a sorority or fraternity on campus. Most universities across the nation have Greek communities that are alive and thriving. While there are many stereotypes that surround fraternal organizations, those should not be relied upon for an accurate assessment of the Greek community as a whole. Joining a fraternity or sorority can be one of the best ways to become a part of your campus community. If your university offers a Greek recruitment session, consider participating just to get a feel for each organization and meet some new people on campus. Meeting people was the reason behind my going through sorority recruitment in the fall of 2007. Four years later, I’m a proud alumnus of UW’s Theta Eta chapter of Delta Delta Delta Women’s Fraternity. Many of our nation’s leaders have been fraternity and sorority men and women and it’s definitely something to check out.

Another means of getting involved is student government. If you have been active in your previous school’s student government (student council) this is certainly something to consider. There are often positions in each college at the university that allow you to represent the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, or the School of Nursing at a university level. Student government often has a very big influence on the way a university is run and if you want to have a voice on campus, this is your best shot at being heard.

Besides these few examples, there are plenty of other ways to get involved and become a part of your university’s community.  The sooner you get to know people, the sooner you'll feel comfortable on campus and will have created a new support system. Having an intact support system will help you achieve success at the university level and throughout your life. Good luck and remember...get involved!! 

Angela

Community College Transfer Advisor

Spring in to ACTION!

Greeting from the West side of the State! March certainly has come in like a lion for us! I am sorry to report the snow and cold is nowhere near over!

I have been telling my students, "Don't let the March lion get you discouraged! The semester is moving right along!" As seniors are deciding on their college destinations and looking for scholarships, juniors are hoping they too can get a start on the college going process. I have had a number of students approach me looking for ways to make themselves rise above the competition and stand out to a college or scholarship selection committee. Students do not want to be cowardly lions, they want to ‘eat up’ the competition. For seniors, building a resume and finding those unique activities late in the semester is a little harder than it is for the underclassmen but its not too late! Students should always be looking for ways to broaden their horizons and be well rounded both academically and in involvement opportunities. 

There is no exact list of attributes selection committees for colleges and competitive scholarships look for in students but usually they look at a student's

·         Academic Record, GPA, Rigor of Classes

·         Test Scores (ACT, SAT)

·         Activities and Leadership (Clubs, Sports, Involvement)

·         Community Service (In or out of School)

·         Work Experience

·         Content and Quality of Essays and other application materials

Being a well-rounded student is key to standing out to a selection committee. Students should also remember that quality always supersedes quantity. Showing commitment and the ability to prioritize is important and getting that RAAR! factor across to a committee is easier when you have specific and clear examples of your involvement.

Students may also be given the opportunity to join local and national honor societies. National societies like National Society of Collegiate Scholars or Who’s Who of American High School Students are just some of the organizations who invite students to pay a fee to be in their membership roster. National Honor Society is an example of a local honorary that many high schools have. Member benefits in national and local academic honor societies include:

·         Peer networking

·         Publications and member-only web content

·         Free national events for members and their families

·         Dedicated member-services staff and volunteers to assist students

·         Member communications

·         Service and leadership opportunities

·         Unique outreach from top domestic & international universities

·         Exclusive scholarship opportunities and academic competitions

·         Personalized membership certificate

·         Personalized press release for distribution to local media

·         Unique offerings through partnerships

The choice to join an honorary sometimes comes down to budget for students. If students opt to pay the membership fee, having their name on an honor list can make them look more appealing to competitive colleges and for scholarships. It is however in my experience that there are so many different ways students can get involved for free and be just as competitive and impressive. It would not hurt a student to join one of these organizations but if they choose not to, there will not be any long term regrets. Being involved, no matter what it is in, is important and most selection committees look for it at many different levels. All students can be the golden lions they want to be if they commit to being active in high school.

For more information on local and national student honor societies:

http://www.nhs.us/

http://nshss.org/

For more information on resume building, career advice, and involvement:

http://ebook.career-guides.net/default.aspx?cgid=22

Let us hope the lions of March become sweet lambs of spring soon!

Cheers!

~Liz Rader

WyCAC Advisor

Evanston High School
erader@uwyo.edu   

"The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here."
-  Author Unknown

Second Chances

As the school year continues and I meet with more students I am often reminded of the pressures of high school and how they can change students outlooks on life. Sometimes there are situations and factors that are totally out of our control that can adversely effect school work. This can be anything from family issues, financial trouble, or relationship problems. These obstacles can often come into young peoples lives and take them by surprise, subsequently they may perform poorly in school or on standardized tests. While it is important to focus on grades and ACT/SAT in high school I would like to point out that those numbers do not indicate your future potential. Years from now you may look back and laugh about how you stressed over these figures. While a low GPA or test score can impede your college process just remember that anything is possible if you really try and commit. If you find yourself in this position look into conditional admittance into schools, if you are a junior or younger remember there is still time to boost those grades! You can contact your local Educational Opportunitiy Center and see if you can get a waiver to retake your ACT, or if you find yourself in your senior year and cannot find assistance look at the Thomas Foundation scholarship http://www.thomas-foundation.com/ available to students who need it. In the end remember that grades and test scores are important but if you find yourself behind dont give up, because everyone deserves a second chance.

March Madness!

Spring is in the air around here! And with that comes the rush of panic for high school seniors as they try to pull together the finals strings of their future. My office is swarming with students in a panic who didn’t get the FAFSA filed by March 1, or the ones who haven’t applied to a college of their choice! It’s such an overwhelming feeling as they drown a little every day in high school course work all while they are putting pieces into place for college and planning where to go, who to room with, and what meal plan to choose.

I keep reminding them—RELAX! Organize and manage your time! There may be a night or weekend where you can’t go out with your friends, but it’s one weekend that can and will better prepare you for the future!

As for the FAFSA, March 1 was the PRIORITY deadline, not the final and last time to EVER submit it! So add that to the “TO DO THIS WEEKEND” list! And continue the scholarship search, many deadlines are in March. That’s why they call it March Madness right? It’s the month of deadlines, cutoff dates, and crunch time if you’re behind!

Only a few more months, enjoy the ride and RELAX!

*Faith Helton

WyCAC College Advisor

Rock Springs High School

Workin' for your Education

March is nearly upon us and I hope you all have completed your FAFSA applications at this point. 

If not, get to it!

On to other news, let’s talk a little about Federal Work Study programs. Federal Work Study (FWS) can be part of your FAFSA package and can be highly beneficial in numerous ways. While filling out your FAFSA you probably noticed an option for choosing “Work Study” in the drop down box containing options for "Loans" and "Grants." FWS is a means in which to pay for your schooling by working (thus the “work” part of Federal Work Study) while taking classes. FWS is awarded based on financial need. It requires good time management skills and knowledge of how well you handle multi-tasking. Working and attending class can be difficult. However, it has numerous benefits that can make it well worth your while, besides the obvious benefit of having part of your schooling paid. Working on or off campus helps you to establish good rapport with the people with which you work. Obviously, having a job boosts your resume, showing future employers that you’re hard working and reliable. The relationships you establish with your current employers and coworkers might mean quality letters of recommendation and good references after graduation. FWS is beneficial to many students and also helps out universities by filling part time positions with willing workers. 

FWS encourages community service work and work related to the recipient’s course of study. This usually means that you can work either on or off campus. You will be working for the school if you are placed on campus or for a private nonprofit organization or public agency with a focus on public interest if you work off campus. As an undergraduate you will be paid hourly although the amount you earn cannot exceed your FWS award. Factors like award amount, class schedule, and academic progress will be taken into consideration when creating your work schedule.  Check out http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/campusaid.jsp or talk to your financial aid specialist for more information. Seeing if you qualify for Federal Work Study is just another reason to fill out your FAFSA; you never know what you’re eligible for unless you apply!

Happy Wednesday!

Angela

Intro to Loans 101

With all this talk of $$$ isn’t it important we help our students borrow successfully when it comes to student loans? Some students may not have a second thought about their student loans until after they’ve graduated from college! But understanding the obligations they’ve committed themselves to is of huge importance throughout the life of the loan.

A few things for students to keep in mind as they venture through their college career:

1.       Know your lender. Students may hold multiple loans, and throughout the course of their life, they often get sold to another lender. Contact the school financial aid office in order to get this information.

2.       Make early payments if possible. Making the interest payments during school can help lower the total they pay overall.

3.       Repayment Requirements. Repayment is 100% necessary and required! By signing the promissory note, the student has agreed to repay the loan, regardless of employment, satisfaction of education, or whether they actually received a degree or not.

4.       Mail from the lender. Along with knowing the lender of the student loan, it’s also crucial to open and read all mail from the lender and make sure the lender has the correct mailing address.

5.       Keep all paperwork regarding a student loan(s). This is part of being organized! Keep all copies of all paperwork related to the student loan information in one, safe spot where it can easily be found.

Having this information available and on hand (knowing the lender, reading, and keeping the mail from the lenders) will make life so much easier when questions come up or when it comes that time to start thinking about repayment.

One last suggestion I make as I am advising students in their financial aid process is to only take what you need, never take more than what is necessary. With that said, never over-borrow, or students will find themselves unable to meet their obligation of repayment. Student loans are an investment to a successful and prosperous future!

For more information on federal student loans and loan obligations, visit www.fafsa.gov

Faith Helton

Rock Springs College Advisor

fhelton@uwyo.edu

For the LOVE of $$$

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love is in the air today! Students these days love many things…Ipods, movies, their friends, sleeping…but one thing I have noticed students absolutely LOVE is $Money$. Money can get us places and give us the freedom to buy what we want and enjoy ourselves from time to time. High School students access funds from a variety of places. Parents and sometimes siblings are good for a few dollars while it seems that odd jobs like mowing lawns, baby sitting, or even regular part time jobs are more common because students hate asking for cash from the rents. The fact is also with recent family budget cuts, parents are becoming more and more likely to not be able to fork over any dough.

Students who have any amount of money, no matter where it is accessed from, have the tendency once they have any amount of it to SPEND it. I get it. I know the feeling of the green burning a hole in my pocket. Its so tempting to buy that new video game everyone has been raving about, or download a few extra songs for my MP3 player (gotta stay in the loop). Its hard to say no to friends who want to hit up fast food at lunch or go see a new movie every weekend. And with the way clothes move in and out of style, buying a new pair of jeans to look “in” is at the top of some student’s list of needs. What students do not realize however is that the amount of money they spend in High School on little stuff weekly to keep in the loop and feel good adds up fast and leads to forming bad financial habits later in life.  If a student spends $5 dollars a day at lunch with friends, $15 dollars a week on activities, and $100 dollars a month on clothes or shoes or electronic goodies they will spend in a years time over $3,000. AMAZING what just lunch with peeps everyday can add up to.

STUDENTS…What if all that play money was SAVED instead of SPENT?

If over the four years of high school a student brought lunch to school, did fun and FREE activities with friends on the weekends, and got by with the clothes, video games, and other fun stuff they already have, students could save as much as $12,000!!! They could save it and use it for something more important than the newest DVD or pair of kicks, like, oh I don’t know…college?

 Learning to save and make due with what one has is an incredibly useful life skill to master. It makes students financially savvy and prepares them to make smarter financial decisions. Credit cards and other debt issues tend not to arise with students who know the value of spending only the money they have. Self-control and saving for a priority like college gives students a sense of pride and accomplishment and the ability to move towards independence. If a student can add funds saved from the petty spending they have avoided to the financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans etc.) they have for college, a student will have more money overall in college and dodge the health risks associated with college students and stress due to financial strain…and the more money and scholarships a student has the less likely they are to have loans when they graduate.

...In the end we all know, MONEY can’t buy you LOVE….but it will help pay for college.

For more info on financial wellness and tips for success visit: http://www.360financialliteracy.org/Life-Stages/College-Students

http://www.360financialliteracy.org/Topics/Paying-for-Education/Saving-for-College

Love and Cheers,

~Liz Rader

WyCAC Advisor

Evanston High School

erader@uwyo.edu

“Don’t agonize, organize.”

Happy Friday, Wyoming! My name is Dara and I am a current college student… so, as you can tell, I am not one of the advisers. However, I am working with them as support in many areas and happily blogging with the team as well!

So, we’re talking financial aid this week! This process was definitely the most overwhelming to me when I was in high school and getting ready to head off to college. How did I manage to sort through all of the deadlines, essays and applications??? Simple-organization! Organization in every sense of the word is the key! Develop a rhythm for filling out scholarship applications, whether it is filling out one a week, every other week, or whatever works for your schedule. Also, it’s a great idea to keep an e-copy of all of your essays from various applications because many times, themes and topics of scholarships may overlap and can be modified to apply to a different scholarship. (Great time saver!) Also, if you find yourself trying to keep up with a large amount of application deadlines, you may consider purchasing a small calendar to keep them all in one place. It becomes a much better reference tool than having to search through your post-its to find the right date, (which I learned the hard way).

Filling out scholarships does take a great investment of time. However, it is time well spent! To reiterate what Angela said: “look often, look early and don’t forget to apply!” It pays off…literally!

The above title is a quote from activist, Florynce Kennedy.

Dara Anderson
College Advisor Assistant

The Scholarship Search

Now that Liz and Ray have discussed FAFSA and Hathaway opportunities, I'd like to give a few tips for finding scholarship money elsewhere.

Here a few general places to look:
1. Private Organizations
2. Corporations
3. Religious Organizations
4. Unions
5. Military (if your parents are veterans, you're a veteran or if you plan to participate in ROTC)
6. Clubs & Organizations

However, the most obvious place to look for scholarships is at the school to which you are applying. Start broad, looking at school wide scholarships and talking to the Financial Aid department to see which ones for which you qualify. Narrow your search as you become more familiar with the institution. If you have decided what you're going to major in, find out what college within the university that major falls under and look for scholarships there. Next, look to your department. Don't be afraid to e-mail the director or head of the department, as they may not be able to help you personally but will know who to contact concerning scholarships. Once you have exhausted (yes, the scholarship application process can be tiring, but so worth it!) all of those options, look for scholarships from other campus organizations. If you are part of a club, find out if their local or national headquarters offer scholarships. Other organizations on campus, such as student government, political groups, honors associations, etc., often offer scholarships to members so just ask around and you'll be surprised with what you come up with.

If you are still in high school, become a frequent visitor to your counselor's office. He or she, as well as your resident College Advisor, will know of scholarships available from your community and your school . Be persistent and check back early and often, as scholarship deadlines can sneak up fast! If you are in community college, make sure you have found out about aid available to transfer students. Make sure to also check on the status of your Hathaway, if you are receiving one, to make sure everything is ready to transfer smoothly upon changing schools.

Finally, the best piece of advice I can give anyone looking for extra help paying for college is: apply, even if you don't think you fully qualify. Sometimes things come up and you can get a pleasant surprise in the form of cash for college. Also, apply for any scholarships you can, even if the amount seems small. $200 might not look like much but it can end up paying for a portion of your books, cover tuition for six credits, or pay for a few weeks worth of food at the cafeteria. Little scholarships add up fast to equal big financial help!

Three things to remember when searching for scholarships: 

look often, look early and don't forget to apply!

For more scholarship opportunities, check out the following websites:
http://schoolsoup.com/
http://www.scholarships.com/
http://www.studentscholarships.org/
http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/

Happy Wednesday!
Angela