Money Matters - Saving & Paying for College Workshop

Project GRAD Houston invites all partnering high school students and their parents to receive financial aid information on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at Wheatley High School from 9am to 1pm.

Planned activities include:

• FAFSA/TASFA Assistance
• Financial Planning for College
• Preparation of Income Tax forms
• & other College Access Activities.

Parents should bring the following information regarding...

FAFSA:
1. W-2
2. Parent Tax Return
3. Student Tax Return (if applicable)
4. Alien Registration #, SSI statements (if applicable)
5. Parents' dates of birth, marriage/separation/divorce

TAFSA:
1. W-2
2. Parent and student tax return
3. Dates of birth for all family members suported by parents

TAX RETURN:
1. W-2s
2. SS# for family members and dependents
3. Individual taxpayer indentification numbers
4. Deducation information such as property taxes and tax ID or SS# for childcare providers.


If interested in attending, please register on the Project Grad Houston website or go to this link: http://www.projectgradhouston.org/mm/mm_reg.php

Wheatley High School is located at 4901 Providence Street, Houston, TX 77020.
For more information, feel free to call the school at 713.671.3900 and ask for me, Ms. Casey, the GO Center Coordinator or Ms. Gamble, the College Access Coordinator.

National Scholarship Service - Houston College Fair

This is a great idea for a field trip!!

The National Scholarship Service, Inc. in conjunction with 100 Black Men of Metro Houston, Inc. and Houston Independent School District is hosting the Houston College Fair on Thursday, February 26, 2009 from 8:30am to 1:00pm.

There will be student college interview sessions for High School Juniors, Seniors, and Community College students.

It's totally free to students, parents, guardians, youth community representatives, and school administrators.

Along with the college interview sessions, there will be sessions about financial aid, admission procedures, college search, and testing.

Colleges will include those of Ivy League Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, State Colleges/Universities/Community Colleges, Military, and Technical/Vocational Schools.

The event will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, located at 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, Texas, 77010.

I ::heart:: MATH!

In case you needed another reason to take math (besides for the love of it--am I right people???) check this out:

"According to that study, taking difficult classes, especially math, may be the single most important predictor of how well a student will do in college. Of those students who took calculus in high school, for example, 83 percent earned a bachelor's degree, compared with 39 percent of those who only made it through algebra 2."

Do You Need Some $$?

I caught the blogging bug :-)...

Hey if anyone needs fundraising ideas I found this great site...
http://www.fundraising-ideas.org/index.html

Some fundraisers you have to pay up front but there is a section "Do It Yourself" and it has some really good ideas that have little or no upfront costs.

Hey I did it!

Hey look at me!!! I'm blogging! I have all these seniors anticipating their freshman year of college but they're overlooking the summer! I have been looking up summer programs but the ones I've found are pretty expensive! And I'm sure most the kids I know are not looking to do class work during the summer.

I did find a summer program at TAMU that is free for students...
http://www.math.tamu.edu/outreach/Camp/
... check it out, its basically a math camp.

More to come... GO get educated!

OC...Living On Campus!!!

Today's "Oh College..." post is a tribute to living on campus.

So what is so great about living on campus?...
1. ROLLING out of bed 10 minutes before class starts...and still making it to class on time (yay!)
2. Having every meal prepared for you (courtesy of dining halls) -- well to be honest, depending on your school, this might be a bad thing, but at my school there were 6+ dining halls, so you had your options.
3. Full-on IHOP-esque breakfast on weekends (again courtesy of dining halls, shout out to the Summit at UCSD....unlimited scrambled eggs, hash browns, FRESH WAFFLES!, bacon, and sausage...yum.)
4. Rent free living for RA's. Definition of RA: An upperclassmen that lives in the dorms, residence halls, on campus apartments and is in charge of looking after a certain number of underclassmen. (Maybe we'll have a separate post about this)
5. You're smack dab in the middle of all that happens on-campus.
6. It's the easiest way to make friends, seriously! -- I attended an out of state university and did not know ONE SINGLE person on-campus, but living on-campus freshman year saved me from eternal loneliness (ok, maybe not eternal, I made friends everywhere, BUT living on-campus did allow me to make friends sooner, i.e., as soon as I set foot on campus)
7. You're best friend is next door to you, or a hallway away, or a 5 minute walk away...etc etc.

Ok so the good stuff was great, but what about the bad (sometimes downright gross) part about living on campus?:
1. Communal bathrooms (FOR EXAMPLE: sharing 2 sinks, toilets, and showers with 10 people....well really it's not too bad, you get used to it). This also depends on how dorms are set up at the school.
2. Dorms always smell weird somehow...
3. Dining hall food gets boring after awhile.
4. Room/house/apartment mate DRAMA!!!! -- my personal opinion is to NOT be ROOMMATES with your best friend from high school.
5. Communal bathrooms require you to either buy a robe or a very large towel. (PLEASE be sure IT IS SECURE before walking back to your room...)

So, like I said, good and bad things come in pairs, but honestly living on-campus is part of THE college experience (in my humble opinion). Commuting to campus tends to make it difficult to join in on all the fun, unless you're one of those super proactive people. If you DO commute your freshman year, try to make friends with people who live on campus, or join a couple of clubs. These are some of the best ways to get to know people and start your college life off right.

Oh, one thing about college life that's great, but has nothing to do with living on-campus: No one judges you when you walk around all day in PJ pants (they're so comfy....)

Show your LOVE!

Just in time for missing Valentine's Day, we're introducing yet another series to make browsing easier! We give you...

LOVE--Local Opportunities in VoluntEering!

"Why volunteer?" You may ask.
"Why not?" We may answer. But then we'd add that there are lots of great reasons--below are just a few:
-to help others
-to feel good about helping others
-to explore your interests
-to meet new people
-to develop new skills
-to get volunteer hours
-to fulfill a court order (OK, maybe not a great reason, but hey, whatever gets you out there)
-to prepare you for college (volunteering not only looks good on your application, if you've had a memorable experience it can make a great essay!)

Check out this great LOVE:
http://houstonfoodbank.org/Groups.aspx

The More You Learn...

...The More You Earn!

Did you know that over a lifetime, a college graduate will make over 1 million dollars more than a high school dropout?

Well, now you know!

Testing...

Just trying this for the first time...
Well, I tried it, now what?
Oh yeah, I'm having my first meeting with my 24 G-Force members!!!
Yeah 24, i just hope at least half of them show up, this coming monday Feb. 16th.
if you got any ideas for a meeting, let me know, aait??

Ed

FAT #4

The sooner you fill out the FAFSA, the better! The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is one of the most important tools for ensuring you get all the financial aid you deserve. Most schools have their own deadline for when they want the FAFSA submitted (besides the government, most colleges use the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for aid as well) so make sure you check with each school you're applying to, because if you miss the deadline you could miss out on aid!

If you're not familiar with the FAFSA, check it out at www.fafsa.ed.gov . You can even fill out a practice FAFSA to get the hang of it before you submit the real thing.

A word to the wise: Beware of imitators! If you go to fafsa.com they'll try to charge you for help, which kind of defeats the purpose of a FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.

Introducing the OC... Series

So there's EW!, LOCAL!, and FAT's, and now we'll be introducing the OC... Series. "OC..." stands for "Oh College...." said in a mostly nostalgic, but sometimes angry tone. (Tone is key here.) This series is meant to introduce you to the ups and downs of college life, and we're talking real college life. This is TOP-SECRET information. Ok, well, maybe not top-secret.

Ultimately though, keep in mind this series is based on the opinions of a couple of relatively recent college graduates...merely opinions, but valuable nonetheless in order to get a well-rounded view of life beyond high school. Enjoy!

OC...The Academic Side

The Good Stuff:

1. STUDY ABROAD!! (for as long as you can afford it) There's nothing like taking classes for credit in a different country and taking field trips every other day.

2. Waking up at 11am everyday because your classes start at noon...which also enables you to go to sleep everyday at 4am.

3. Consequently, for the early birds, getting done with all classes before 11am and having the entiiiiiiire rest of the day for ANYTHING like a nap, or the beach (San Diego).

4. Taking random, interesting classes that won't make you fall asleep. Trust us, there are a ton! If you have the time, you can take any class in any department (depending on your college and the class'sy prerequisite requirements).

5. Attendance isn't mandatory (although this depends on the professor). I do recommend actually GOING to class; after all, you (or your parents) paid for it, right?

6. Showing up late to class does not result in a detention (yea, you're done with high school). Oh, but you do get the evil eye from classmates and the professor during the walk of shame.

7. Sometimes you only have classes on two days of the week!!...but you might work the other 5 days of the week.

8. If you're really really really smart, or know the curriculum SUPER well, you can theoretically only show up to class to take the exams (or you can fail out really fast).

The Bad Stuff:

1. You still have to pull all nighters to finish papers, projects, etc.

2. There's always a really annoying person sitting in the front row of class disrupting the professor's every word by asking a million questions. Even the professor doesn't like them.

3. Sometimes your classes will have as many as 300 people; although, this may be a good thing depending on your personality.

4. Waking up at 6 a.m. to enroll in the class you really want. We'll have to discuss the enrollment process sometime later...

5. You still have to take some classes that you could care less about...e.g., General Education requirements.

6. You are paying thousands of dollars for a piece of paper with black font and possibly a gold seal on it. (Mine is signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, hehehe.)

7. Depending on your major (*cough* architecture) you might be spending more time at school than you think.........(cue scary music)

So there you have it, some of the good and some of the bad. Regardless, remember that college is what you make of it. The list here is just an arbitrary collection of memories from a cohort of "recent" college graduates.

*Thanks to the other writers for their contributions to this post*

EW! Presents: Show me the...future!

Here's a nifty activity similar to Reality Check, but more gamey (not as in, tastes like rabbit--as in, more like a game).

www.showmethefuture.org

You even get to ride around on a jet pack!

LOCAL! Houston Hispanic Forum

The Houston Hispanic Forum is hosting its annual
Career and Education Day

Saturday, February 7, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
George R. Brown Convention Center
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, Texas 77010

Free Admission
and Lunch!

FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES
6 THROUGH 12
AND THEIR PARENTS

·Speak with professionals about exciting careers

·Complete your FAFSA form and apply for Texas colleges online

·Get the facts about financial aid

For more information,
contact theHouston Hispanic Forum
4635 Southwest Freeway Ste. 360
Houston, Texas 77027
Phone (713) 522-8077
Fax (713) 599-1667
Email: Hispanic_Forum@sbcglobal.net or visit us at www.hispanicforum.org

Introducing the LOCAL! series

In an effort to include more series, we've created the LOCAL! series, which stands for Learning Opportunities in College Access--Locally! Basically this is how we'll identify upcoming events around Houston. So let's keep it local!
(I originally wanted to call it LO-CAL (as in low calorie) but realized it also spelled local which was obviously more appropriate, if not as entertaining.)

Introducing the EW! series

In an effort to make browsing this blog more blissful, we're introducing a series called Exploring the Web (EW!). If you see the title 'EW!' you'll know the post relates to a website that has exciting/pertinent information for you. Also, if you want to find all the posts relating to the web, you can type in EW or websites in the upper-left hand corner and hit 'Search this Blog' and all the posts in the series will pop-up! Happy browsing!

(I've added the EW! title to older posts as well!)

EW! Presents: A Reality Check!

Want the big house? The fancy car? The plasma screen TV? The 13 kids? That's great! (Okay so maybe just 3 kids, but I'm not telling you how to live your life.)
But how much is that lifestyle going to cost you?? Think you can afford all that on an underwater basket weaver's salary? If you said yes to the last question, then it sounds like you need a...REALITY CHECK! (Besides an apparent lack of financial literacy, you also seem to lack an in-depth knowledge of the viability of underwater basket weaving as a profitable career.)

So check out this nifty link! You click your preferences for how much you're willing to spend on things like food, transportation, housing, etc. and then you get a REALITY CHECK (this is not an actual check, it cannot be cashed at any bank) that tells you how much money you'll have to make to afford that lifestyle and what kind of jobs and education can make it possible.

http://www.lmci.state.tx.us/realitycheck/

.

FAT #3: How am I supposed to PAY for college, especially in this economy??

No doubt a lot of you out there are asking yourself this question. Never fear! We have (some of the) answers!!! Or you know what, let's just say we have some advice for both parent and student:

1. FAFSA! The earlier you apply, the more aid you'll (more likely) get. You don't actually need to have filed your income tax return, using estimated tax information will do for now. You will have to correct any discrepancies later. Go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to apply now!

2. Pricey schools sometimes offer MORE aid. Just because the school is pricey does NOT mean you can't afford it! For example, for families with an income < $60,000 Texas A&M University offers free tuition through their Aggie Assurance Program. Click here for "100 Free College Rides You Don't Need Daddy to Pay For." Most of these programs are merit-based and need-based, so if you worked hard in high school, it paid off!

3. Aim a little lower than the Ivies, (or whatever your dream school is) and you might get a merit-based scholarship in addition to other financial aid. Remember, colleges are essentially businesses too; they want more people to enroll with them.

4. GOOGLE it. This may seem obvious, but there are numerous FREE scholarship sources on the internet. Be wary of scholarship scams. If you have to pay to get money...avoid it like the plague.

Read "Diligence, speed will help secure 2009 college aid" for more wise financial aid advice.

For those of you already planning that first year in college: "Financing Your Child's Freshman Year" should provide insight on what you should do.

Explore UT Day! (Somewhat LOCAL!)

Here's an awesome event coming up on March 7th--Explore UT at the University of Texas at Austin from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event is open to students grade K through 12 and with over 700 activities happening all around campus throughout the day, there's bound to be something for everyone!

Check out the details and get a list of events here:
http://www.utexas.edu/events/exploreut/

LOCAL! Education Fair - January 31st

The ladies of the Houston Bayou City Alumni Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority will be hosting an Education/College Fair this Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 8am - 1 pm. It will be held at Sterling High School; located at 11625 Martindale Rd., Houston, TX 77048.

Come out and receive the help of completing your FAFSA applications, TAFSA applications (for the undocumented students), and know more about the FAFSA and its importance. You'll also learn about Student/Housing Life, preparing for the SAT/ACT/THEA, Admissions, and Choosing a major.

There will be door prizes and continental breakfast and lunch will be served.


Come out and get all the information you need!

EW! Presents: Scholarship Hunt

In reference to the previous post, here is a listing of scholarships for undocumented students:
http://www.maldef.org/pdf/Scholarships.pdf

Thanks, "Get," for this one!

FAT #2

"But Miss, I don't got no papers!"

Erase this sentence from your lexicon, because it is no longer an excuse to not go to college. Did you know that even if you are undocumented you can still take the SAT, apply to schools, and receive financial aid? That's right!
The SAT and ACT don't require social security numbers or any proof of citizenship. You need to take a photo id with you to the test, but a school ID works just fine.
In Texas, you can still apply to schools using ApplyTexas. This one application can be used to apply to schools all across the state of Texas*. It works regardless of your or your parents' immigration statuses. As long as you, the student, have lived here for three years, you can go to college in Texas.
Now for the most important piece, paying for school. If you are here illegally, you will have a slightly different way of getting financial aid. In 2002, the Texas government realized it was better for the economy to have students in school and to make it affordable. According to House Bil 1403 and Senate Bill 1528, they are allowed to attend public Texas schools and to receive in-state tuition rates. You just need to fill out the TASFA instead of the FAFSA. This requires pretty much the same documents and numbers from your income taxes as the FAFSA would. You will fill it out on paper and send a copy to every school you applied as well as a notarized affidavit which states that you will become a citizen as soon as possible. This will be processed by the schools and sent back to you with your expected family contribution (EFC) and financial aid package. Find a few scholarships to cover your unmet need, and you are good to go!
Just remember: College is for ALL Texans (regardless of immigration status).

*Some schools, especially the private ones, are not using ApplyTexas, so you must use the Common Application for those. Those applications will be slightly more difficult for undocumented students to get. However, every year more and more schools are joining ApplyTexas.

Financial Aid Tip # 0.5

It has come to my attention that before I spout out any more FAT (Financial Aid Tips)(too gross?) I should probably define Financial Aid. I guess not everyone read the FAFSA for entertainment as children? (Despite what people say about blogging making you feel more connected to the world, this one just continues to make me realize how very, very alone I am.)

Education: Go Get It!'s dictionary defines Financial Aid as follows:
1 - aid of the financial variety (we're working on editing this definition)
2 - any of multiple forms of monetary support to help students pay for college, usually comprised of one or more of the following components:
a. Grants: monies based on need (determined by family income) that do not need to be paid back
b. Scholarships: monies based on merit (grades, performance, sports, etc.) that do not need to be paid back
c. Loans: monies based on need that DO need to be paid back (eventually, over time, with varying amounts of interest (which means you end up paying back more than you originally borrowed))
d. Work Study: jobs given to students based on need that provide spending money

Still confused? Let's 'chew the FAT'--leave a comment, email us with a question, or check out the websites listed in the column on the right!

What is college?

Much like a hot potato, the word 'college' has been, and will continue to be tossed around a lot in this blog.

I'd like to clarify what I mean when I say 'college' because some students might assume this means a four-year school and automatically stop reading. DON'T STOP! ('til you get enough--sorry, couldn't resist.)

Education: Go Get It!'s dictionary defines college as any institution that provides education and/or training beyond high school. This includes (but is not limited to) four-year colleges and universities, two-year community and technical colleges, military schools, apprenticeships, and other training programs.

Financial Aid Tip #1

Financial Aid can be a scary roadblock for many on the path to college. Lucky for you, the more you learn about financial aid, the less scary it becomes--just like potty training (right?).

So begins the first in a new series called, "Financial Aid Tip #..." Okay so the name needs some help--any suggestions?

To help fight your fear, here's tip #1:
Paying for financial aid advice is like taking drugs (stay with me for a second): Just Say No! There is no reason to ever pay someone to help you get financial aid. Countless resources are available that are completely free--check out the list of links on the right side of your screen (there's probably a name for that space, I just haven't figured it out yet).

EW! Presents: College Tours at the click of a mouse

It can be hard to tell if you'll like a college based on it's view book or website. Choosing the right college isn't like choosing a pair of socks; for one thing, if you don't like the pair you've chosen, it's pretty easy to choose a new pair (unless you only have one pair in which case you might want to consider investing in a second, third, fourth, and fifth because if you're wearing the same pair of socks every day they aren't going to last for very long) and for another thing, the socks you choose don't usually have a profound impact on the course of the rest of your life (I'm not saying never). Some students apply to a school, are accepted, and enroll without ever having stepped foot on campus (maybe they didn't have any socks?). While this may work out well for some, it can be risky, especially if you've chosen a school far from home. The point is, choosing the right college for you is a big decision and not one that should be made without seeing it first.

Unfortunately, time and money have often stood in the way of college visits. UNTIL TODAY. (Carmen Sandiego, anyone?)

Now you can explore college campuses across the country from the comfort of your couch! (If your couch happens to be in front of a computer.)

The college application process can become time-consuming and pricey--some students apply to a dozen or so schools (just think: that's at least one essay for each school AND an application fee*) sight unseen. With youniversitytv, save time and money by taking a virtual tour of a school before you decide to apply!

But you don't have to take my word for it! Check it out for yourself:
http://www.youniversitytv.com/

*Don't let that keep you from applying to college! With the Common Application, you can apply to several colleges with one form, thus saving time. With Fee Waivers, you may qualify to apply for free based on family income, thus saving money.

EW! Presents: What's the right school for me?

Here's a nifty tool on the College for All Texan's website that helps you find the perfect college for you:
http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/CollegeMatchUp/

Simply mark your preferences for several categories (public vs. private, rural vs. urban, etc.) and the College Match-up-imacator lists all the schools that fit those criteria.

Once you've found a school matching your needs, you can access the address, phone numbers, and websites along with other pertinent information about your college of choice.


Another great tool on the College for All Texans website is the College Locator which, as the name implies, locates all institutions of higher education in Texas for you.

But you don't have to take my word for it! Check it out for yourself: http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/CollegeLocator/
.

Welcome!

You've probably heard the saying, "Knowledge is Power." You might also have heard the less popular but no less profound, "Girls go to college to get more knowledge." (Gentlemen--it's nothing personal, that's just the saying. You can also go to college; whether you get more knowledge is up to you.) If we then create a simple syllogism, we can say that "College is Power." (Whoa--did that totally just blow your mind?)

Unfortunately, there are many roadblocks on the path to college. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is lack of information--too many people have missed out on educational opportunities because they simply did not know what to do. In an attempt to thwart the monster of ignorance that dashes the hopes and dreams of far too many, this blog is here to give you the weapon of knowledge; with it, may you slay the beast guarding the path to your education!


In all seriousness, this blog is based on 2 fundamental truths:
1 - College is the single greatest investment you can make for your future.
2 - There is NO obstacle on the path to college that you cannot overcome.

It may not be easy, but we're here to help. We're all in this together!

If you have a question about something we've posted, leave a comment and we'll get back to you! Or email us at educationgogetit@gmail.com and we'll respond as soon as possible!