PL Page: Students find college money at FASFA labs

Shawn Butcher’s 90-minute visit to a financial aid workshop this week was almost as euphoric as winning the lottery.

The mother of three high school seniors was one of several parents who attended a FAFSA lab at Mississinewa High School. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students who want to pursue college must complete the FAFSA by March 10^th. The Community Foundation of Grant County, Grant County Superintendents’ Consortium and Project Leadership partnered to host the labs, which are coming to each high school in Grant County this month. The labs are conducted by Murray & Associates: The National Center for College Costs.

The lab produced grins all around for the Butcher family.

“In half an hour I just made $16,000,” said Shawn as she completed her first FAFSA with her son Michael. “Where else can I go and make that kind of money in half an hour?”

Shawn completed online FAFSA applications for each of her three children who will be attending college next year. Thanks to the financial aid and FAFSA completion, Michael, Shawna and Amanda will be attending Lincoln Tech, Manchester College and Ivy Tech.

Based on her experience, Shawn encouraged other parents to participate in the FAFSA labs.

“It’s definitely worth taking your lunch break or personal time,” she said.

“If I don’t invest in my kids, who will?” Shawn said. “This is an investment in their future. They talk about human capital. I feel like I’ve increased the capital in my little part of the world.”

Grant County parents and students will have three more opportunities to attend labs. The high school labs will be Feb. 22 at Eastbrook; Feb. 23 at Marion; and Feb. 24 at Oak Hill. The labs are open from the start of school until 7 p.m. each of those days.

Shawn was thankful she didn’t miss the opportunity. On her way out of the Mississinewa FAFSA lab, she stopped for one last task.

Shawn, who’s pursuing her dream in a business career by attending Indiana Wesleyan University, decided to fill out her own FAFSA.

To keep up to date with Project Leadership's programming, check out the PL page in the Chronicle-Tribune!

Attention seniors: Financial aid labs are coming to your high school

The senior year of high school can seem like an endless parade of important deadlines. Test registrations. College applications. But few deadlines are as important to remember as March 10th. In the state of Indiana this is the deadline for filing the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid and each and every student intending to enter into higher education within the next year needs to complete this form.

For many, the prospect of completing the FAFSA can be scary, especially if it is your first time.

Angela Spangler, director of Adult and Graduate Financial Aid at Indiana Wesleyan University, said many people instantly get a little overwhelmed by the FAFSA. Spangler recalls feeling that way herself many years ago when she was preparing to go to college.

“I remember very clearly filling out the FAFSA for the first time,” she says. “I remember thinking if I filled it out wrong that the IRS was going to padlock and take me to jail.”

Spangler’s advice: “Don’t be afraid. Financial aid doesn’t have to be a terribly difficult process. Before you get frustrated, know that there’s hope out there.”

Mississinewa senior, Nathan Hobbs, agrees that there is both hope and help out there for seniors applying for financial aid.

“We’ve been hearing about FAFSA since our junior year,” he says. “Seniors just need to do it while they have the help available.”

Project Leadership in partnership with the five Grant County school systems and the National Center for College Costs will be offering help in the form of FAFSA labs at each of Grant County’s high schools during the weeks of February 14th and 21st.

FAFSA Labs will begin at the start of the school day when each senior English class will be brought down to complete their FAFSA online and consult with a representative from the National Center for College Costs. Labs will continue to be open after school until 7 p.m. for families to complete their forms and meet with financial aid professionals.

While Grant County’s FAFSA Labs are being brought directly to the high school seniors in our community, current college students and parents looking at attending college are also invited to take advantage of this free service.

According to Spangler, it’s important to remember that the first F in FAFSA stands for “free.” She cautions people against being drawn in by services that solicit payment to complete the forms.

“Don’t ever get caught up in a trap to pay to have anyone do it for you,” she says. “Find someone else who’s been through the process and gain knowledge from them.”

‘AFFIRM’ DEADLINE

With January behind us, seniors have just four full months of school left before they cross the graduation stage and enter upon their post-high school educations. Still, there is much to be done to prepare for this journey.

This week, seniors should be thinking about the Twenty-first Century Scholars affirmation process.

As the clock continues to tick closer and closer to Indiana’s March 10th deadline for financial aid applications, it’s important to remember that March 10th is also the deadline for high school seniors to affirm as Twenty-first Century Scholars.

Twenty-first Century Scholars are those students who qualified for the program in 7th and 8th grade and made a pledge to stay off of drugs and alcohol, refrain from committing a crime, graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 grade point average and apply on time for financial aid. In return for keeping this pledge, students can receive up to eight semesters of free tuition to an Indiana college or university.

In order to receive their Twenty-first Century Scholarship, seniors must complete and submit both the FAFSA and an affirmation form before the March 10th deadline.

For more information on Twenty-first Century Scholars, the affirmation process or to receive an affirmation form, call Project Leadership at (765) 651-0650 or the Regional Twenty-first Century Scholars Office at (765) 289-2291, ext. 1475.

Project Leadership’s Annual Bowling Party

Project Leadership will be holding its annual bowling party on February 26th at Marion Fun Center, 705 West 37th Street, Marion. The party will last from 6-8 pm and Project Leadership mentors, mentees and their families are all welcome to attend.

Additionally, any eligible 6th, 7th or 8th grader completing a Twenty-first Century Scholar application is also welcome to attend this event with their family.

For more information and Twenty-first Century Scholar eligibility requirements, call Project Leadership at (765) 651-0650.

PL Page: Big Impact!

Have you ever been a mentor? Ever wondered about the difference you make? Could make? In honor of National Mentoring Month, Grant County’s Twenty-first Century Scholars reach out to their Project Leadership mentors to explain why what they do matters.

To keep up to date with Project Leadership's programming, be sure to check out the PL page in the Chronicle-Tribune!

Countdown to graduation

Start thinking ‘FAFSA’

Seniors have a lot to think about as they enter the last semester of their high school careers. Starting with today’s PL page and continuing throughout this school semester, look for timely tips for seniors during this busy and crucial time in their educational careers.

Today’s focus is on preparing for the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Every student who plans to further their educations after high school needs to complete the FAFSA. During February there will be plenty of one-on-one help available at each of Grant County’s five high schools. Look for a complete listing of FAFSA lab hours at your local high school in upcoming PL page editions.

What seniors need to be focusing on now is getting together the necessary documents and paperwork that they’ll need to complete the FAFSA. Below is a list of materials students should have on hand when it is time to complete the FAFSA:

Your Social Security Number
Your driver's license or state ID (if any)
Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
Your 2010 Federal Income Tax Return
Your parents' 2010 Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
Your untaxed income records - Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
Your current bank statements
Your alien registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen).

New coalition focuses on college success

What could your business do to help get Grant County students to complete college? Does your church or organization have a program that assists college students? What can you, as an individual, do to make a difference in getting local students on a college campus?

These are some of the questions being asked by the Grant County College Success Coalition. And the coalition wants you to be involved in finding the answers.

The Grant County College Success Coalition is a network of local schools, businesses, churches, non-profit agencies and community service organizations interested in making higher education a priority for Grant County’s students. Made possible by Indiana’s Learn More Indiana partnership, the Grant County College Success Coalition is part of a comprehensive statewide effort to increase the percentage of Hoosiers who attend college and complete a college certificate or degree within four years.

The first Grant County Coalition meeting will be held at 6 p.m. January 19th at the Mississinewa High School library. Coalition members and those interested in learning more about this new initiative are to the hour long information session. Assistance will be available for those interested in registering for Coalition membership.

Organizations from around the county are invited to become a part of the Grant County College Success Coalition by visiting the coalition website at: www.grantcountycsc.org

Here, interested organizations can register to become a part of the coalition, view local school data, share college success activities, and learn about upcoming coalition meetings.

“Our hope is that the Grant County College Success Coalition will come to represent the different facets of our community,” said Tammy Pearson, Project Leadership director. “We would like schools and youth serving organization represented in the group, but we’d also like to see churches, businesses and civic organizations making a commitment to promote college attendance and completion to local students.”

Member organizations will learn about academic rigor, college opportunities, financial aid, and college access mentoring. They will also explore small and comprehensive activities that organizations can implement to help students and adults get to college.

“Promoting college access can be as elaborate as planning a campus visit or as simple as distributing flyers,” said Steve Gibson, Project Leadership education liaison. “Every organization has a part to play in establishing high expectations for the students in our county. Through the coalition we can serve as a resource for one another in developing this community wide push.”