(Joe’s on vacation this week, so welcome guest blogger Lee!)

These days, most college students need some moolah, whether it’s to pay for an additional book, on-campus parking or the late night pizza.  One of the more common ways for a student to earn some money is through a part-time job on (or near) campus in a Federal Work Study or a Institutional Work Study position.  (Really, the only difference between the two programs is where the money comes from.  With Federal Work Study, your school receives federal money to subsidize the program, where as the Institutional program is funded by your school alone.)  Federal Work study is offered at most colleges and universities.  Students qualify for the program based on your financial situation, which is determined when your family files the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). So when you have been offered work study, where do you go to find a job?

The best ways to find work study at your school are by speaking with the Financial Aid Office, checking out the student employment section of your school’s website, bulletin boards & resource fairs.  Often times, the work study coordinator will try and match up your major with a suitable open position or possibly look to non-profits in the community for an opening.  A work study position provides great experience and is a resume builder, but how much can you make?

 Once your school calculates your financial aid award letter, they will have an idea of how many hours you can work. Usually students work anywhere from 5-20 hours per week and make at least minimum wage and are paid out bi-weekly.  The great thing about the federal work study option is that the money earned is not considered filing the FAFSA in the following year, so this employment opportunity won’t reduce your eligibility for financial aid the next year, but gives you spending money this year!. 

A work study job is a great way to not only make money, but to gain valuable work experience in your field.   When I was in college, I was able to work in the Financial Aid Office in my school and garner some valuable experience that helps me today in my work as a college counselor with the Center for College Planning.  Take a peek at the work study jobs currently available at Keene State College here.

The important thing to remember is that school work is always the first priority so stay organized and have fun!

Work hard,

Lee

        

Hey there Bloggers:

From now on I will be writing to all of you from a college campus! It doesn’t matter where I am: the library, my apartment, a lounge, or even the dining hall. Speaking of the dining hall, have any of you guys been worrying about that freshmen 15 you’ve heard so much about? Well, if you answered yes, then don’t stress out too much. This blog can be a helpful resource for all of you college students in care—or soon-to-be college students in care—on how to stay healthy and stay fit during your years on campus.
Let’s face it; we don’t have to be college freshmen to gain 15lbs in a short period of time, and it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re in care, out of care, or in after care. Only you and your choices are what will determine how your weight is managed. With that being said, here a few tips that help me maintain a healthy weight:

-Minimize procrastination. Procrastination causes stress, stress causes anxiety, and anxiety can cause overeating. I know that when I get all of my work done on time, and I’m not worrying about how I’m going to cram all of my assignments into one night, I tend to eat food that is better for me and my thinking processes.

-Exercise a few times a week. I know we think that we’re getting in a lot of walking on campus, but we’re also eating a lot of pizza and fries and walking just won’t cut it. The first couple of weeks are going to be the hardest when it comes to managing your time and figuring out the best time to go on a run or hit the gym. But don’t worry! Once you’re used to your schedule and you’re completely settled into your new life style, finding time for healthy exercise will be a piece of cake—a piece of healthy cake that is.

-Make healthy choices. When it comes time to go to the dining hall and decide what you should have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the options can seem endless. We all want to eat tons of bacon, waffles loaded with syrup, chicken wings, pizza with fries, and all the delicious greasy stuff. But those things should be eaten in moderation and not on a daily basis. That’s where your will power comes in. Try eating some yogurt, or whole grains, protein, and fruits vegetables. And try to drink more milk, water, and real fruit juices instead of lots of soda.

These are just a few things that help me to keep my body and my mind working properly and feeling good. Of course, they won’t work for everyone and you might even disregard my advice for your first year of college. But that’s okay. We all learn at our own pace and in our own ways. Sometimes we have to gain before we can learn how to maintain.

Until next time,

Kendra

        

Download | Duration: 00:29:51

In this August edition, listen to the college counselors discuss the college interview, college fairs, and tips for packing for college. As always if you have any questions regarding the topics covered in this podcast feel free to contact the college counselors at 1.888.7.GRADUATE x119.

Enjoy,

Rich

        

I don’t know about you guys but when Bill Gates talks about technology, I listen.  A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education  cites Mr. Gates opinion that technology has the power to make a first class education available to anyone, not just those sitting in the classroom of a school with a $200,000 price tag.

According to Gates speech, posted on You Tube by an attendee at a Techonomy Conference in California, the internet will soon deliver some of the best lectures in the world for free to those who want it.  He refers to the elite education you can get at higher tier schools as “place-based” meaning that you are only privy to the top lectures and classroom experiences if you are at Harvard or MIT.  In the current economy, the ability to pay for schools with such a high price tag is diminishing but the desire to have a strong education is not.  According to Gates, access to some of the best lectures in the world will make a “place-based” education less important and accessible to anyone with the desire to get it. 

I tend to agree with this position.  If a person has the desire and the ability to study at a higher level, why should the size of their pocketbook be a deterrent?  So, what do you think?  Will access to internet change the importance of “place-based” colleges?

Best,

Kerry

        

Hey Bloggers:

This past week I had the privilege of attending the 6th Annual DCYF Teen Conference at NHTI in Concord. I saw a lot of familiar faces and met a lot of new people. I also got to sit on a panel and answer your questions about what college life is like and the anxieties that I experienced in the beginning. One of the things you guys were really interested in is the difference between living at home (with foster parents, family members, etc.) and living in a dorm. So, the question I started asking myself is: What is the biggest difference between living at home and living in college; and is it a bigger deal for a foster kid than your average college student?

For myself, and for almost all foster kids and your average college students, the biggest difference between living at home and living in a dorm is the level of independence it grants you. There is no one setting your curfew, telling you who you can or cannot hang out with, demanding you clean your room, stopping you from sleeping in, or forcing you to study for an exam that is slowly creeping up on you. That’s just not how it works. You do have leaders (Resident Assistants) in the dorms, though, who make sure you’re not doing things that are disruptive, offensive or even illegal, but for the most part they are more like fellow students/friends who ask you to do the right thing when you’re clearly doing something wrong.

But being independent has both an up-side and a down-side to it. The upside is that you’re finally free to do what you want, when you want, where you want, with who want, and however you want to do it. YOU choose whether you’re going to study or go out with friends; YOU choose whether you’re going to go to that 8am class or sleep right through it; YOU choose everything! But being in control of all of your choices isn’t always all its cracked up to be.

The down-side to being independent is the pressure! Yes, making all of your own decisions puts a lot of weight on your shoulders that you might not be used to feeling. For most people, getting a second or third opinion about an important decision is usually very helpful. But as a freshmen in college the struggle is finding someone you trust enough to turn to with your important decisions. You might have an exam to study for but there is a really good event going on. Most of your fellow freshmen will tell you that you’ll be fine... exams are so easy as long as you go to class. An upperclassman might tell you that studying for a few more hours before you go out sounds like a good happy medium as long as you are pretty familiar with the material. But an adult might tell you that there are always going to be great social events, and if you don’t do well on the exam you might not make the grades you need to in order to stay in college and see more of those opportunities. The best advice to take, in this particular situation, is coming from the adult. It might not be what you want to hear, or even what you end up doing, but at least you know that there are options. Because, at the end of the day, the decision is yours to make and the outcome will fall back on only you--not your friend, not the upperclassman, not the adult--YOU!

So, to answer the second question, yes, being completely independent is a bigger deal to a foster kid than your average college student in most cases. It is a hard transition from having an immeasurable amount of restrictions to having almost no restrictions at all. Most of your average college students do not experience the same kinds of restrictions as most foster kids do. Don’t get me wrong, because the transition is hard for all freshmen, but it can be harder for some foster kids, who go from experiencing almost no freedom, to having complete freedom all at once. Demonstrating good judgment in decision making is very challenging and one of the biggest lessons to learn as a college student. Making mistakes is part of the process, but make sure you‘re learning from your mistakes and not repeating them. Don’t worry, though, the more you make decisions the easier it will become to do the right thing.

Remember: With being independent, and making your own decisions, comes taking responsibility for your own actions. YOU are in control of everything you do and everything you say. You can’t blame anyone else anymore... the weight is all on your own shoulders. Sometimes doing the right thing is harder, but it’s what will keep you one step ahead of your peers, and one step closer to your dreams. 

Enjoy the last couple weeks of summer, friends! The next time I write I will back on campus--hooray!! =)

Until next time,
Kendra

        

Hey Bloggers,

I was reading this Washington Post article about college interviews and I started thinking about my own college admission journey.  I didn’t have to do an interview but, in retrospect, I think I would have liked to.  The admissions process can seem so impersonal at times.  The admissions reps are looking at your grades and your SAT scores and, of course, your essays and recommendations but doesn’t it seem like the only way to truly know a candidate is to meet them face to face?

The article goes through the different processes that colleges use if they require or suggest an interview.  According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the importance of the interview is rising in importance in the eyes of college administrators.  Some schools, like Wake Forest University in North Carolina, are even offering web cam interviews for candidates who can’t make the trip. 

If you know what to expect and you prepare for an interview, it can be a great way to put a face with your application.  A great interview can leave a lasting impression on the person who will ultimately decide whether or not to admit you to that school.  For some though, the prospect of a face to face interview is daunting.  Try practicing with a parent or another adult.  Put together a list of questions that you really want to know the answer to but are not typical questions either.  If you can get past the nerves, the interview can be an incredible opportunity to show them who you really are. 

If you are looking for some tips about how to get creative or have questions about preparing for the college interview you can attend a workshop at our offices in Concord.  The next presentation of The College Interview is on 8/18 at 3pm.  You can register today by clicking this link.

Good Luck!

Kerry

        

You can’t wait to get into that Psych 101 class.  It sounds so interesting and the professor has a great reputation and the textbook….the textbook cost $150 bucks!  What?  Textbooks for a semester of college can have an outrageous price tag attached.  A single semester of required college texts can run up to $600.  Just when you thought the financial piece of the college puzzle had ended, the dreaded textbook bill looms.

I started thinking about it as I read this article in the Wall Street Journal about the high cost of college text books and the increasing debate regarding the burden those costs put on already strapped college students. Traditionally, students have purchased their textbooks at the campus bookstore in the hopes of selling the used book back at the end of the term.  The problem is that the resale value of the text isn’t even close to the original cost.  Students can feel duped and stuck with a book they may never use again.

In recent years, financially savvy students have turned to the web to seek out inexpensive alternatives and, not surprisingly, they have found them.  Sites like Amazon and Half.com offer used textbooks at a fraction of the cost of what campus bookstores charge. 

Another growing trend is the idea of renting textbooks from a site such as Chegg.com.  The idea is simple.  Rent, read and return the books for pennies on the dollar.  It is kind of like Netflix for books!  If that isn’t enough to entice you to go the rental route, Chegg.com will plant a tree for every textbook you rent.  Saving money and saving the earth…your parents will think you are so responsible!

Best,
Kerry

        

Hi there, Bloggers:

Today I was thinking about financial challenges--one of the most stressful parts of the college student lifestyle--because I am going through my own money problems. As a freshman you have bigger things to worry about like fitting in, adapting to dorm life, finding classes, managing your time, ect. But as you become accustomed to all of the new changes and college life is normal to you, other things become harder to handle. So, I ask the question: Is money really a stress factor, especially for foster kids?

The answer to that question is YES! Money is always a huge stress factor! As foster kids, financial stress can be even harder to manage and sometimes even more stressful than it might be for the average college student, who is declared "dependent". What is a dependent you ask? Well, the difference between a dependent and an "independent" is that the dependent student has financial support and the independent student does not. Take me for example. I am declared independent, i.e. I am responsible for my own college expenses such as tuition, room and board, food, books/school supplies, utilities, etc. The average college student has parents/a parent helping them with a lot of their financial needs, and worries more about having extra spending money on hand, rather than how to pay their bills.

So, what do you do when you're a foster kid with no real monetary income? The answer is: you work really hard to support yourself. Now, that doesn't mean you have to work a full-time job, on top of being a full-time student and possibly even an athlete or club member of some sort. What it really means is talk to your social worker, your foster parents, your guidance counselors and your mentors for advice. There are all kinds of scholarships, grants, waivers and vouchers that you can receive in addition to your financial aid package. All you have to do is find out which ones you're eligible for, fill out the application, and wait for your response. Some applications take no time at all to fill out, and others want to know a little bit about your life and what you want to do in the future. Either way, you're given the opportunity to tell someone else about your struggles in the system, and explain how you want to turn those struggles into successes. I've found that nine times out of ten there is someone out there who understands what you're going through and is willing to help you reach your goals and make all of your dreams come true. But first you have to help yourself in order for someone else to want to help you as well. A great place to start is just by asking for help. I promise it will be completely worth it!

Remember: We all deserve to have support, whether its emotional or financial. Money doesn't have to be stressful if you don't want it to be. All it takes is a little bit of your time and energy to ask for help and fill out applications, and you can be set for a full academic year.

Take care,
Kendra

        

Download | Duration: 00:37:53

In this July edition, listen to the Center for College Planning expert counselors discuss last minute funding for college, career exploration, and highlighting the College Summer Series. As always, if this podcast raises any questions for you, feel free to call the counselors at 1.888.7.GRADUATE x119 or check out their schedule of events at www.nhheaf.org/events.asp.

Enjoying the Summer,

Rich

        

The first college bill arrives in the mailbox and it is starting to sink in.  College is expensive and financial aid often comes in the form of federal loans rather than scholarship or grants.  Loans, as we all know, accrue interest and need to be paid back after graduation.  Not to mention that pesky gap. 

The gap is the outstanding amount of the tuition bill that has not been covered by scholarships, grants or federal student loans.  The gap can cause alarm for students and parents alike because it can be a large sum of money and it is due fairly quickly as semester one of freshman year approaches.  Colleges expect that the tuition bill is paid or arrangements have been made to pay the bill before you can move into your dorm and begin your classes.  Once all federal loan options have been exhausted, many families turn to private student loans to help cover the remaining costs.  As college is a four year investment, many students find themselves in the position of graduating with a degree but also a mountain of debt.  So the question is…how much is too much? 

This CNN Money article discusses private loans and increasing student debt.  The idea is, if you need to utilize private lenders to satisfy the gap in your tuition bill, do your homework. Paying the interest on a private loan while you are in school is a good start. We have compiled a list of private lenders here at NHHEAF to help make the process that much easier. 

Give us a call at 1.888.7.GRADUATE x119 to make an appointment to come in and discuss funding options beyond financial aid.

Best,

Kerry