Financial Aid

6 Ways Colleges and Universities Award Financial Aid

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Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on Admitted in November 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

When parents and students complete financial aid and scholarship applications they hope the end result provides a significant amount of funding.

Net price calculators and other tools can help predict a student’s projected cost of attendance. But too often, families wait until the initial financial aid award letters arrive from colleges and then wonder how to finance the gap between what was offered and their own resources.

Help the families you serve by familiarizing yourself with the most common methods used by colleges to award financial aid. By reviewing a college’s website, talking to a school representative, or even taking a campus tour, you can gain knowledge about the institution’s approach to helping families fund a college education.

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Access, College Admission, NACAC News

#NACACreads: Join Our Next Discussion

From identifying right-fit schools to securing financial aid and selecting classes — success in higher education is intrinsically linked to a student’s ability to make informed decisions about their future and follow through on their plans.

Discuss new ways to help students navigate this critical process during an April 18 #NACACreads chat with Benjamin Castleman, author of The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messages and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education.

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Importance of School Counselors, NACAC News

Student-to-Counselor Ratios: See How Your State Stacks Up

School counselors in US public schools currently serve an average of 482 students, a caseload nearly twice the recommended maximum of 250.

That finding is highlighted in a new report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) showing that the average student-to-school counselor ratio has increased by 1 percent over the past decade.

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College Admission

Ode to an Admission Rep

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My youngest children—twins my wife and I adopted in Kenya during our 14 years there—are just beginning the college search process.

They are now 16, and my daughter and I went on a college tour last week. We visited two large public schools and two small private schools. We got up at 3 a.m. to make a flight, and our first school was a very large public university. It was a great tour, and our rep had gone beyond expectations to make it personal for my daughter. But then, something extraordinary happened.

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Uncategorized

Report: More Single Moms Pursuing Higher Ed

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Single moms are among the fastest growing populations on college campuses, but the group’s graduation rates don’t reflect this positive trend.

There are about 2.1 million single moms in college, according to a recent report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Single moms now comprise more than 11 percent of college students, up from 7.8 percent in 1999.

However, only 28 percent of single moms who entered college between 2003 and 2009 completed their degree or certificate program within six years. Compare this to 40 percent of married mothers or 57 percent of women in college without children.

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Importance of School Counselors

Why I Love Being a School Counselor

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Editor’s Note: National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, is always celebrated the first full week in February. Learn more about this year’s celebration and use the comment section below to let us know why you love being a school counselor. 

When asked what I like most about my job, I always respond with: “Life is lived in my office.” My work days are filled with the highs, and occasionally the lows, of teenagers navigating high school, reflecting on their experiences, and planning for the future. As students share their lives with me, often with laughter yet sometimes through a few tears, it is inspiring. If anyone doubts we will soon find a nation filled with creative, diligent, and altruistic leaders, then they should spend a day with me.  And here’s why:

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Importance of School Counselors

Why You Should Celebrate National School Counseling Week

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It just figures that National School Counseling Week starts the day after the Super Bowl. The country gorges on guacamole-covered chicken wings on Sunday, and when America’s most misunderstood group of educators asks for three nacho chips and a high-five on Monday, the country is too tired to party.

In some ways, we don’t mind. The last time we made headlines, most people surveyed felt that school counselors were more of a hindrance than a help in applying to college. Before that, we were the punch line of a car ad — “Your guidance counselor drives a minivan” — or we were known as the washed-up teachers who were given offices close to the principal so he could keep an eye on us.

But Jenny doesn’t see us that way.

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Importance of School Counselors

Celebrate National School Counseling Week

National School Counseling Week kicks off on Monday. The annual five-day event, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the many ways counselors help students succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Fun contests and local events are scheduled across the country, making it the perfect time for school counselors to celebrate the profession they love.

This year’s theme is “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars.” Photo and video challenges are planned throughout the week

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