Deciding to Attend College
Are you planning to attend college? Have you decided to work for a period of time to save money to pay for college? In either case, it is never too late to start planning for your future.
It is important as you make the decision to attend college to consider some suggestions:
- Conduct campus site visits to learn more about the college or institution you want to attend.
- Learn strategies for taking the SAT’s or ACT’s to meet entrance requirements for colleges.
- Understand the financial aid application process for college and how to complete the FAFSA.
- Learn how to research and apply for scholarships.
If you are the first person to attend college in your family, the idea of moving away and the adjustment to college life can be overwhelming. The keys to success will be planning, organizing and navigating your future by working through the college planning process.
My College Planner Tool"
has several different tools that will allow you to organize and collect important information as you prepare for school.
What are the benefits of attending college?
The decision to attend college can lead to career advancement in your specific field of interest, additional job security, and a higher salary.
What does it cost to attend college in Florida?
For more information on current fees and college expenses, visit www.collegeboard.com for additional resources and excellent information about "Preparing for College."
The College Board's website provides specific information regarding college expenses and costs. Below are the associated costs for the University of Central Florida.
A Sophomore at the University of Central Florida is a full time student. This means they carry 12 or more credits a semester and live on-campus. The student works part-time to help pay for college and living expenses.
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Sophomore Student’s Budget at the University of Central Florida: (Estimated for Fall 2009)
- Tuition: $4,526.00 per. year (in-state residence and 30 credit hours)
- Room and Board: $8,574.00 per year
- Books and Supplies: $924.00 per year
- Health Insurance: under parents plan
- Transportation and Gas: $1,800.00 per year
- Personal Expenses: $2,276.00 per year
- TOTAL: $18,100.00 per year
Source:www.collegeboard.com
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Below is an example of estimated expenses for a student who plans to attend Lake Sumter Community College during the (2010-2011) academic year. This estimate is based on the student being a Florida resident who is enrolled in 15 credit hours, living either at home or in an apartment. This budget also applies to commuter students.
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Lake Sumter Community College Cost of Attendance (Fall 2009)
Source:www.collegeboard.com (Lake Sumter Community College)
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Living at Home Costs
- Tuition: $2,556.00
- Room and Board: $1,800.00
- Books and Supplies: $874.00 per. year
- Health Insurance: under parents plan
- Transportation and Gas: $995.00 per. year
- Personal and Medical: $2,051.00 per. year
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Living in the Community or Away
- Tuition: $2,556.00
- Room and Board: $9,627.00
- Personal and Medical: $2,000.00 per. year
- Books and Supplies: $874.00 per. year
- Transportation and Gas: $995.00 per. year
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TOTAL cost per. year: $8,276.00
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TOTAL cost per. year: $16,052.00
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Private or Proprietary Colleges in Florida
Private Colleges in Florida have proprietary information regarding their costs of attendance. Please contact the Admissions Office of that specific school for this information.
Getting Accepted into College
To be considered for admission to a State university in Florida, students must take eighteen core courses and graduate from high school. Admission offices also consider your GPA in the CORE college prep courses and your score on a college entrance exam which can be either the SAT or ACT.
The 18 required CORE courses are:
- English (4 units) 3 units with substantial writing
- Mathematics 3 units (Algebra I and above)
- Natural Science 3 units (2 units with substantial laboratory requirements)
- Social Science 3 units
- Foreign Language 2 units (in the same language)
- Approved Electives 3 units (in certain combinations)
- Note: Any student who graduates from a Florida High School is granted automatic acceptance in a Florida Community College.
What to do in my Senior Year of High School:
- Keep taking classes that challenge you.
- Work hard all year; second semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.
- Stay involved and seek leadership roles in your activities.
- Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
- Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!
- Review the application process for FAFSA and make a note to do the actual application early in the spring once your parents file their income tax returns.
- Go to your mailbox or check on-line everyday to see if acceptance letters or award letters for your financial aid have arrived! Once you have received notification of your acceptance; decide which college best fits your academic goals, career interests, and financial situation. You will have a short window of time available to reply back to the school if you choose to accept or decline the school's offer. Make sure to notify the colleges either way. Those colleges that have limits on enrollment will need a response no later than May 1 of that given year.
- Send a personal thank-you to those individuals who spent time helping you with aspects of your college admissions application, financial aid, scholarships, grants, and student loans. The few minutes that it takes you to handwrite the thank you or send an electronic ‘thank-you” is invaluable to your success in college.
- Pack for college. Don't forget to include things that remind of you of friends, your high school years, family, and your accomplishments! Be prepared for the new opportunities and challenges college will bring. Make sure to checkout a “mentoring” program for new freshman on campus and have a great time your freshman year!
Standard College Testing Information
As mentioned above the standard tests for college admissions are the ACT and SAT. Remember to check specific admissions requirements for the schools you have interest in. Some schools prefer the results from the SAT vs. the ACT. Make sure that you know what your school(s)requires.
For more information, registration, current fees, and test dates go to: www.actstudent.org/index.html
General Calendar for completing the Financial Aid Application process:
 During the fall of your senior year of high school, you should gather admissions and financial aid information from your colleges of interest.
Check with your High School guidance office in the fall of your Senior year and complete the hardcopy FAFSA form or visit www.fafsa.ed.gov.
to complete the form on-line.
Complete the FAFSA after January 1 of the current college enrollment year, but at least four weeks before the earliest financial aid deadline set by the college and any Florida specific scholarship or grant programs to which you are applying for. The deadline for state Student Financial Aid is earlier than the Federal deadline. State forms do not replace filling out the FAFSA. You are still required to fill out the FAFSA to receive federal student aid. In the State of Florida you must complete the State Financial Aid application by May 15, 2010 for the fall school year 2010-2011.
Wait to receive your copy of the Student Aid Report through the regular mail or by an e-mail sent to you. Save time to review the report with your parents and high school guidance counselor. Determine what additional steps need to be taken. "StudentAidReport or SAR".
FAFSA – Federal Student Aid Alerts for APPLICATION DEADLINES:
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Submit 2010-2011 FAFSA on the web applications and Renewal FAFSA on the web applications
by midnight, central daylight time, June 30, 2010.
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Submit corrections for 2010 - 2011 FAFSA on the Web and Renewal FAFSA on the web applications by midnight, central daylight time, September 15, 2010.
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www.fafsa.ed.gov This is where you can locate the "WEB based pre application worksheet" for the upcoming school year. This is intended to help you and your parents get started on completing the FAFSA application for the next school year. There is now available the FAFSA web worksheet for the 2010-2011 school year at the same web address listed above.
| For more detailed information please refer to the Financial Aid brochure. |
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Do you know which type of college you want to attend?
Instructions: Match the letter with the appropriate description.
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Florida’s Scholarship and Grant Programs:
In the State of Florida there are many scholarship and grant programs available to the residents of Florida and their families.
How do I apply for any specific Florida Scholarship or Grant Program?
For "Initial Eligibility" the student will:
Submit a fully completed Initial Student Florida Financial Aid Application during his/her last year in high school (after December 1 and prior to graduation by accessing
www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org online (select State Grants, Scholarships, and Applications, then apply here). The application gives the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) permission to evaluate the student's high school transcript and standardized test scores for eligibility for a Bright Futures Scholarship and other state scholarships and grants.
1. Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program: Please click on the following link for more
information. http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/BF.htm
2. Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG): Depending on your family’s income, you may be eligible for $200 to $2,069 each year of college through one of these grants.
- Florida Public Student Assistance Grant for a public community college or university.
- Florida Private Student Assistance Grant for a nonprofit private college or university.
- Florida Post Secondary Student Assistance Grant for an in-state private college or university.
- You can find the eligible schools at www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org.
3. Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG)
- This grant funds part of the cost for attending one of 27 eligible independent nonprofit colleges or universities; it is not need-based.
- Visit www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org for more detailed information and an application.
- There are specific application procedures established by the participating college or universities. Applications may be obtained at the financial aid office.
4. First Generation Matching Grant Program
The First Generation Matching Grant Program provides need-based grants to undergraduate students who are enrolled in state universities and whose parents have not earned bachelors degrees. Available state funds are contingent upon matching contributions from private sources on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
There are other scholarship and grant programs available to review by visiting: www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org.
Unusual National Scholarship Programs that you might find interesting:
- Scholarship for Left-handed Students
- Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest (high school students)
- Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award
- National Make it Yourself with Wool Competition
How do I apply?
- These scholarships and other’s can be found at www.finaid.org/scholarships
- Get organized and create a checklist for what needs to get accomplished and by when.
- Don't miss deadlines; you will be disqualified with no excuses accepted.
- Make sure you have a "well-rounded" background with a balance in student activities, leadership roles, community service, and academic success.
- Writing a good application essay is the key to success in winning a scholarship. Writing an application essay that is memorable and engages the reader can have a big impact on whether you win a scholarship.
- Letters of Recommendation are a critical part of the scholarship application process. The teachers and other people you ask to write you a letter of recommendation will be presenting you to the selection committee. They will be comparing you to other students . It is important to make sure the committee understands why they should select you as a winner!
Additional Resources and Information for Students:
National Association for College Admission Counseling sponsors about 60 college fairs nationwide. Check out their website for more information at www.nacacnet.org
Free Application for Federal Student Aid can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
An excellent resource for “your life after high school” is www.nextstepmagazine.com. This is a published magazine and has excellent tools, resources, and guidelines for college applications, college life, and current college trends.
A Florida specific site that talks about “your life after high school” is www.floridanext.com. This site gives ideas on scholarships and financial aid specific to Florida, college and tech schools in Florida and ideas for making cash or money during college.
This website provides detailed information about the Florida Dept. of Education and OSFA (Office of Student Financial Assistance) www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org. Florida Dept. of Education and OSFA serve as the guarantor for the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the administrator of the Florida’s scholarship and grant programs.
This website has a section specifically designed for outside of Florida scholarship information and databases for searching other resources to help students pay for their education. There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships both common and unusual that are awarded to students each year. Check it out! www.finaid.org/scholarships
www.nationalmerit.org Each year some 55,000 high school students are honored in National Merit Scholarship Corporation programs and more than 10,500 of the most outstanding participants receive scholarships worth a total of $50 million for college undergraduate study.
www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org This is a national on-line scholarship site, which provides on-line access to the Hispanic Scholarship directory, current scholarship information from corporate sponsors and other success stories of students who have received scholarship money.
www.facts.org This is the official online student advising website for the State of Florida.
High school students, college students, parents, and even counselors can use the services provided on this website to help plan and track educational progress in Florida! FACTS.org is provided free by the Florida Department of Education to help students make informed choices about their education.
www.actstudent.org/index.html - A student site (high school) for ACT test takers. Helpful information for test preparation, registration for testing dates and sites. This site also includes detailed information on how to interpret scores.
www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/SAT/ - The College Board provide on-line SAT exam registration, on-line test preparation learning module, and a calendar to help plan for exam dates, locations, and times.
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