New FAFSA On The Horizon

The newest version of the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will be available online starting on October 1st.

The new changes, some which won’t come into effect for several years include:

• A shorter form FAFSA application form

• Expanded Pell Grant eligibility

• Expected family contribution is renamed The Student Aid Index

• Lifetime Federal direct subsidized loan limits eliminated

• Unemployment during a national emergency can change eligibility

Otherwise much of the form will remain the same until the 2023-2024 school year. For more details check here.

For tips on how to create a FAFSA ID number and begin the process of filling out the applications, check here.

Don’t forget … even if the family income is high, a student should fill out the FAFSA because the formula used for determining financial aid takes much more than just the family income into consideration. The Estimated Family Contribution, or EFC, again calculated on much more than purely income, will directly impact the amount of aid a student will receive. But, with tuition costs have gone up so much, more and more families could be eligible to financial aid. So don’t assume anything, fill out the FAFSA t today!!!

September 2021 College Application Update

Almost exactly a year ago, I posted a blog that is still relevant today, except for a few modifications. It mentions the importance, among other things, of doing research in advance, creating a well-balanced college list, and writing a strong essay. After a year of online learning, COVID restrictions, and all the other things that have contributed to our new normal, almost all of the points mentioned in that year old post are still valid, though there are a few updates.

• Vaccination requirements: More and more both public and private colleges now require students to be fully vaccinated before coming on campus. Incoming freshman should double check their schools’ requirements before driving on camus. If in doubt here’s a state-by-state list of these schools and never hesitate to reach out to the admissions office.

• Common App Essay Prompts: Still a key part of any student’s application, the college essay is the one opportunity for these applicants to use their own voice. This year’s essay prompts continue to offer a wide range of options for students to tell their story.

• Common App Updates: This year’s Common App is further streamlined to help students with every facet of the application process. See those updates here.

• Test Optional Schools: A trend towards eliminating the use of the SAT/ACT scores as a means of evaluating applicants was already growing, but the pandemic and the difficulties students encountered for safely taking these tests last year, prompted many colleges to become test optional, test-flexible or test blind. While this might sound like great news for students who are poor test takers, there are exceptions, conditions and consequences that come along with each of these options and students must understand them before applying to these colleges.

Otherwise, I can’t stress enough that the time put in at this end of the application process will pay dividends come next Spring. Students who do their research and carefully consider all the criteria that is important to them will eliminate a lot of doubt later on in the process.

In review, the three most critical pieces of information needed to identify the best suited schools are: the transcript, GPA/class rank and SAT/ACT scores. Each college ranks the importance of these three elements, and others, differently so make sure to check College Board, and the schools websites, for their policies and admission philosophies.

Have questions?? College Apps Made Easy is always ready to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Common App August Update

As they do every year, the 2020-21 first-year application will be offline from July 29 until its relaunch on Aug 1. The transfer application will be offline from July 30 and relaunching on Aug 1 as well.

Students who have already started their applications need not worry as their account will roll-over and none of their work will be lost.

So, everybody can have a relaxing few days and hit the ground running on Sunday, Aug 1st when the 2020-2021 college application season is officially open.

New Admissions Requirement - Covid-19 Vaccinations

September is fast approaching and all college students, be they part of the incoming freshman class or returning upperclassmen, are looking forward to a return to their college campuses. But, we have a ‘new’ normal and now over 100 US colleges and universities will require students, faculty and staff, to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

College Apps Made Easy strongly suggests that students check with their universities as soon as possible reference their policies on vaccinations before returning to campus. You don’t want to be turned away at the gate.

A Challenging Year

This past year has been difficult for all of us, especially for those students preparing their college applications. Schools were closed, classes were virtual & life as we knew it came to a grinding halt. Even the college application process, a relatively predictable process, was forced to adjust to this new reality, but slowly we are all returning to a new ‘normal.’

On college campuses across the country concerns about Covid-19 and its variants on the campus community remain high as they await the return of students in September. Schools are getting creative in finding ways to motivate students to get vaccinated for their safety and the safety of their fellow students. For example, the University of Nebraska is offering the chance to win weekly prizes to students and faculty with proof of vaccination. Incentives or not, Covid-19 rules will most certainly remain in place at many colleges.

Last year’s uncertainly increased the popularity of the gap year. A virtual freshman year spent confined to your dorm room, or bedroom, with a high tuition bill versus the experiences and maturity gained volunteering or pursuing a passion was not hard choice to make. With the ever rising cost of tuition, it was also an easy financial decision for many.

With life slowly returning to a new normal, so is the college application process. Campus tours, recognized as one of the best ways to gauge whether a school is a good fit academically and personally, are back after having been cancelled last year and asking the right questions is still key to making the most of the visit.

The SAT was repeatedly canceled last year for safety reasons, but is now back to its normal schedule. However, due to last year’s issues the number of test optional schools grew, pushing many more colleges and universities to make the switch. For some this designation is temporary, for others its permanent, but all the schools that did make this choice saw an increase in applications from minority students as a direct result. Some colleges are all together test blind, but you must stay informed because schools are constantly changing their requirements.

The Common App continues to improve, with many new tools to help students navigate the college application process. The essay prompts are familiar and continue to offer students a wide variety of ways to express themselves, but they did eliminate a rarely used essay prompt and replaced it this new one:

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The optional COVID-19 question, located in the Additional Information section, will remain.

The Common Black College App, a.k.a. HBCU Common App, is celebrating its 20th anniversary helping lower-income students apply to college for only $20. Check here for more details.

So if your child is a rising junior, having a good understanding of the importance of this academic year and a little college planning will go a long way. Create a game plan consisting of how to best improve the rigor of your transcript, when to take the SAT/ACT, which schools to visit, etc.

Note: The minimum amount of credits required to graduate from the average high school is NOT the same as having the credits needed to be a competitive candidate. Only core classes, not electives, are considered when evaluating an applicant, therefore it is in the student’s best interest to take a full load of classes both their junior and senior year within the range of their academic strength.

Rising high school seniors, it’s crunch time. You are only a few weeks away from a very exciting, but stressful time in your lives, and being organized will make the difference between getting everything done effortlessly, or not. Those November 1st Early Action/Early Decision deadlines are right around the corner.

Regardless of their academic profile, the same three stats are key to a student’s college application: the rigor of their high school transcript, their GPA/class rank and their SAT/ACT scores. While the order of importance may vary from school to school, all three form the basis of any application.

The ‘perfect’ school for each student does exist, so start today creating a plan on how to put your best foot forward on your college applications.