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| February 2008 : Volume 2, Issue 11 |
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Welcome to ACT Parent, a monthly newsletter to help you guide your kids through middle school and high school toward college and a career. We know that sometimes you feel like you're in survival mode. We'll try to make the process a little less stressful.
If you have comments or suggestions, we'd like to hear from you. Contact us at actparent@act.org.
In this issue:
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 Financial aid questions to ask colleges
Understanding the financial aid process can be hard, and you may not know where to turn for answers. The financial aid officers at colleges and universities are there to help. Following are some questions the Associated Colleges of the Midwest organization suggests families ask:
- What kind of financial assistance does the college offer: need-based,
merit-based or both?
- Can the college provide an early estimate of what our financial aid award
might be?
- What forms are needed in order to apply?
- When are financial aid applications due?
- What costs for a student are taken into account by the financial aid office? Tuition, room, board, transportation? What about additional expenses such as
books, fees, computers and personal expenses?
- What is included in the comprehensive fee? For example, do students
have to pay extra for computer time or to attend campus events (concerts, plays,
films, lectures, athletic events, etc.)?
- When will we be notified about the amount of assistance we can expect?
- Does the institution have an appeal process to review special circumstances?
- Is there a commitment for financial assistance beyond the first year?
- How and when do we apply for financial assistance after the first year?
- What if we do not qualify for need-based aid? Are there alternative
financing options available?
- What grants, loans and work-study opportunities does the college offer?
- Are there any we might be eligible for?
- What is the average student loan indebtedness of the college's graduates?
- Is there a restriction to the length of time that financial assistance will continue?
- How long does it typically take a student to graduate from this college?
Four years? Longer?
- What impact do scholarships from outside sources have on other
financial aid?
- Can we apply financial aid toward an off-campus study program, either
in the U.S. or another country?
- What happens if our family's financial situation changes substantially
during the school year?
- Are there payment options available, such as monthly or quarterly?
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Listen up! ACT's Prep Talk covers financial aid
Financial aid is foremost in the minds of parents of seniors right now, with parents of younger students lining up to take their turn next. ACT offers a podcast on financial aid on the student website.
ACT produces Prep Talk, a podcast that covers a number of college planning topics, for families to download and listen to. In the financial aid podcast, Cathy Wilcox from the financial aid office at the University of Iowa answers questions families want to know about filing for financial aid and working with a college financial aid office.
So ask your child to take a break from downloading music, pull up a chair and download Prep Talk. And if there are topics you'd like to see covered, send them to preptalk@act.org.
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ACT now provides a college prep video to help parents whose children take EXPLORE® and PLAN. The video, "Using EXPLORE and PLAN to Get Ready for College," is provided in addition to websites on each program and print materials available through school counselors.
The video shows how one student learned he needed more than athletic talent to prepare for his future after he took EXPLORE in 8th grade. The video also explains how EXPLORE and PLAN work with the ACT to provide educational and career planning information to students so they can plan their futures.
Parents and students can find additional information on EXPLORE and PLAN and the ACT online.
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ACT test date reminder
The next nationwide ACT testing date is April 12, 2008. The regular registration date is March 7, and the late registration deadline is March 21. Another national test date is coming up on June 14. The regular registration deadline is May 9 and the late registration deadline is May 23. Create an account for online registration and test date information. Students registering online should register early to avoid heavy Web traffic and delays.
ACT offers an optional Writing Test. Find out about the Writing Test on the ACT student website, including which colleges require or recommend the test.
The website also provides test prep aids, including free sample test questions, and ACT Online Prep™, an online ACT test prep program. You'll also find test day tips, a list of items to bring to the test, and details on what types of calculators are allowed on the Math Test.
For questions about the ACT test, visit ACT's student website.
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