by Tom O'Hare | Aug 15, 2024 | College Admissions, College Planning, Financial Aid
School Bells Will Be Ringing
Yes, I am happy to report that the new school year begins shortly. There will be new surroundings, classes, new and old, and opportunities to explore and grow. But before they go, there’s time to talk…
Don’t forget to read the bottom
Exploration with New Skills
The high school scene will welcome 9th and 10th graders who will quickly realize they’re not in Kansas anymore. The size of the build(s) and student body, new classroom demands, and personal (social) pressures can derail expectations. Students in these grades must learn about study skills, time management, accountability, and how to explore their academic interests and hobbies. Their abilities are there if they’re already involved in athletics, dance, gaming, robotics, and performing arts. It’s time to get them to gel in the classroom.
Pivotal Time
There is no time like the present: 11th Grade is the critical period to spark the life after high school conversation. It’s the time to organize thoughts and ideas and schedule activities, visits, and action items. Yes, final decisions come next year, but the clock ticks quickly from here on in. Academic interest, test or no test, where to go, how to get in, financing confusion, and what if I’m not ready? There are too many critical decisions, and it is time to talk, plan, and prepare for the future – A pivotal time.
Scrambling
If a plan is not in place and ready to be acted on, it’s senior scramble time!! What typically takes the whole junior year must be condensed into 3-6 months. It’s doable but faster with a focus on details and deadlines. Planning and preparation are essential whether you’re heading to college or considering a different path. The scenery might change, but the need for a solid plan doesn’t.
College Class of 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028
Don’t underestimate your responsibilities as a college student. If you are returning with a year to complete or enroll for the 1st time, your job awaits. Upper grades are about internships, networking, research projects, and preparing to enter the workforce or grad school. New surroundings, friends, and the reality that college academics are more challenging than anticipated await 1st year students. Time management, seeking help, getting involved, and leaning on trusted faculty and peers will make college successful. Don’t forget your parent(s) and loved ones are thinking of you; check in occasionally.
5 Keys to Successful Life After High School Planning
- Communication – #1 ingredient – the secret sauce for a successful experience. An open and two-way flow of information and conversation.
- Expectations – agree or disagree, revealing what they are and how everyone understands their merits keeps things open.
- Understanding the Game—Knowledge is power—Asking questions is vital to finding answers, and seeking information makes you a wiser consumer.
- Be Realistic—Dream big, but have your feet on the ground. Students should be encouraged to find their education, work, and career path. However, out of fear, societal pressures, and the lack of honest guidance, students limit their options to find their authentic selves. Let’s eliminate the focus on rankings, better is best, myths, and those dam societal pressures. Let’s shift the conversation to Dream Big, Be Realistic, and Be Proud!
- Have a Plan – Mapping a student’s path after high school can create uncertainty, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of lack of control. College, work, skilled professional, military service, a gap year can easily lead to I don’t know! Sometimes, the pressure can make one seem like the Mad Hatter: too much to do, not enough time. Managing a student’s individualized plan for life after high school can reduce stress and help everyone stay focused on the goal.
The start of the school year is an exciting experience, whether for students, families, or those watching and supporting from the sidelines. Use resources, the talents of professionals, and your plan.
READ FIRST – IF you answer one question from this article, let it be: How will you pay? How will you finance the cost of college, community college, an apprenticeship, or a call to service? What if there were no college scholarships, student loans, or even a one-way airline ticket to boot camp? Do you have a financing strategy in place? No, maybe we’re talking. It should be #1 in your comprehensive life after high school plan. Why, call me!!!
by Tom O'Hare | Apr 18, 2024 | College Admissions, Financial Aid
I have worked in higher education enrollment and financing for over thirty years and am a parent who has experienced the sector firsthand. I have seen the evolution of technology, regulations, practices, and policies to support students and families in pursuing education and career goals. Never in my time have we experienced such a high level of uncertainty affecting the lives of hundreds of students and families looking to college in September of this year.
In early 2023, the US Department of Education announced its desire to change the financial aid form known as the FAFSA to create a ‘Better FAFSA.’ Subsequently, ED announced it would not make the new application available for the traditional October 1 start of the financial aid season. Although finally released in January 2024, it has been plagued by application completion challenges, methodology inaccuracies, and prolonged delays.
This inefficiency of the Administration and ED prevents the delivery of critical student and family information to colleges and universities. Traditionally, all colleges and universities would have communicated their financial aid offers to students /families by this date. These offers are critical to a family’s ability to make final institutional choices. The absence of this vital information may jeopardize first-time, returning, and transfer students from enrolling in September of this year.
What’s At Stake
Students and families relying on tuition assistance, especially need-based aid awarded beyond merit scholarships, are caught in this enormous catch-22. Need-based aid could be a college or university Grant, a Federal Pell Grant, a State Grant, or even a private external scholarship awarded based on financial need. The assistance that hundreds of students and families accepted to attend and enroll at a 4YR, 2YR, Community College, or an accredited technical, trade, and vocational school rely on to make their institutional choice. The same institution is also affected like any other business as they forecast enrollment to deliver academic and campus services to students and families effectively.
The clock is ticking, deadlines are approaching, and nerves are escalating. Consider your options if your final school falls into one or more of these categories and you are awaiting your financial aid award letter; consider your options:
Group #1
Institutions in this group will not extend their acceptance and housing deposit dates past May 1, 2024.
Action Steps:
- If resources exist to cover the net cost, excluding borrowing a sizeable private student loan – GO – If not.
- PASS and go to Plan B!
Note: Most schools in this category will not budge significantly. They control the supply and demand of enrollment on their campuses.
Group #2
These institutions have announced they are not moving their May l dates, but they will review requests on a case-by-case basis.
Action Steps:
- Calculate the net cost remaining. Can you manage finance 80%, 60%, or 40% of the remaining costs?
- Using a honey versus vinegar approach, contact the Admissions Department to discuss your interest in attending in September.
- Indicate that you are looking for a specific number; if awarded, you will deposit immediately.
- Admissions may have to consult with Financial Aid before committing.
- If you receive an offer, compare it against your financing capabilities, excluding borrowing a sizable private loan, GO, or PASS.
Note: Schools in this category are generally borderline concerned with hitting their enrollment number and may be willing to assist further.
Group #3
Institutions in this category have indicated that their deposit dates have moved to June 1, 2024.
Action steps:
- Contact your school choices in this category with a greater sense of urgency.
- Apply the same process and approach as in Group #2 and have a number in mind that, if obtainable, will accelerate the decision-making to YES.
Note: Most schools in this group are concerned about their September enrollment numbers, and their willingness to assist may surprise you.
The student should initiate action to communicate and arrive at a mutually agreeable and affordable enrollment cost at the school(s) interested in attending. Reach out to school(s) under final consideration to compare merit scholarships and tentative awards already received or review pending estimated awards. Parents are brought into the conversation to review financial information or submit a formal appeal if needed.
Historically, the higher education industry has been very open to conversations with students and families regarding financial aid appeals, those tied to extenuating circumstance. Many may now may be moved to a “win-win” decision with students and families regarding the net cost of enrolling. Don’t wait!
Learn more by reaching out to us at Get College Going
Red Flag Alerts: Do not touch retirement money, and be cautious of the lure of private loans
by Tom O'Hare | Apr 10, 2024 | College Admissions, College Planning, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
Springtime on a college campus is among the best places for young minds. The energy is fantastic, the spirit high, and there is a general sense of excitement. As they await graduation in early June, seniors are finalizing job offers or applications for grad school. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are finishing projects and papers as they study for finals and prepare to return home in mid-May to work, relax, and volunteer.
However, another group remained on campus hanging out until they had to return home, only to explain that they couldn’t return. Would you believe the average number pushes upwards to 20% or higher? Due to poor academic progression, health, and difficulty keeping up with the rising cost of education, students must withdraw from school.
I have advised countless students and families and recognize that college is the means to financial security and upward movement for many. I’m the dad of four, all of whom attended college, graduated, and now contribute to society as working adults. But I am increasingly worried about the 20% who need a different path after high school. If taken, they could match their peers while at the same time not shouldering education debt.
What’s Happening this Month
- College and Career Fairs are happening in high school cafeterias and gyms, culminating with the big show at the Boston Seaport Convention Center. These events are important opportunities for families of 10th and 11th-grade students to obtain information, meet college counselors and get the journey started. Learn more about local events on my blog page.
- Colleges and universities are moving to eliminate unpopular and undersubscribed majors to reduce costs and remain strong institutions. Ask your school what’s up.
- Colleges continue to delay issuing their financial aid offers due to the FAFSA debacle. Critical information affects a family’s ability to say yes to the college of choice.
- The elite and highly selective school remain resolved to hold firm on the May 1st Acceptance Deposit date while other institutions move their date to accommodate anxious students and parents. Check with your final choice of schools to confirm their date.
- A new unsettling practice by colleges is to pressure students to submit Housing Deposits before choosing their school. Don’t fall victim. Acceptance Deposit first, then housing.
- If you are college-bound in September, access a copy of my 2024-2025 Financing Checklist to help with your family’s financial strategy. Don’t wait for the bill to arrive!
Since switching in 2012 from working directly with colleges, universities, and specialized career schools to offering family-focused college advising, I have had the chance to implement a 360-degree Six Stage approach to helping families manage their college enrollment process. What is different from the “other” hope and dream approaches is that I begin with considering what a student’s interest might be after high school and how a family has planned to pay. Every household is different so every college plan should be too. The journey to find the right education pathway at the right school for the right reason and at a cost an family can afford is our goal.
Spring is essential for all high school and college-aged students and families. Planning, preparing, and exploring for the future happens now. If you are a parent concerned, confused, or feeling paralyzed, reach out. We’re here to assist with your student and family needs before, during, and after high school.
To learn more about our services and approach that can assist you and your family plan and fund your student’s educational pathways after high school, visit www.getcollegegoing.com. Start a Conversation- the office is always open.
by Tom O'Hare | Feb 2, 2024 | College Planning, Financial Aid
By now, you have read or heard the U.S. Department of Education’s financial aid ship has suffered another setback.
This year’s financial aid process, already suffering from delays, confusion, and heightened anxiety for students, parents, guardians, and schools, has been hit with another blow.
This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that they are again delaying the delivery of critical results for ALL completed and filed FAFSAs to ALL schools until mid-March. Initially planned for tomorrow, an error was discovered two weeks ago, affecting the methodology used to calculate eligibility for need-based aid. Reprogramming is needed. The error would jeopardize millions of applicants’ eligibility for institutional, government, and private scholarships if not corrected.
The delay will hamper the ability of Financial Aid Offices to deliver Award Letters to prospective incoming students and families. Award letters are critical to evaluating tuition assistance and your ability to calculate the school’s net cost in the final race to be the right fit. Returning college students are less affected as their information is sent later in the Spring.
What to do while you wait?
- Continue to monitor the status of your Admission Application Requests.
- Please log into your college portals and follow up on information from the Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
- Use the Comparison Spreadsheet provided to track and monitor the net cost of a school based on tuition assistance received to date.
- Attend Accepted Student Day Programs. A day set aside for you and everyone in the family to evaluate a school’s offerings, experience the campus, and meet faculty, coaches, and advisors before making a final decision in mid-April.
- Do not fall prey to scammers promising to help you figure out how to beat the system, increase your eligibility, or get an answer quicker. Call Me.
- Keep the hunt on for private scholarships – time invested = funds awarded
- The Elephant in the Room: The Annual Deposit Day to secure a set in the Fall Freshman class is May 1st (or earlier). Due to all the delays, a school may extend this date to help families make their final selection.
- UPDATE: Monday – February 5th – Reports are coming out that some schools are moving their deposit date to June 1 – As you narrow your list and await word on eligibility for need-based financial check with your schools to determine there specific date!!
You have all worked very hard to reach this point. Be patient with yourself, each other, and the Financial Aid community. They are just as stressed during this time.
If you have questions, need to relieve some stress, and, most importantly, share insights if needed as you make your final “right fit” choice, reach out!!
Tom
Article Updated on February 5th
by Tom O'Hare | Jan 24, 2024 | College Planning, College Readiness, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
As soon as the ball dropped and we entered 2024, the wheels of motion went into action to begin the annual performance review process. Human Resource Departments working with Department Heads, Managers, and employees across organizations hailed the end of another year with an eye on the new—a time to assess the successes and shortcomings at multiple levels: organization, department, and workforce.
A good review process can be a very effective exercise for all involved. It helps identify an employee’s strengths and weaknesses during the year and map out key performance indicators for the new year. Employees use the time to run their “how am I doing” checklist with an eye on a possible promotion, salary increase, and incentives to retain valuable talent.
What if there is nothing to offer? How will an organization retain its key performing employees? What happens when health, dental, 401 matching, free coffee, gym, and parking incentives don’t work? The fear of losing employees, not to mention struggling to recruit, becomes very real.
What to do?
The SECURE 2.0 ACT has created a new opportunity for employers to meet the emotional and financial need-pain point of each employee facing the economic challenges of the rising cost of college and education debt. Young recent graduates, parents of high school and college-age students, and those who pursue life-long learning all experience stress and worry about managing their financial well-being. Saving, planning, funding college, upskilling, managing educational debt, and budgeting for life’s needs create stress and anxiety, often resulting in questionable financial decisions.
Employer programs offering education enrichment, guidance, and financial support can cure many employee pains. Here are four benefit programs every employer and member-driven organization should consider offering.
- Allocate education assistance benefits to tuition reimbursement or pay down education debt.
- Shift the employer matching contribution of a 401(k) and 403(b) to a pay-down payment.
- College planning assistance through dedicated 1-1 advising and counseling programs or subscription-based e-learning portals.
- Access to education debt advisors to assist with program clarity, mediation, and guidance.
Offering programs through an organization’s EAP Program, managed by Human Resources and delivered by industry experts, sends a message of commitment to a workforce and, in return, is rewarded by a motivated and loyal workforce.
Consider adding a college planning resources to your EAP. Pivotal College Years is an online college planning portal for students, parents, and recent graduates. The portal is a single source of information before, during, and after college. Valuable resources are available through the online College Planning Portal, Workable College Planning Workbook, and our YouTube Channel, all of which provide support and guidance throughout a family’s college planning journey. Learn how you can bring this valuable resource to your organization.
by Tom O'Hare | Dec 19, 2023 | College Admissions, College Planning, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
Celebrate the New Year by completing and filing the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) – Gradually!
Every student and family who has already applied to enroll and is still considering or will be returning in September of 2024 must complete the application to receive need-based financial aid.
Whether it is a four-year public or private school, community college, or an accredited skills-based institution, filing the FAFSA Application is critical to awarding financial aid by any of the over 4000 eligible institutions.
However, the application, historically available on October 1, was delayed until December 31, 2023. The US Department of Education has been working to complete initiatives targeting efforts to simplify questions, improve the communication link between the IRS and the Department of Education, and increased eligibility for the Federal Pell Grants Program.
Other changes include:
- Eliminating the multiple student-in-college discount
- Introduction of new terminology: calculated results will be known as the Student Aid Index (SAI), and parent(s) a contributor
- In the case of divorced and separated families in the past, the parent responsible for completing the application was the person the student lived with 51% of the time during the year. Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the determining factor will be the parent who provides the student with the greatest financial support, regardless of living arrangements.
- There will be an increase in the income protection allowance, elimination of annual retirement contributions, and many untax income criteria.
- Students can send completed results to up to 20 colleges and universities simultaneously.
While students and parents await the opening of the FAFSA window, each should register and obtain their FSA ID and password. It’s the golden ticket to launching the application and e-signing at the end. Once received, save it in a secure location, as it will be needed to complete annual FAFSAs and access the studentaid.gov website.
One final note: The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be rolling out on December 31, 2023, describing it as a soft launch. The US Department of Education recognizes families’ urgency but raises cautionary concerns that the system may experience delays and minor bugs. DOE will not send FAFSA results to colleges and universities until the end of January, and they are encouraging families not to rush to complete the application once the window opens.
Every student and family who has already applied is still considering or will be returning in September of 2024, regardless of income, needs to complete the application to receive need-based financial aid or discuss extenuating circumstances that may prevent a student from attending a post-secondary institution.
Go to wwww.studentaid.gov to learn more about registering for your FSA ID and more information on completing the FAFSA.
