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College Bound The UNH Upward Bound Parent/Guardian Newsletter |
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College Bound The UNH Upward Bound Parent/Guardian Newsletter |
March, 2002
Volume 3, Issue 2
I took time off this fall from Upward Bound, my first real leave in almost fifteen years, for research and personal growth. Ironically, the first day of my leave was 9/10/01 and I celebrated this remarkable opportunity by climbing the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier in Washington State. When the incomprehensible events of 9/11 unfolded, therefore, I did not have the security of a structured job to cushion me from the full-time contemplation of a world gone impossibly awry. Instead, I devoted myself almost entirely for several months to the task of understanding what at first appeared beyond comprehension.
Even though I am no scholar of conflict in the Middle East, one thing became very clear: that the kind of hatred that fueled the destructiveness of 9/11 was firmly rooted in monumental ignorance. And until that ignorance is confronted by the opportunity for all of the sons and daughters of the world to study and grow to their fullest extent, we will face repeated and devastating acts of violence.
In the undeveloped countries of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, millions of young men grow to adulthood without any love or support or guidance or education in anything except violence. And in the US and the rest of the developed world people consume the planetÕs resources with little if any thought or regard for the plight of the vast majority of humanity whose fates are so intimately entwined with our own.
Now more than ever Upward Bound and programs like it must work to broaden educational opportunities for all the children of the world so that they have something to live for rather than just a cause to die for. In this way we combat the increasingly senseless violence we are witnessing in our own communities and schools and we directly challenge the mindset of violence that unchecked grows cancerously though out the world.
Though I applaud the nationÕs military
response to terrorism and terrorists, military might alone will never succeed
against a sea of hopelessness and ignorance. Now is the time both to give thanks
for the gift of education and to make the most of it, for our own sake and the
sake of our children and grandchildren. May our commitment to higher education
lead us to alternatives to hate and destructiveness and show us how to better
protect our children and our fragile planet.
Summer Orientation Day: May 18
Opening
Ceremonies: Sunday, June 23
Parent Discussion/Visitor nights: Tuesdays 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, & 7/23
Family Picnic: Sunday, July 21 1:00-4:30
Closing Ceremonies: Saturday, Aug. 3
Please plan family vacations after August 3!
Also, schedule appointments on Friday afternoons or Saturday to avoid pulling students from important UB classes or activities.
UB is currently making arrangements with schools to enable students to take finals early if scheduled after UB's opening day - more details to follow soon.
Types of Financial Aid
With all the different types of financial aid available, it is easy to get them
confused. Here are some quick explanations of aid you may see listed in your
financial aid award packages:
Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan--Money to be paid back when the student is no longer in college full-time. Interest is deferred with a Subsidized Stafford Loan, meaning interest does not accrue until the student is no longer enrolled in college. The loan limit for first year students is $2,625, for second year students is $3,500, and $5,500 for the remainder of the student's college years to a maximum total of $23,000. Disbursements of the loan are sent directly to the school, usually at the beginning of each semester.
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan--Similar to Subsidized Stafford Loan, but with one major exception: interest will accrue while the student is in school. Annual loan limits for first year students is $6,625, for second year students is $7,500, and $10,500 for the remainder of the student's college years to a maximum of $46,000. The interest rate is variable, but will not exceed 8.25%.
Federal Pell Grant--This type of aid does not have to be paid back. Grants are based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), Cost of Attendance, and whether the student is a full-time or part-time student. The maximum Pell Grant award is $4,000 for the 2002-2003 school year. Disbursements may be sent directly to the school or to the student, depending on the school's policy.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)--This type of aid does not have to be paid back. Grants are based on extreme financial need, and priority goes to students who have received a Federal Pell Grant. The maximum amount of this type of grant varies between schools, depending on funding.
Federal Work Study--This program provides jobs for students. Students are awarded a financial "ceiling" (usually $1,000-$2,000) which they can reach by working, usually 10-15 hours per week. Each college/university will have a list of work-study jobs, some on-campus, some off-campus. Students receive a check for the hours they worked (just like a regular job). The only difference is that a percentage of the money earned comes from the Federal government, and the remainder is paid by the student's employer. With the Federal Work Study program, employers are able to have students work for them while only paying half of what the student actually earns. The student earns money at an hourly rate until he/she reaches the financial ceiling set in the financial aid award package.
Oftentimes a student's decision regarding which college to attend depends largely on the financial aid package you (the family) have been offered. As a P/G it is very important that you take time to help your child compare the awards offered by different colleges. Schools may have different formats or use different wording in their award letters which make comparing difficult. The worksheet below is an effective tool and may be used to help you decide which school is the most financially appropriate for you and your student.
Step 1: List the total cost (tuition, room and board, books, expenses, etc.) of each school. You often can get this information from the financial aid award letter or a college catalog or viewbook. If you are unclear about what the costs are or where they may be found on the award letter, call the financial aid office of that school.
School Names _________________ ___________________ __________________
Total Cost of Attendance $________________ $___________________ $___________________
Step 2: List the financial aid awards that are being offered by each school. Remember that there is a difference between grants/scholarships and loans--loans have to be paid back!
A. Grants and Scholarships
Federal Pell Grant _________________ _________________ ________________
Federal SEOG _________________ _________________ ________________
State Grant/Scholarship(s) _________________ _________________ ________________
College Grant/Scholarship(s) ______________ _________________ ________________
Other _________________ _________________ ________________*Total Grants and Scholarships $_______________ $_________________ $_______________
B. Work Opportunities
Federal College Work-Study ________________ _________________ ________________
Other Work Income ________________ _________________ ________________*Total Work $_______________ $_______________ $_______________
C. Loans
Federal Subsidized Stafford ________________ ________________ ________________
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford ______________ ________________ ________________
Perkins ________________ ________________ ________________
Other Loan(s) ________________ ________________ ________________
Other Loan(s) ________________ ________________ ________________*Total Loans $_______________ $_______________ $_______________
Total Financial Aid (*A+*B+*C) $_______________ $________________ $________________
Step 3: What is your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)? This is the amount determined by the school that your family will be expected to pay toward costs beyond what is offered in the award letter. To find this figure, subtract the Total Financial Aid (Step 2) from the Total Cost of Attendance (Step 1).
Total from Step 1 ___________ ___________ ___________
Total from Step 2 ___________ ___________ ___________
Total Expected Family Contribution $____________ $____________ $____________
The Upward Bound Junior Workshop will take place from Monday, 4/22 to Tuesday, 4/23 at the Catholic Student Center here at UNH. Juniors will prepare for the SAT and will learn about the college application process. This is an important workshop and is mandatory for all UB juniors except those from the North Country (this is school vacation week for all other NH schools). Also on Monday, Ub is planning a visit to UMass Amherst (see below). The workshop begins at 5:00 for juniors not attending the college visit. Your student should have received information in the mail at the end of March and they need to reply by Monday, April 8.
Also taking place on Monday, 4/22 is a UB trip to visit the University of Massachusetts at Amhrest. This is an excellent opportunity for your 10th or 11th grade student to visit a large New England university with a number of excellent programs. Juniors will join the Workshop activities upon their return that evening.
ALL JUNIORS should register to take the SAT this spring. If your junior still hasn't registered, they should pick up a registration form in their school guidance office and get a fee waiver from their UB advisor if needed. The deadline to register for the May 4 SAT test is March 29, and for the June 1 SAT test the deadlien is April 26.
Now that your students have completed two quarters at school, we thought it time to provide an update about UB's academic standards.
At the close of the first quarter, students with one or more failing grades or whose grade point average fell below a 2.0 were placed on academic warning status and met with their UB advisor to discuss possible reasons for their poor academic performance and to develop strategies to improve their grade(s).
When second quarter grades came out, students with warning status quarter 1 and who had not improved their grade(s) were sent a letter notifying them that they were being placed on academic probation. These letters were to be read and signed by P/Gs, and the student had to work with their UB advisor to develop a contract that described how his/her grades would be improved. In addition, the student did not receive their quarterly stipend, and if he/she shows no academic improvement by the end of the third quarter, UB must make a decision about whether the student can continue in the Upward Bound program. Keep in mind, grades are not the only basis for this decision, but are certainly an important factor.
I vaguely remember the day I received the letter from the credit card company with an actual credit card in it. I thought it was a little out of the ordinary to actually get a card in the mail without signing up for one, but I thought it was just a sample one or something. Since I had no intention of getting a credit card, it was just another piece of junk mail to me and I threw it away.
A couple months later while at home for the summer I received a bill in the mail. It was from a credit card company saying that I owed them $70. It didnÕt make sense since I didnÕt even own a credit card. My mother told me to call the number on the bill and find out what had happened. What I learned shocked me, I was the owner of a credit card I didnÕt even know I had signed up for. I was then apparently tricked by a telemarketer to signing up for a CD club with a $70 membership fee, that was billed to the card I didnÕt even know I owned!
I had to learn the hard way that credit card vendors prey on college students. College campuses are perfect places for these people to (Cont'd from previous page) access vast numbers of people and con them into signing up for a card. They commonly set up in high traffic areas, such as the student union building and lure students in with chances to win trips and prizes. Sometimes students actually know that they are signing up for a card, but many other times they think they are just entering a raffle, as I probably did.
Another thing I learned is telemarketers are clever too. I know I never said yes to becoming a member of that club, but I may have said maybe or some other vague response and that was enough for them to sign me up. Now instead of trying to be polite I cut the calls short and keep myself out of trouble. I wish I had known about these people who target young people like myself.
Warn your college bound student that these people are out there, and tell them to make sure never to give out any personal information in exchange for gifts or chances to win trips. More likely than not they are getting themselves into more than they know.
March 29: Registration deadline for May 4 SATs (fee waivers
available through UB advisors)
April 22-23: Junior Workshop
April 22: UMass College Trip
April 26: Registration deadline for June 1SATs (fee waivers available through
UB advisors)
May 17: Bridge Overnight
May 18: Summer Orientation Day
June 20: Bridge Students Move In
June 23: Opening Ceremonies
July 4: Independence Day (Students leave at 1:30)
July 21: UB Family Picnic
August 3: Closing Ceremonies
We will be having Summer Orientation Day (S.O.D.) on Saturday, May 18 this year. P/Gs are invited to attend an informative orientation, which includes a discussion with some of this year's Bridge seniors and a chance for P/Gs to ask questions and discuss any concerns about the Summer Program. Students will spend the day doing a variety of activities and completing a series of assessments for summer class placements. P/Gs may leave after their orientation or stay to enjoy a picnic style lunch and UB will provide transportation home for the students. It is sure to be a fun and informative day.
Look for more information in the mail as the day quickly approaches.
The following is a list of colleges to which our seniors have been accepted. Look in the May issue of The Pipeline to see an updated listÉ once all UBers have received their acceptance letters.
American International Univ. (MA)
Emmanuel College (MA)
Eckerd College (FL)
Rivier College (NH)
Regis College (MA)
University of Southern Maine
Holy Cross College (MA)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences
University of Miami (FL)
Saint JosephÕs College (ME)
QueenÕs College (NC)
University of New Hampshire
Niagara University (NY)
New Hampshire Technical Institute
University of Rhode Island
Messiah College (PA)
Simmons College (MA)
Catawba College (NC)
Suffolk University (MA)
Nazareth College (NY)
Franklin Pierce College (NH)
Keene State College (NH)
West Virginia
Univ. of New Hampshire Š Manchester
University of Hartford (CT)
University of New England (ME)
Bay Path College (MA)
University of Maine
Hesser College (NH)
Norwich University (VT)
West Point Military Academy (NY)
Maine Maritime Academy
Upward Bound is College Bound.