Surviving College Admissions

The college admissions process can overwhelm some teens. We've compiled some tips to help you guide your teen:

Visit EducationPlanner.org, our career and college planning web site. EducationPlanner helps students and their families navigate the college planning process through six modules: Discovering, Preparing, Deciding, Selecting, Applying and Paying.
Attend college admissions workshops and financial aid nights in your area. Your student's high school counselor should also be able to recommend helpful books and other college planning resources.
Discuss financial or geographic restrictions with your student, so they won't waste time researching colleges they won't be able to attend.
Encourage your college-bound student to apply to several colleges. Your student will have a first choice school; however, it's a good idea for students to apply to at least three or four colleges.
Help your student start a calendar to keep track of deadlines for college admission, scholarships, grants and other financial aid applications. The interactive collegeCalendar at aesSuccess.org helps students keep on track.
Help your teen research scholarships. The free scholarship search on EducationPlanner.org is one of the largest scholarship databases with 1.8 million awards worth nearly $8 billion.
Help proofread your student's college and scholarship applications and essays.
Encourage and support your college-bound teen during this time. Your student may fear rejection from colleges, stress out meeting deadlines and may doubt the choices they've made. Your support and encouragement is needed and appreciated more than you know.

Financial Aid 101

Financial aid carries with it responsibilities your college-bound student will have to manage throughout their college career and beyond. There are four types of aid available, which can be combined to create your students’ financial aid packages: scholarships, grants, work-study and student loans.

Scholarships are considered gift aid, because they do not have to be paid back. Scholarships are often based on academic achievement, athletic ability or special talent, such as skill in art, music, dance or writing. Scholarships may also be based on the students choice of major as many businesses and state programs offer scholarships to support students interested in specific areas of study. Local scholarships are also available through labor unions and public service organizations like the Lions Club, Rotary Club or NAACP chapters. Your college-bound student can start their search on EducationPlanner.org, our award-winning career and college planning site. The free scholarship search on EducationPlanner offers 1.8 million scholarships, grants and awards worth nearly $8 billion.

Grants typically come in three forms; state- and federal- sponsored grant programs and institution-sponsored grant programs. State- and federal-sponsored grants are usually based on financial need, as demonstrated on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Institution-sponsored grants can be based on financial need and/or merit. Your students should check with the colleges they're interested in attending for information on institutional grants.

Work-study awards provide students with on-campus or off-campus employment to help pay college costs, while gaining career-related, hands-on work experience.

Student loans are a type of financial aid that must be repaid, with interest. There are federal student loans that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education and private student loans, also referred to as alternative loans.

Federal Perkins Loans and subsidized Stafford Loans are need-based government-subsidized loans. Students who borrow under these programs do not pay interest on the loans until after they leave school. Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are awarded without regard for need; students are responsible for paying the accrued interest on unsubsidized loans as soon as the funds are disbursed.

A Parent PLUS Loan is a federally-guaranteed loan for parents who want to help pay for their child's education. Parents can borrow up to the cost of attendance, minus any financial aid awarded to the student.

Private student loans typically have higher interest rates, more fees and less flexible repayment options than the federal student loan programs. Loan terms and limits on private student loans vary substantially by lender. Students and their families should consider private loans only if they need additional funds after obtaining aid through scholarships, grants, work-study and federal loan programs.

You can learn more about financial aid in the ‘Paying’ section of EducationPlanner.org.

Help Your Students Become Better Learners

Students have different learning styles. Some students like to work in groups; some like to use pictures or graphs; while others prefer “hands on” learning.

Learning style refers to the way people take in, process and organize information. There are three basic learning styles:

Visual
Auditory
Tactile/Kinesthetic

Most people are visual learners; they learn best viewing pictures and slides, using graphs, and through reading.

Auditory learners use the sense of hearing to process new information. Listening to a tape, reading out loud and singing songs about a subject are some of the ways they learn.

Tactile/Kinesthetic learners rely on body movement and/or touch to help them learn. Clapping out rhythms, creating a model and touching objects are some of the methods they use to learn.

Encourage your students to discover their personal learning style and become better learners; we offer a learning style quiz in the ‘Preparing’ module of EducationPlanner.org.

Explore any or all of our web sites. You'll be glad you did!

Manage your AES account online at aesSuccess.org.

YouCanDealWithIt.com gives you the real story on money, student loans and life.

EducationPlanner.org is our award-winning career and college planning site.

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