Paying your way through college

Have you taken a moment to calculate the estimated costs of tuition, room, and board at UAF? If you have, you've probably figured out that going to college costs money, and you're probably in search of some assistance (by that I mean cash). We are here to help direct you to a few great resources.

Feb. 15 is the deadline for applications for UAF privately funded scholarships. For more information contact scholarships@uaf.edu or visit www.uaf.edu/finaid/scholarships/.

Admissions annual event, Discover UAF: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Scholarships will take place on Saturday, February 4, 2012 in the lobby of Signers' Hall. Participants will hear from representatives from the Office of Admissions and the Registrar and the Financial Aid Office about the admissions application process, how to apply for scholarships, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The Financial Aid Office is hosting its annual Financial Sense Day on Wednesday, February 1. If you live in Fairbanks, this is a great opportunity to attend free financial literacy workshops throughout the day. Topics include:

• Writing a scholarship essay
  
• Living on less
• Money skills
  
• Money management tools
  
• Paying for college
  
• Discover your money personality
  
• History of money
  
• Understanding personal finance
  
• Using your parents' GI bill
  
• Getting out of debt
  
• Avoiding bank fees
  
• Money realities
  
• Tax filing

The event runs from 9 am - 8 pm with workshop at the Wood Center (UAF Main Campus), and at the Community and Technical College (604 Barnette Street). Additionally, students can attend a Financial fair from 10 - 1 pm in the Wood Center and receive FAFSA application help in the Rasmuson Library (lab room 301) from 12-2 pm or at CTC (computer lab) from 6-7:30 pm.

Contact Ashley Munro at akmunro@alaska.edu or 474‐1934 for more information.

Another great event to think about attending is College Goal Sunday. This annual event is offered throughout the state and is available to anyone.

Traditionally offered right around Super Bowl Sunday - and conveniently just prior to tax season - College Goal Sunday provides on-site expert assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA is used for many forms of aid, from grants to loans to work-study. Did you know the FAFSA is also the application for the new Alaska Performance Scholarship?

College Goal Sunday is a 2-hour event where financial aid professionals from Alaska's higher education institutions and the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education will join other volunteers in key locations statewide to help Alaska's students complete the paperwork.

Ashley Munro, Financial Aid Advisor for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will provide expert, line-by-line advice on the FAFSA and will be available to answer your financial aid questions. Internet and phone access are required to participate. Students and adult learners are welcome to attend these sessions.

Other great resources:

• Financial Aid Grid
  

These websites relate to financial aid. The UAF Financial Aid Office and UAF do not control the content or take responsibility for the content of these pages. However, UAF Financial Aid staff have looked at these sites and found helpful information on a variety of topics including free scholarship searches and loan repayment options, to name a few.

• Alaska Sea Grant Funding Opportunities
• American Indian College Fund
  The American Indian College Fund's mission is to raise scholarship funds for American Indian students at qualified tribal colleges and universities and to generate broad awareness of those institutions and the Fund itself.
• Education is Freedom National Scholarship Program
  The program provides college scholarships to high school seniors or graduates, age 24 and under.
• FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
  Created by Mark Kantrowitz this site contains a wide variety of general information about financial aid and links to free scholarship searches, universities and other organizations relating to higher education.
• FastWeb
  Free searches for scholarships and/or colleges.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
  In support of its mission to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides the Latino community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country.
• IRS Tax Information for Students
  Online tax resource dedicated to helping you find the information, news, and forms you need to complete your taxes.
  • Tax Benefits for Education (PDF)
    IRS Publication in PDF format about the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit.
• Mapping Your Future
  This one-stop site for students and parents with information on financial strategies, career options, and college planning.
• Scholarships for Graduate Students
  A list of scholarships available to graduate students maintained by the UAF Graduate School.
• Scholarships for Volunteering and Community Service
• SchoolSoup
  A free scholarship search site.
• Social Security Administration
• Tylenol Scholarship
  Cash for college sweepstakes.
• United Negro College Fund
  The nation's oldest and most successful African American education assistance organization.
• U.S. Department of Education
  This site contains a variety of information concerning the federal government's involvement with education at all levels. Below are pages within the U.S. Department of Education that may better direct you towards specific information you seek:
  • FAFSA on the Web
    Enter your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Doing your FAFSA on the Web can save you about two weeks of processing time when compared to using the paper FAFSA.
  • "Guide to Defaulted Student Loans"
    Maintained by the Office of Post secondary Education.
  • Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit
    New federal government incentives for higher education.
  • National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Student Access
    U.S. Department of Education's central database for student aid. It receives data from schools, agencies that guaranty loans, the Direct Loan program, the Pell Grant program, and other U.S. Department of Education programs. NSLDS provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and Pell grants that are tracked through their entire cycle; from aid approval through closure.
    Office of Postsecondary Education
    Higher education and financial aid topics.
  • The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education
    The online version of the department's free guide.
• Wiredscholar
  A free financial aid service offered by Sallie Mae. The Scholarship Search connects you to one of the Internet's largest databases of financial aid.

Alaska Performance Scholarship and FAFSA help

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) and the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development are hosting WebEx/Teleconference meetings in January for the general public to learn more about the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS). Students, parents, educators, and other interested parties are welcome. Participants will learn about eligibility requirements, award levels, the application process, and using the award. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. Go to APS.alaska.gov to view a schedule of available sessions, and to register.

Additionally, in February, ACPE will host online meetings on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – the application for the APS - as part of Alaska College Goal Sunday. Ashley Munro, Financial Aid Advisor for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will provide expert, line-by-line advice on the FAFSA and will be available to answer your financial aid questions. Students and adult learners are welcome to attend these sessions. Go to www.alaskacollegegoalsunday.com to view a schedule of available sessions, and to register.

For either meeting, you must register at least 24 hours in advance to participate. Once you have registered online, you will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to participate in the meeting. Internet and telephone access are required to participate.

If you are unable to participate in the online meetings but would like additional information about the APS sent to you by mail or fax, please call 1-800-441-2962 (465-2962 in Juneau).