1. INTERPRETING YOUR AWARD LETTER 1 Source: www.sayfinancialaid.comwww.sayfinancialaid.com

2. STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT AN AWARD LETTER IS AND INFORMATION THAT IS COMMONLY LISTED ON ONE. STUDENTS WILL REVIEW SAMPLE AWARD LETTERS FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES. STUDENTS WILL COMPARE TWO FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTERS AND ASSESS WHICH IS THE BETTER OFFER. STUDENTS WILL LEARN TIPS FOR NAVIGATING THE AWARD LETTER PROCESS AND KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE ACCEPTING A FINANCIAL AID AWARD PACKAGE. Lesson Objectives 2

3. Breakout 1: Recap and Award Letters (15 minutes) 3 Directions: Complete and discuss the “What’s a Financial Aid Award Letter?” handout. 1.Read the award letter carefully. 2.Award letters may not necessarily be a physical letter. 3.Cost of Attendance (COA) commonly includes direct and indirect costs associated with attending college. REMEMBER:

4. Breakout 2: Analyzing Your Award Letter (25 minutes) 4 Directions: You will spend 1 minute reviewing the “Sample Financial Aid Award Letter: CSU Chico” handout. You have the next 10 minutes to complete and discuss the “Analyzing Your Award Letter” handout using the sample award letter. You will spend the last 10 minutes reviewing a second award letter and completing the “Comparing Award Letters Side-by-Side” handout. This second letter could be any one of the samples included in the handouts or your own.

5. Breakout 3: Navigating the Award Letter Process (5 minutes) 5 Directions: Discuss the “Navigating the Award Letter Process” handout. 1. Sort the Aid Offered 2. Award Letters May Change from Year to Year 3. Award Letters are Formatted Differently Across Schools 4. You Decide What to Accept 5. If you have special circumstances related to finances, contact your financial aid office.

6. Reflect and Review (5 minutes) 6 Individually complete your “Student Reflection” handout. Then spend 2-3 minutes in your small group sharing what you learned or how you can apply today’s workshop content. Think about: What information resonated with you about today’s workshop? What information was new to you? What information was most helpful to learn about? Why? What knowledge can you pass on or share with family members? Be ready to share your key learnings with the class.

7. Closing (2 minutes) 7 HOMEWORK: Review your award letter(s) with your parent(s). PRE-WORK FOR THE NEXT WORKSHOP: