What it is and how to avoid it. Summer Melt

Summer Melt is the phenomenon when seemingly college-intending students fail to enroll in college the fall after high school graduation. “College-intending” students are those who have completed key college going steps, such as applying and being accepted to college and applying for financial aid. A student is considered to have “melted” if despite being college-intending, he or she fails to attend college in the fall. Strategic Data Project Summer Melt Handbook: A Guide to Investigating the Responding to Summer Melt.

How to Prevent Summer Melt Identify your next steps, and any barriers you may have, to complete everything you need to do to start school in the fall. The following slides will take you through eight “Next Steps” questions to help see if you are on track to go.

Next Steps: Questions for You  Have you filed your FAFSA?  66% of LC seniors have already filed the FAFSA! Completing the FAFSA is the first step to get financial aid. If you haven’t, you can still file! (  Have you completed any additional financial aid forms required?  SCC and SFCC require you to submit the FAFSA and a Financial Aid Terms and Conditions form by April 17, or you will not be awarded financial aid for the Fall Term. (See the next slide for an example of this form.)  FAFSA, or your college, may ask you for income verification; promptly provide the information or you may be denied financial aid.

Community Colleges of Spokane Financial Aid Terms and Conditions Form Check online for the form. You can also pick up a copy from the scholarship bins outside of the Career Center. This is due to the SFCC or SCC by April 17.

Next Steps: Questions for You  Have you received your financial aid award letter?  Check to see what your “bottom line” number is to know your net cost for college. How are you planning to make up the difference?  Have you logged on to your college’s web portal?  Every school has a student portal where you will log into your student account. Check it often as most schools send information with deadlines to you through this system. (The next slides have examples of how to access this portal.)

Community Colleges of Spokane (SFCC/SCC) 1. Log on to 2. Click on the ctcLink Student Portal Link.

Community Colleges of Spokane (SFCC/SCC) Log in to your student account by creating an account with the “First Time User” link here.

Eastern Washington University Log on to Click on the myEWU Portal link to access your student account login.

Eastern Washington University Create a new student account to access the student account portal.

Washington State University Log on to admission.wsu.edu Click on the zzusis link to access the student portal log in page.

Washington State University Follow the instructions to set up and log in to your student account.

University of Washington Log on to Under Quick Links choose myUW to get to the student log in page.

University of Washington Click on the link to access the student portal log in page.

Next Steps: Questions for You  Have you completed your required placement tests?  If you will be attending a community college, you must schedule and take a placement test. You can either call the testing center or schedule your appointment online. Cost is $30.  SFCC Testing Center number is  SCC Testing Center number is  Have you confirmed your enrollment?  You must confirm that you will attend the school and pay a deposit by May 1 st. Depending on your school, it can cost anywhere between $0-$1000! Check with your institution to determine the confirmation cost.

Next Steps: Questions for You  Have you submitted all housing forms and deposits (if you are going live on campus)?  Housing fills up fast, so you don’t want to delay.  Usually you are required to pay the confirmation deposit before you are allowed to submit your housing application.  Housing deposits are required to secure your spot. Be prepared to pay the cost of first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit— this adds up fast!  Have you registered for or attended a new student orientation?  All schools have a required Freshman Orientation that you must attend in order before you will be allowed to register for classes.  This can be another cost; WSU’s mandatory orientation costs $230!

Washington State University Check out your school’s website as they all have lists of what you need to do, costs associated with it, and deadlines to complete it by.

Check Out Scholarships! Check in the bins in the hall outside of the Career Center to see if any of the scholarships apply to you! There are currently many scholarships including ones from Mullan Road and Moran Prairie Elementary!