College Funding 101 Presented by Eric Stegner Student Services Coordinator Apple Federal Credit Union

College is an Investment Average Annual Income  High School Diploma $32,188  Associate Degree $37,388  Bachelor’s Degree $52,832 That’s $20,644 dollars annually Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 4 th Quarter 2008 Averages

Choosing a College  What are the graduation statistics?  What are my out of pocket expenses?  Do I have the financial resources for this school? (All schools are required to have a net price calculator by Oct 29, 2011) Example:

Cost of Attendance (COA) The Cost of Attendance considers all cost associated with a student’s enrollment at a particular college or university. Components include:  Tuition and fees  Room and board  Books and supplies  Transportation  Miscellaneous Based on a student’s:  Enrollment status  Living arrangements  State residency status Direct Costs Indirect Costs

Cost of Attendance Typical Costs for an In-State Resident Hall Student at Radford University 2010 – 2011 school year Tuition and Fees $7,694 Room and Board $7,098 Books and Supplies $1,100 Personal Expenses $1,900 Travel Expenses $1,000 Total $18,792

Financial Aid Process 3. Student Receives SAR School(s) Receives ISIR 4. Award letter sent to student from school(s) 5. Student reviews all award letters and accepts or declines 2. Submit to Federal Government 1. Complete FAFSA

FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid  Gateway application for Federal, State, and School aid  Can start filling out January 1 st of upcoming current school term through June 30 th of ending school term First time users apply for a PIN.  Submit application on-line at  Must apply annually 

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) The EFC is a Federal calculation based on information provided in the FAFSA EFC takes into account:  Income (parent(s) and student)  Assets (parent(s) and student)  Number in household  Number in college  State of residency  Marital status  Dependency status

Financial Need Cost of Attendance (COA) $20,138 - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) $10,828 Need $9,310

Sample Award Letter Federal Pell Grant $2,000 Federal Stafford Loan – Sub $3,500 Federal Stafford Loan – UnSub $2,000 Institutional Grant $3,500 Total Award $10,500 Cost of Attendance $20,100 Unmet Need $9,600

Types of Aid  Free Money – Grants and Scholarships  Cheap Money – Stafford Loans  Gap Money – PLUS Loans – Alternative (Private) Loans

Deadlines  Start filling out the FAFSAJanuary 1  Priority Deadline for aid Feb 15 – April 1  Admissions decisions arriveMarch - April  Award letters sent out April  Notify school of intentionBy May 1  Payment due End of July State and institutional deadlines may vary

Websites Federal Government      State   General Knowledge / Scholarships   

Questions?