CARIBBEAN TODAY


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STEVE ROSEN


It's the llth hour no, make
 that thel2th hour and the
 clock is ticking closer to
midnight in your scramble to
find college money for your
high school senior.
 You're standing at the
starting line. You have this
feeling of guilt. Paralysis is set-
ting in. You don't know where
to start.
 Unfortunately, experts
say, this is an all-too-com-
mon situation. Not that find-
ing chunks of money for col-
lege is a walk through the
park, but many parents
haven't really come to grips
with what it may take to
cover even a sliver of
tuition, room and board,
and books, said Kal Chany,
a college consultant based in
New York and author of
The Princeton Review's
"Paying for College Without
Going Broke".
 If this sounds like your
situation, don't roll over and
give up. You still have time
to take control. Here are
some tips to help you and
your college-bound hopeful
- quickly get focused:

* Do some homework The
lion's share of need-based
financial aid (in the United
States) comes from federal
and state government, so
you need to devote most of
your time to becoming
knowledgeable about the
process, the deadlines and
how eligibility is deter-
mined.
 To qualify for federal
financial aid, as well as state
aid and grants from many
colleges and universities, A(
you must file the Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid, or FAFSA
(www.fafsa.ed.gov).
 The Department of
Education begins accepting
FAFSA applications for the
2008-2009 school year in
January. Between now and
then, Chany says, parents
should determine at least a
ballpark number for their


expected family contribution,
which is the amount the family
will be expected to contribute
to college costs in the aid for-
mulas.
 Why is this important?
Because the cost of attendance
- the sum of tuition and fees
and room and board, plus
allowances for supplies, books,
transportation costs and other
personal expenses minus the
expected family contribution


"Financing College".

* Investigate free merit money -
If you're a top athlete, scholar
or a talented musician, you may
easily qualify for merit-based
scholarships from a school.
 But there seemingly are
also scholarships for every
extracurricular activity and
hobby from Scouting to the
environmental club to duck call-
ing. While merit money is avail-


acting quickly may be the difference in getting a chance to study.


gives you an approximate num-
ber for need-based aid.
 To crunch your numbers,
check out financial aid calcula-
tors on web sites such as
www.salliemae.com, www.col-
legeboardcom and www.saving-
forcollege.com. There also are
many excellent guidebooks,
including Chany's and Kiplinger's


able from thousands of employ-
ers, organizations and religious
institutions, local awards may be
less of a long shot than national
contests. In addition to a multi-
tude of available web-based
search tools, your child's guid-
ance counselor should have

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 7)


Tips for getting a late start on


 finding college money


the private route a better buy.
 Consider some creative
solutions on how to manage col-
lege costs. Earning college cred-
it on high school advanced-
placement courses could shave
a year or more off the tuition
tab. Or maybe mom and dad
agree to foot the bill and cover
the loans for the undergrad
years, while graduate school is
on your son's or daughter's
dime.
 Finally, keep in mind that
there can be quite a difference
between the listed sticker price
for a school and the actual
price you pay, once scholar-
ships, loans and other financial
assistance flow to the bottom


 STEVE ROSEN
Scarcely a week goes by
 when I don't field at least
 one question from anx-
ious parents preparing for the
day when they'll send their off-
spring to college.
 How many schools should
we apply to? Is it worth the
trouble to fill out the federal
financial aid forms? Is hiring a
college consultant to come up
with a list of potential schools
the way to go? And, of course,
how much should we budget
for textbooks and pizza
money?
 As the father of two col-
lege students, with a third one
potentially a few years away, I
am keenly aware of the finan-
cial pressures of higher educa-
tion. While writing about kids
and college costs has made me
more conscious of the issues,
I've had my share of financial
successes, failures and surpris-
es too.
 From my time in the
trenches, here are some warn-
ings, tips and suggestions that
may save you money and a lit-
tle aggravation while navigat-
ing the twists and turns in the
college-selection process:

TALK THE TALK
 Before your teen gets too
far down the college path, have
an honest discussion with him
about the costs and where the
money will come from. How
much are you willing and able
to spend without draining your
bank account? What will be
your student's role in financing
school, and how much might
be needed from scholarships,
loans and work-study pro-
grams to plug the gap?
 Talk about what's a rea-
sonable amount to borrow.
Does it make sense, for exam-
ple, to borrow heavily to
attend a school and earn a
degree in a field where post-
graduate earnings potential is
limited?
 Would it be worthwhile to
consider a private school
where your student could like-
ly graduate in four years rather
than a public university where
the limited availability of
required classes could lead to a
five-year commitment? In that
vein, the financial might make


'Brain Food' available to South Florida teachers


MIAMI This month, South
Florida teachers will get the
opportunity to experience
"Brain Food", a workshop of
Project MIND that shows fun
and creative learning strate-
gies math and science teachers
can use in the classroom.
 Public and private school


teachers in Broward, Palm
Beach, Miami-Dade, and
Monroe counties are eligible
to attend.
 Project MIND was origi-
nally developed by Dr. Hui
Fang Huang "Angie" Su in
1988 to help academically at-
risk students improve their


ability to solve math prob-
lems. It is a research-based
Pre-K-12 math enhancement
program.
 The workshop will
emphasize the use of games,
story telling, and strategic
methods based on logic and
intuition. It includes lesson


plans, activities, free teacher
resources, online assessment
and learning. Participants are
eligible to receive 30 in-serv-
ice points!
 "Brain Food" will be held
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on three
Saturday, April 12, 19, and 26
in the WLRN Conference


room. All mathematics and
science educators K-12 are
invited to register and attend.
 Email Marry Kemp at
mkemp@wlm.org to secure
registration.
0


SPRInG/SUmmER EDUCATIOn

 ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Graduating from high school means that
tough college choices remain ahead.

line.
 Count your lucky stars if
you end up with a high school-
er who is really engaged in vis-
iting campuses, staying on top
of essay deadlines, hunting for
scholarships, and weighing the
pros and cons of each school
on the radar screen. You can
pretty much shift into cruise
control from here on out.
 More typical, I think, is the
junior or senior who needs
nudging every step of the way -
right up to packing the family
van and pointing it toward
good old State U. It's perfectly
normal for teens to be wary of
life after high school gradua-
tion.
 But if college is indeed in
the cards, how can you deal
with the denial mode? When
our oldest son was a high
school junior, for example, we
jump-started the process by
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)


Getting real about college


April 2008