COLLEGE &CAREERS

February 25, 2015A supplement of Suburban Newspapers Inc.

IN THIS SECTION • Taking the ACT is a big deal• Ranking the best jobs

College fair set for March 29 •Why the FAFSA is important •

ABOUT THIS SECTIONCollege & Careers is published by Suburban Newspapers Inc. For advertising information contact Paul Swanson at paul.swanson@owh.com.

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By Karen Herzog

THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

MILWAUKEE — For the past three years, Teresa Piraino has diligently

filled out the federal application for financial aid for her son Anthony, who is studying crim-inal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In the first few weeks of the year, the Pirainos scrambled to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid again — this time for two kids, as daughter Jessica plans to study nursing at Alverno College in the fall.

“I want to get right on it,” Teresa Piraino said of the online form known as the FAFSA, which becomes accessible every Jan. 1. “The stakes are high, and I want to get the most we can because I can’t give them the money they’ll need.”

With the cost of college esca-lating — and with it, student debt — no one wants to leave money on the table.

But for many families, procrastinating on filing the FAFSA may mean missing out on thousands of dollars in Federal Work-Study, low-interest Federal Perkins Loans and other state based grants — all need-based aid awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When the limited pool of money is gone, students who otherwise would qualify are out of luck, and are left with higher-interest federal and pri-vate loans that can pile up debt.

A low-income student poten-tially could leave more than $6,000 on the table in first-come, first-served money that doesn’t have to be paid back or that can be repaid at a lower interest rate than other available loans, ac-cording to financial aid officials at several Wisconsin universities.

Students who don’t file the FAFSA at all could also miss out on Federal Pell Grants — schol-arships of up to $5,645 that they do not have to pay back.

About 2 million students who would have qualified for a Pell grant missed out a few years ago — the most recent data available — because they didn’t file the

FAFSA, according to data from the 2011-’12 National Postsecond-ary Student Aid Study.

Of those students, 1.3 million would have qualified for a full Pell Grant valued at $5,730 for the 2014-’15 academic year, according to Mark Kantrowitz, senior vice president at Edvisors Network and author of “Filing the FAFSA.”

The FAFSA also is required for middle-class families who may qualify for scholarships or school-based financial aid at colleges that don’t use their own supplemental aid forms.

The FAFSA, which must be filed every year financial aid is requested, requires copies of income taxes and asks for information such as the student’s Social Security number, family income, family size and the num-ber of family members attending college.

Many don’t file the 10-page, 108-question online form early enough — or at all — because they find it intimidating, they’re procrastinators or they assume they earn too much money to qualify for financial aid, accord-ing to financial aid directors.

Two key federal lawmakers charged with overseeing the re-authorization of the Higher Edu-cation Act in the U.S. Senate last summer proposed simplifying the federal student aid system, including reducing the FAFSA to a form the size of a postcard that would ask only about family size and household income from two years ago.

“That’s going overboard,” said David Ehlinger, an accountant who has twin daughters in Wis-consin public colleges. “There are other questions that need to be answered, such as whether it’s earned or unearned income, and do you pay child support, which is not on tax returns but is taken into consideration by FAFSA.”

For those eager to tackle the FAFSA, the form can be filed with estimated 2014 income tax information.

Some schools prefer families wait until after they have filed their tax returns so they don’t

have to revise the FAFSA num-bers later.

Those not eager to pay the gov-ernment money owed in income taxes can still fill out tax returns early to complete FAFSA. They have until April 15 to pay any tax money owed.

Lawrence University contacts families who haven’t filed the FAFSA by a certain date to make sure they don’t miss out on aid, said Ken Anselment, dean of admissions and financial aid.

In September, the university announced that it had received an anonymous $25 million match-ing gift to establish an endowed scholarship to help meet its goal of providing 100 percent of the unmet financial needs of future Lawrence students. It’s the largest gift in the university’s history.

The Zaffiros of Milwaukee aren’t leaving anything to chance in their college search or the quest for the best financial aid.

They planned to tackle the

FAFSA right after the first of the year to be among the first in line for whatever financial aid Emily Zaffiro, a senior at Pius XI High School, qualifies for at the college she chooses to attend.

“It’s going to play a role in her decision about where she’s going to college,” said Emily’s dad, Jim Zaffiro. “I don’t want her to have a huge amount of debt.”

Fischer said one way to reduce the pressure for financial aid dependence is to discuss family finances long before a student applies to colleges.

Universities have net price calculators on their websites to offer an estimate of financial aid families can expect.

“Parents need to talk to their high school kids early to be real-istic about what they can afford,” Fischer said.

For tips on filling out the college aid application, go to the U.S. Department of Education blog, called Homeroom, at: www.ed.gov/blog/

,

Parents, students scramble to fill out FAFSA forms to get college aid

M I LW A U K E E J O U R N A L S E N T I N E L

Jim Zaffiro and his daughter Emily Zaffiro, a high school senior, work on filling out a FAFSA form, which determines how much and what types of financial aid students are eligible for when starting college.

“The stakes are high and I want to get the most we can because I can’t give them the money they’ll need.”Teresa Piraino

Students in seventh and eighth grades have the chance to win up to $2,000 by entering the 13th an-nual “Why I Want to Go to College” essay contest.

The contest is spon-sored by the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust and the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Seventh- and eighth-graders can submit an essay of 750 words or fewer describing their educational goals and dreams for the future. Entries must be typed and double-spaced on 8½-by-11-inch paper.

Entries must be the stu-dents’ original work and must be accompanied by the required cover sheet.

Judges from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Education will choose

first-, second- and third-place winners for each of Nebraska’s three congres-sional districts.

Winners will earn prizes of $2,000, $1,000 and $500 toward a NEST College Savings Plan. All winners will be notified in early May and will receive four box-seat tickets to the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball game May 10.

Essay winners to get a jump on college savings

March 29, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Sapp Fieldhouse, on the UNO campus, 6001 Dodge Street

Admission is free.

Follow these tips to help you make the most of your College Fair visit:

» Before you attend, visit NebraskaCollegeFairs.org to register for a barcode that you should print and take to the college fair. College reps will scan the barcode to retrieve your demographic information so you won’t have to complete information cards.

» Determine which colleges you want to visit (a list is available in the College Fair article at EducationQuest.org). Arrive early so you have time to visit your top colleges.

» Prepare a list of questions to ask the college representatives. Ask about deadlines for admission, scholarship and financial aid applications.

» Attend a financial aid program at the College Fair to learn about types of aid and how to apply.

For more information visit educationquest.org

Source: EducationQuest Foundation

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK AT A COLLEGE FAIR

Admissions & Financial Aid

» Does the school offer academic programs that meet my interests?

» What are admission requirements and deadlines?

» What is the cost of tuition and fees — and room and board?

» What is the priority date for applying for financial aid?

Housing & Campus Life

» How do I apply for college-based scholarships?

» What are the housing options?

» How many years are students required to live on campus?

» Can you describe the neighborhood surrounding the college?

» How safe is campus? What security features are in place?

» What are the options for eating on campus (cafeteria, grills, sandwich shops, etc.)?

» Can freshmen bring cars to campus? What are the parking fees?

College Facts

» How many students attend the school?

» What makes your college unique? Are there any campus traditions?

— EducationQuest Foundation

OMAHA AREA COLLEGE FAIR

ESSAY CONTEST

Entries must be postmarked by March 27 and sent to Omaha Storm Chasers, Attn: Andrea Stava, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046.

For complete rules and information, and the required cover sheet, visit treasurer.nebraska.gov/csp/scholarships/essay/college/2015.

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THE TULSA WORLD

To do well on the ACT, or any test, a student has to have clear motivation.

That’s what Dominick Cooper tells the students he tutors.

“You have to figure out what you want your score to be, and why,” said Cooper, who owns the tutoring company Launch Academy, which specializes in ACT and SAT preparation.The goal for students trying to earn a certain score is usually admission or financial aid, or both. The vast majority of universities in the coun-try require that students take a college admissions test, such as the ACT or SAT. And many tie merit-based scholarship money to the scores on those tests.

“So, students are not just working for a number,” Cooper said. “There’s actual money involved.”

Historically, Midwestern students have preferred the ACT. The SAT is taken more often on the East and West Coasts.

About 1.85 million students from the class of 2014 took the ACT nationwide.

The ACT is divided into five portions

— English, math, science, reading and an optional writing section. The test usually takes a little over four hours to complete, with breaks between sections. It is offered six times throughout the year. Because of the high stakes related to the tests, many

students put great effort into preparing for them. Some take the test repeatedly, trying to inch closer to their goal score each time. The national average for the class of 2014 was 21.0.

Cooper said he’s seen most students av-erage a 2- to 4-point increase with tutoring or other preparation.

Other students, however, don’t seem to need as much help. Anna Roberts and Cameron Alred, both from Tulsa, had a 36 — a perfect score — on their ACT tests last year. Each took the test once.

“It was kind of surreal,” said Alred, 18.“But until I found out how rare it was, I

didn’t know the significance,” he said.Roberts, 17, remembers checking her

score while in class, then telling her moth-er when she came to pick her up from school.

“I was shocked, grinning from ear to ear,” said her mother, Margaret Roberts.

Both Roberts and Alred know that their scores have opened doors for them, but they’re not sure where yet because they’re still in the middle of the college applica-tion process.

“But it made me more confident when I was applying,” Alred said.

Both also say they didn’t do anything particularly rigorous to prepare.

“Just my coursework and school helped me prepare for it,” said Alred, who is enrolled in an online high school program offered through Stanford University.

Roberts says she’s always been self-driven. There’s also been some inherent sibling competitiveness with her two older brothers, who also did well on the test. “A lot of it was just trying to do better than them,” she said.

Alred estimates that doing well on the ACT is about 50 percent being mentally and physically prepared, such as sleeping well and eating a good breakfast; 25 per-cent coursework; and 25 percent luck.

He said when he takes tests, he tries

to “get into the head of the people who designed the test.”

He asks himself, “What skill are they testing me on? Why are they asking me this question?”

Roberts has some strategies of her own. For the reading section, she always looks at the questions first and marks the lines that are asked about, then reads the entire passage. In math, she works the problem first and then looks to see whether her answer is an option.

She’s also learned that her first instinct is generally right.

Cooper said most students can improve their scores if they get help. He suggest-ed talking to students who do well on the tests, getting tutoring, or looking for tips on Google or YouTube.

The ACT was developed in the late 1950s in Iowa and quickly spread in the Midwest.

Blake Sonobe, vice chancellor for aca-demic affairs for the Oklahoma State Re-gents for Higher Education, said the ACT was designed to test student achievement and the information taught in high school, rather than cognitive reasoning, which the SAT at that time assessed.

Although it’s not a perfect test, Sonobe said, the ACT is generally a good indicator of how prepared a student is for college.

“That’s not to say every student with a high ACT score will be successful, nor is it to say that every student with a low score will not,” he said.

For college-bound students, this test matters the most

T H E T U L S A W O R L D

Anna Roberts in her AP Calculus class at Bishop Kelley High School in Oklahoma. Roberts got a perfect score on the ACT.

T H E T U L S A W O R L D

Using the information out of an ACT test prep book, Max Walton, age 17, is tutored by Olivia Shadid.

The ACT is divided into five portions — English, math, science, reading and an optional writing section.

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Dentist tops the ranking of best jobs from U.S. News & World

Report.

M E T R O C R E A T I V E C O N N E C T I O N What’s the best job for you?

There are many things to consider when looking at your college major and career path.

Do you want a job that isn’t excessively stressful but that is chal-lenging? Or perhaps you want something that lets you be creative. A job that pays well would be nice. Something that has job growth would be great, too.

U.S. News & World Report has amassed a ranking of the 100 best jobs.

We’ve highlighted the top 10 here. For the full list go to usnews.com. — Suburban Newspapers

TOP TEN BEST JOBS

Rankings, salaries

THE TOP 10

1. Dentist

Median salary, $146,340. A good work-life balance.

2. Nurse Practioner

Median salary, $92,670. Work independently of physicians.

3.Software Developer

Median salary, $92,660. Job growth should balloon.

4. Physician

Median salary, $186,850. Abundant job growth.

5. Dental Hygienist

Median salary, $71,110. They don’t just clean teeth.

6. Physical Therapist

Median salary, $81,030. Help others recover from injuries and so much more.

7. Computer Systems Analyst

Median salary, $81,190. Must understand computer hardware, software and networks.

8. Information Security Analyst

Median salary, $88,590. Plan and monitor security of computer networks.

9. Registered Nurse

Median salary, $66,220. The bedrock player of a hospital or health care setting.

10. Physician Assistant

Median salary, $92,970. Job outlook for physician assistants is quite strong.

Median incomes are from 2013.

Source: U.S. News & World Report

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Schedule a meeting with financial aid. As soon as you have settled on which school you’ll attend, contact the financial aid office and request an appointment with an adviser. If you’re within a drivable distance, it’s a good idea to meet in person and develop a relationship with someone who can help you identify potential aid sources you might not have considered otherwise. Closer to home, do the same with your high school counselor, who can keep an eye open for scholarships that match your credentials.

Explore association scholarships. Many professional associations and member-based organizations offer competitive scholarship programs. Check with the major employers in your area, particularly any in your chosen field, to find out if they offer any scholarship or grants. You can also check with family members to determine what organizations they belong to and whether you are eligible for any funds. For example, Foresters, an international financial services provider committed to family well-being, offers the Foresters Competitive Scholarship2, which awards up to 250 tuition scholarships worth up to $8,000 each for eligible members, their children and their grandchildren in the United States and Canada. Learn more about the scholarship opportunities awarded by Foresters at www.foresters.com.

File for federal aid. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAF-SA), even if you don’t think your financial circumstances make you eligible for a grant. You may be surprised by what is available. In

addition, research national grants such as Pell Grants that can help defray your expenses.

Secure a career-relevant job or intern-ship. While classes, studying and enjoying a healthy social life are all important aspects of the college experience, gaining experience in your future career field is valuable, too. Consult with your school’s career center or an

adviser in your area of study to uncover paid internship opportunities that will help you develop your resume and bolster your bank account.

Making the most of potential resources to pay for your degree lets you keep your focus squarely on your studies so your next big cause for celebration can be your diploma.

FAMILY FEATURES

When the acceptance letter arrives from a college or university, it’s cause for celebration. But it’s also time to do some serious number crunching and take steps to mitigate potential education-related debt.

The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) estimates that the average student leaves higher education with a diploma in hand, and a debt load of more than $26,000.

Even families who have saved for postsecondary education for years find themselves looking at ways to manage expenses as the cost of tuition, books and room and board add up. Exploring both traditional and non-traditional sources of financial aid can help make those mounting expenses more manageable.

Finance tips every college student should know

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One of the best ways to reduce the cost of education is by earning scholarships. If you are smart about which scholarships you apply for, you may be lucky enough to receive a renewable scholarship. This means that the length of the scholarship can last multiple academic years without fully reapplying. However, most scholarship providers have criteria that you must meet in order to keep your scholarship over multiple terms. Here are some common mistakes that could cost you a scholarship (and how to avoid them).

Academics: Many scholarships require that you maintain a cer-tain grade point average in order to continue receiving their schol-arship. Another phrase you may hear is “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP). These qualifi-cations are in place to make sure that you are learning and that you are making progress toward your degree. It is a good idea to meet regularly with an academic ad-viser to ensure that your classes

are leading you on the right path toward your diploma. Failing to meet the academic standards for your scholarship is a sure way to lose some much-needed money.

Major/College Switch: Al-though there’s nothing wrong with switching your major or transferring schools, it can create some complications with your scholarships. Some scholarships are only offered to students with a specific major or a specific type of major. Other scholarships are only available to students who attend a certain school. If you decide to study outside of that group of majors or outside of the specified college, you could lose your scholarship. If you are debating making a change in your college career, check and see if any of your scholarships require a certain field of study or institution of study. This shouldn’t stop you from making these changes if you really want to, but be aware that you may have to find another way to fund your education if you lose a scholarship or two.

Misuse of scholarship funds: Some scholarship providers are very specific on how you can use your scholarship money (for tuition, room and board, books, etc.). If you use scholarship funds

for other purposes, you may lose your scholarship. Many providers list how their scholarship may be used in the application or criteria, but make sure to contact your provider if you are not sure.

Discipline: Scholarship provid-ers want to make sure that fund-ing your education is a good in-vestment. You can prove that they made the right choice in choosing you by being a good student and a good citizen. This means working hard and being responsible ALL the time, not just when you know you’re being watched. Believe it or not, this is not limited to underage drinking, plagiarism, or similar offenses. This can also include how you present yourself through social media.

Student Status: Be sure to check whether your scholarships require you to take a certain number of credit hours in order to be eligible. “Full time” generally means 12 credit hours or more, while “half time” means at least 6 credit hours in most cases. Check to make sure what your school’s definitions of full time and half time are, and make sure that you sign up for enough credit hours each term.

— EducationQuest Foundation

5 ways to lose your scholarshipHow to effectively communicate with your professors:

» Check your syllabi: Your professors will tell you when and how you can contact them. Email tends to be the easiest for all parties because your professors can check that on their own time. Otherwise, calling them works great. Going to see professors in person — during office hours — works best.

» Show them you are working hard. You meet your professors in class. That is where you interact with them in the first place. You might not be the top student, but if you go to your professors with questions or for help they will see that you are attempting to be successful in school.

» Don’t “kiss up.” The fact is that no one likes a “kiss up.” That goes for professors as well. They will realize if your reasons for communicating with them are not genuine. Professors are very intelligent people. They want genuine connections. Plus, your classmates won’t respect you.

» Find common interests. If you open up to your professors and talk about your interests you may find they have similar ones. This will give them a better connection to you. A positive view of their students is always better than a negative one.

Why it is a good idea to communicate with your professors:» Makes quality connections. Professional relationships with your

professors might prove to be helpful in finding a job after graduation. Professors make great references for job applications. If you have left your professors with a positive impression of you, they might be more likely to give a great reference for you.

» Getting assistance. If you are struggling in a particular class, communicating with your professor might lead to you doing better in that class. The professor will see you are actively trying to succeed in their class and will give you good pointers. If time allows, The professor might even do some private tutoring sessions.

» Making friendships. Professors are people, too. They like meeting people and having fun. Some connections with your professors will continue through your career — and life.

— EducationQuest Foundation

How and why to communicate with your college professor

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