Paying for College:Financial Aid & Scholarships

AHETEMS Foundation

How much will my education cost?Average Costs per Academic Year• $14,000 for a Technical/Trade School• $14,000 for 2-year Public• $19,000 for 4-year Public In-State• $31,000 for 4-year Public Out-of-State• $35,000 for 4-year Private School

collegeboard.com

Cost Breakdown• Tuition & fees• Room & board• Books & supplies• Personal expenses• Transportation

Costs in TexasSouthwest Texas

Junior College2 Yr Public

In-stateTuition & fees

$2,081Room & board

$3,600Est. Personal

$745Transportation

$710Total $7,136

Univ. of Texas4 Yr Public

In-stateTuition & fees

$9,418Room & board

$10,112Est. Personal

$2,472Transportation

________$1,010Total $23,012

Univ. of Texas4 Yr Public

Out-of-stateTuition & fees

$31,218Room & board

$10,112Est. Personal

$2,472Transportation

$1,010Total $44,812

Rice University4 Yr Private

Tuition & fees$33,771

Room & board$11,750

Est. Personal$1,550

Books & supplies $800

Total $47,871

Sources of Aid

Private

Agencies

Government

Federal& State

Institutional

(Varies bySchool)

Access to Financial AidFAFSA• Free Application for Federal Student Aid• Used by federal government, state agencies, colleges, and

some scholarship agencies to determine how much and what kind of aid you are eligible to receive.

• A snap shot of your finances– You and your parent’s income– Savings and Investments– Benefits– State Tax Rates

Who can apply for FAFSA?• Have a high school diploma or a General

Education Development (GED) certificate • Are working toward a degree or certificate in an

eligible program  • Are a U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident with

an Alien Registration Card, or an eligible non-citizen (refugee, asylum granted)

• Have a valid Social Security Number

• Some states offer their own financial aid applications for students who do not meet these qualifications

FAFSA Process• Complete online at www.fafsa.ed.gov• Online FAFSA is processed in a few days versus a

paper FAFSA that can take a few weeks• Get a PIN number online www.pin.ed.gov• A new FAFSA application must be submitted for each

academic year• One application per student, not per family• Check your college’s Priority Dates to get the best aid

Student Aid Report (SAR)• Report that results from

your FAFSA– Sent to students by mail or

email– Retain for personal records

• The SAR will include the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)– This information will be

shared with your college

Additional Requirements• You may be asked to provide additional documents

by your college/university.• Each college has its own financial aid deadline.• Always contact the Financial Aid Office or your

financial aid representatives at your college for assistance.

How Financial Aid is Determined• COA: Total Cost of Attendance for one academic year

at the student’s institution (varies by school)• EFC: Expected Family Contribution – the amount is

determined on your FAFSA

COA – EFC = Need*

*This amount will vary at each school

Types of Financial Aid• Based on the Need, a student will receive a Financial Aid

Package consisting of different forms of assistance

Gift (Free) Aid– Grants– Scholarships

Self-Help Aid– Work Study– Loans

Example: Financial AidCOA – EFC = Need$14,000 - $5,000 = $9,000 Need

Sample Financial Aid Package– Institution scholarship $1,500– State grant $3,500– Work study $2,500– Federal Loan $1,500

Total: $9,000

• Students DO NOT have to accept the entire financial aid package. They can select the types of aid they want and seek additional funding elsewhere.

Other Sources of Aid

Private

Agencies

Government

Federal& State

Institutional

(Varies bySchool)

Scholarships• Awarded based on merit, financial need, community

service, academic achievements, etc.• Sources– Non-Profits: AHETEMS, HCF, HSF, UNCFSP– Companies: Target, Southwest– Colleges/Universities

Starting the Search• Research for which scholarships you are eligible– It is never too early to start searching for scholarships– Avoid organizations that charge fees for scholarship

searches or that guarantee a scholarship = SCAMS

• Keep a calendar of deadlines– Received vs. Postmarked

• Keep a notebook with contacts, requirements and instructions for each scholarship for which you will apply

Be Prepared• Choose very carefully who will write a letter of

recommendation for you• Write an essay that details yourself - achievements,

strengths, goals, and how you plan to reach them• Create and constantly update your resume• Request updated transcripts with enough time to

mail them out• Keep an updated photograph that shows your

maturity, some scholarships request a photo to print in award programs

Scholarship Selection Process• Late or incomplete applications are eliminated• Ineligible applications are eliminated• Selection Method– Essay, letter of recommendation and resume reviewed– Examples of leadership, responsibility, focus, and

motivation to succeed despite challenges are looked for in the essay

AHETEMS ScholarshipsGeneral Scholarships

• Type: Merit- and Need-Based Scholarships

• Amount: $1,000 - $3,000

• Who Can Apply: High School Seniors, Undergraduates, Graduate students, and SHPE Professionals

• Major: Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM fields)

• Deadline: April 1

• www.ahetems.org

* Goes directly to the student not the university

Academic Excellence & Leadership Award

• Open to rising Hispanic high school seniors (i.e. current juniors)

• Awarded to students with strong involvement in the Latino community as leaders and strong academic records

• Nomination from teacher, coach, advisor• Scholarship of $2,500 plus registration, lodging and travel to

attend the AHETEMS Pre-College Symposia to receive award• Deadline: August of 2011• Visit www.ahetems.org

Navy ROTC Scholarship• Provides $180,000 to pay for your entire college education • Monthly stipend from $250 - $400 and $375 each semester• Upon graduation, you are guaranteed a salaried position with the U.S. Navy as a

commissioned Navy Ensigns or Second Lieutenant• Required to provide a minimum of four years service commitment to the U.S. Navy• ELIGIBILITY

– U.S. citizen or naturalized citizen – 17 years old by September 1 of freshman year in college – No older than 23 years old by June 30 – Graduate from high school by August 1 of the year of application– SAT/ACT Minimum Scores:

• SAT: 530 Critical Reading (CR) 520 Math • ACT: 22 English 21 Math

– Apply and be accepted to an NROTC host college/university (If previously enrolled in college, may have a maximum of 30 semester credit hours)

• DEADLINE - The deadline to apply is in January.

AHETEMS Deadlines• Jan 31Navy ROTC Scholarship

• April 1 AHETEMS Scholarships

• August Academic Excellence and Leadership Award

Additional Resourceshispanicfund.org hispanicheritage.org

thesalliemaefund.org/smfnew/ hispa.org

scholarshipsforhispanics.org latinoCollegeDollars.org

maldef.org (Esp. for non-US citizens)fastweb. org

hsf.net engineering.cornell.edu/catalyst/

Questions?AHETEMS

Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science

UT Arlington, Box 19019Nedderman Hall, 416 Yates St.

Arlington, TX 76019

1444 Duke St.Alexandria, VA 22314