For more information visit: http://oregonstate.edu/financialaid/

-KT

College Goal Oregon is a program that stems from College Goal Sunday, which started in Indiana in 1989 and has now been implemented in 47 states. Thisprogram is a partnership between OSAC, Oregon Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the YMCA, and financial support from The Lumina Foundation for Education .

College Goal Oregon

Oregon Goal College 2012 will be occurring on the Saturdays of January 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th at various locations throughout Oregon. To find a site and date for you to attend, please visit www.collegegoaloregon.gov. What documents should you bring with you? Check it out below:

• Yourself and parent/guardian if possible
• Most recent completed federal tax form. If you haven’t filled out your taxes, estimate. You can send in the exact numbers later
• Current value of assets, including cash, checking, savings, investments, and value of business/farm, if any
• Social security numbers of student and parents
• Driver’s license (if any)
• Alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen.)

Don’t miss out on such a great opportunity!

Oregon State University Financial Aid and Scholarships: http://oregonstate.edu/financialaid/

-AG

Scholarship Application Deadline: Priority Deadline February 1st
“Incoming students are automatically considered for University wide scholarships based on their application for admission and completion of the scholarship portion of the application. Complete applications must be submitted by February 1st for students planning to enter school Fall 2011. Applications filed after this deadline will not be considered for scholarships but will be considered for admission to the university.” Make sure you get all your documents in by this deadline, including your online application, transcripts and SAT/ACT scores if you want to be considered for these scholarships! For a list of the scholarships visit: http://oregonstate.edu/financialaid/osu-scholarships.

University Honors College Application: Deadline February 1st
To apply to the University Honors College (UHC) you must first apply to OSU, and then fill out the separate UHC application. The UHC application includes two essay questions. There is no additional fee to apply to the UHC. There are specific qualifications to be considered for the UHC, to view these requirements visit: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/honors/you-apply.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Priority Deadline February 28th
This FAFSA priority deadline is “used to determine eligibility for some need based aid programs as well as State and Institutional funds.” Make sure to list Oregon State University on the FAFSA form, Oregon State’s school code is 003210. To get more information about Financial Aid at OSU visit: http://oregonstate.edu/financialaid/how-do-i-apply-financial-aid.

Be an eager beaver and don’t wait until the last minute to get your apps in! If you have any questions regarding the information above please contact the Office of Admissions at 1-800-291-4192 or email osuadmit@oregonstate.edu.

-KT

College Goal Oregon FAFSA Webinar
Friday, August 27, 2010
Free Help with Financial Aid Applications

Eugene OR– College-bound students and their parents who have yet to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can receive help by participating in a FAFSA webinar hosted by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission.

Financial aid experts will be available online at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 2010.

The FAFSA determines eligibility for need-based federal, state, and campus-based financial aid programs, including the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Students are encouraged to file their FAFSA as soon as possible to increase their chances of funding for federal aid to attend college.

To register, email contactus@AspireOregon.org.

Students should include their parent/guardian, if possible, and have on hand both their own and their parent(s) most recent completed federal income tax return; current value of assets, including cash, checking, savings, investments, and value of business/farm, if any; social security numbers (including parents or guardians); driver’s license (if any); and alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen).

Visit the website for more information at www.CollegeGoalOregon.org.

College Goal Oregon is part of the national College Goal Sunday program to help students access millions of available financial aid dollars. In 2009, over 2,400 Oregon students and 310 volunteers participated in College Goal Oregon at 28 sites. The event partners with the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, NELA Center for Student Learning, Oregon Assoc. of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and YMCA and receives support from The Lumina Foundation for Education. For more information about College Goal Oregon, visit: www.CollegeGoalOregon.org.

-JM

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced a new streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) just in time for students and families to complete the 2010-11 application. Improvements include a much more user-friendly online format and a large reduction in the number of questions asked. A total of 22 questions are eliminated, representing a 28% reduction in questions, and 17 screens are eliminated, a reduction of 65% of web screens.

These updates are in addition to those announced in August 2009. The full list of the most recent improvements can be found in the Simplification Update form from the Department of Education. Here are a few highlights:
• Student and parent sections are clearly identified with side tabs.
• Status indicators guide applicants through web modules, such as demographics, basic eligibility, and dependency status.
• The display of the help text and instructions, which takes up much of the web screen on the 2009-10 form, is enhanced by the use of help text that disappears when you are no longer in a particular section.
• Students with low incomes will no longer be asked for asset information, which is not used to determine their aid eligibility.
• Questions regarding additional financial information and untaxed income are presented in a simplified keyword “check box” format on one page.
Later this month, students applying for aid for the spring semester using the 2009-2010 FAFSA will be able to retrieve and import their tax data from the IRS. In the summer of 2010, students applying for aid in the 2010-11 year will also be able to apply for aid using their tax data. In this process, a link to the IRS will display in the income section of the FAFSA with a message that students may access the IRS site to retrieve income information to complete the application.

Dr. Jill Biden blogged about the new FAFSA on the White House Blog. Be sure to check out the NACAC Admitted Blog post on the FAFSA updates, which also provides links to helpful financial aid information.

2010-11 FAFSA Available
The final version of the 2010-2011 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available in English and Spanish. The PDF documents, among the FAFSA filing options available online, can be downloaded by schools and students to complete for submission. Corresponding FAFSA on the Web Worksheets are also available to assist students and families in completing the FAFSA.

English
2010-11 FAFSA
2010-11 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet

Spanish
2010-11 FAFSA
2010-11 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet

PLEASE NOTE: the correct and free FAFSA website is a .GOV site NOT a .com website.
-bv

What is College Goal Oregon?
College Goal Oregon is a FREE event on Saturday, January 24th designed to help Oregon college-bound students and their families with the financial aid application process. Everyone is invited to attend this event, whether they are high school or non-traditional returning students. Financial aid professionals will be on hand to help attendees complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC) scholarship application.

Who should attend College Goal Oregon?
Anybody who needs financial aid for postsecondary education should attend College Goal Oregon. Even though many of the sites are community colleges, you do not need to be attending (or planning on attending) that college to get help.

What do I do?
1. Visit the College Goal Oregon website at http://www.collegegoaloregon.org/
2. Attend a FREE event at a site near you. Bring a parent if possible.
3. Bring documents listed on the website under the “FAQs” section
4. An expert will help you fill out the FAFSA form and answer your questions.

–mko