The Oregon Student Access Commission (OSAC) final deadline for their 2012-13 scholarships is this Monday, March 5, 2012 by 5PM. For those who are not familiar with OSAC, it is a state agency dedicated to creating a college-going culture for all Oregonians by providing access through information, mentoring, and financial support. Each year, OSAC awards grants and scholarships of more than $118 million to thousands of Oregon students in their quest to achieve a college education. If you have not yet taken advantage of these 400+ great scholarship opportunities, go ahead and fill out the OSAC Scholarship Application at http://www.getcollegefunds.org/ .

-BM

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

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

You’re worried about paying for college, and the letter that just arrived in your mailbox sounds like an answer to those worries. It’s inviting you to a “free” presentation on college financial aid, given by a “financial aid expert” who has helped other families save “thousands of dollars.” What could it hurt to attend?

The answer in one word: Plenty.
…

I actually get questions about financial aid seminars and “presentations” quite often. The long and short of it is that there is no way a paid consultant can do anything for you in terms of seeking out scholarships that you can’t do for yourself for free. Furthermore, I would recommend that you NEVER pay to have someone search out scholarships for you or your daughter/son.

The big red flag, though, is any sort of guarantee. Scholarships are almost always competitive and usually have some sort of minimum qualification. There is NO WAY a consultant can guarantee you a certain amount in scholarship dollars; the process is just too subjective.

Many high schools, colleges and universities offer financial aid information nights. These are almost without exception not for profit and totally on the up and up. If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a scholarship program or consultant, you should always ask your high school guidance counselor. You can even approach an admissions advisor/counselor if you are really confused about a service…We would love to take a little extra time to educate you on your resources than have you throw your/your family’s hard earned money away.

Some scholarship resources that I would recommend:

Fastweb.com and its informational partner finaid.org: free for the student, one application allows Fastweb to suggest many different programs that you may qualify for.

OSAC (Oregon Student Assistance Commission, Oregon students only): One application qualifies you for thousands of Oregon based awards…As an added bonus, the OSAC uses an essay that is patterned after OSU’s Insight Resume.

What scholarship search resources are you using? Let us know in the comment section.

Happy applying!!

-jm