How to Help Students Work Around the IRS DRT Outage

Attention NCAN members:

NCAN has become aware that the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is currently not working. If you are assisting a student or family attempting to complete a FAFSA and click to go the IRS website, you will receive this message:

This service will be unavailable due to system maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience. If more information is available, you can find it by selecting the service from the Tools page.

NCAN recommends that until the system is available again, families bypass this option and manually enter all the required financial information in both the student and parent sections of the FAFSA. This will allow the form to be completed and submitted.

At this point, NCAN has not received any guidance regarding how the DRT system outage will affect students in terms of being selected for verification. We encourage our members that are still assisting with FAFSA completion to relay a message to your families about bringing all appropriate 2015 tax forms and information with them to their appointment or workshop so that you may assist them with completing the FAFSA.

NCAN hopes that this issue will be resolved quickly, as state and institutional deadlines are prevalent in the month of March. Thank you for your support.

A Way to Apply Free to Private Colleges

Never too early to tell your  juniors about this great summer opportunity to see private colleges and apply to them free.

http://oregonprivatecolleges.com/

Reserve you tour for the OSU College of Engineering Undergraduate Expo May 19!

The 18th Annual Engineering Expo will take place on May 19, at the Kelley Engineering Center, Community Plaza, and Johnson Hall on the Oregon State University campus. This free event is open to the public and runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s Engineering Expo promises to be another spectacular showcase of innovative creations.

The day will be a buzz with student ingenuity.  We will be featuring inventions developed by Oregon State engineering students for their senior design projects in the following disciplines:

·       Biological and Ecological Engineering   

·       Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering

·       Civil and Construction Engineering

·       Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

·       Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

·       Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics

FIRST robots from local high schools will also be on display.

Racecars built by students in the champion Global Formula Racing team will be on display along with other wheeled contraptions.

The Expo is a great learning opportunity for high school students who are interested in science and technology or may be considering a career in engineering.

If you would like to attend teachers must make reservations for a tour using the following link, http://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_72mruqc5QHNpEix

Oregon State University

College of Engineering

Corvallis, OR 97331

Chemeketa Foundation Scholarships ~ applications due March 31, 2017

The deadline to apply for Chemeketa Foundation Scholarships is just over a month away. If you plan to attend Chemeketa in the fall, don’t miss out on your chance to get money for college. 

Fill out only ONE application to be eligible for awards from more than 100 different scholarship funds. Many students complete the process in as little as 30 minutes. Last year 1 in 4 students who applied were awarded scholarships.

The Foundation awards scholarships for students in specific programs, students with children and first-generation college students among other criteria. You don't need to be a 4.0 student to qualify. The application deadline is March 31st.

Important information –

1.     Scholarships are for fall, winter, spring term of 2017-2018

2.     This is your ONLY opportunity to apply for Chemeketa scholarships for 2017-2018

3.     Awards range from $300 - $4,000

4.     Scholarship funds may cover tuition, fees, textbooks and other expenses like uniforms or equipment

5.     Foundation scholarships are open to all students, including students without a social security number

Once you apply, continue checking your My Chemeketa e-mail for an award notification beginning in May. You should check your e-mail account weekly to avoid missing a scholarship e-mail and acceptance deadline.

To access the application –

1.     Log into your MyChemeketa account.

2.     Click on the Services tab -> Financial Aid

3.     On the right menu, click Scholarships & resources

4.     Select Foundation scholarships

If you have questions while filling out the application, call the Foundation office at 503.365.4747.