YCHS ASPIRE Mentors' Blog: 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

OSAC Scholarship Application Delayed

From OSAC:

We apologize that our new scholarship application was not released on November 1^st as we had originally planned. We are putting it through some additional testing and the new scholarship application will be released soon!

If you want to be notified immediately when the application is available, follow OSAC on Twitter or Facebook. Otherwise, keep checking back on the OSAC website.

In the meantime, students can begin preparing for the new application by reviewing the information and documentation they will need at:www.oregonstudentaid.gov/scholarship-doc/2012Worksheet.pdf

In order to prepare for the new application, the current application is closed to new applicants and renewals until the new application is released. You can still log into your student profile to accept or decline awards, view scholarship status, update your personal contact information, college choice, and major.

Please contact OSAC if you have any further questions.

MHS Career School Night November 14

YCHS Students are Invited

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

McMinnville High School Auditorium and Commons

Interested in the following programs:

dental assistant, massage therapy, medical assistant, pharmacy technician, welding, automotive, cosmetology, dental hygiene, criminal justice, practical nursing, medical billing & coding, accounting, business administration, paralegal or other career?

Attend the MHS Career School Night:

for an opportunity to speak with representatives from various career/trade schools from around the area.

Scheduled to attend:

Anthem College, Art Institute of Portland, Carrington College, Chemeketa Community College, Concorde Career College, Everest Institute – Tigard, Institute of Technology – Salem, ITT Technical Institute – Salem, Le Cordon Bleu, Linn-Benton Community College, Phagans’ Cosmetology College – Salem, Pioneer Pacific College, Portland Community College, Sumner College, US Armed Forces, WyoTech.

College Night in Oregon, November 14

College Night in Oregon

	Overview College Night in Oregon is an annual college planning event held at various locations in Oregon. High school students won't want to miss this informative event. Your students will learn how to: Launch a successful future with higher education Choose the right college Understand financial aid Search for scholarships and avoid scams
More Information College-bound students will have a chance to win one of several $500 scholarships Free pizza and drinks will be available for all attendees A session for Spanish-speakers will be offered at the Chemeketa location Please contact me if you would like more posters or flyers for your school	Date and Location Wednesday, November 14, 2012 6:30 to 9 pm Chemeketa Community College Building 6, Auditorium Other nearby locations include: Lane Community College Clackamas Community College To learn more, seeCollege Nights.

www.chemeketa.edu

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A few tips...

Here are a few things to note:

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Online OSAC scholarship applications will be available to start completing on Nov. 1 at www.oregonstudentaid.gov.

Juniors can start filling out applications now, too!!!!!!!!

Great way to start their activities chart!!

Copies of OSAC’s new personal essay questions are in the forms drawer for you to give to students. We have hard copy worksheets of the OSAC application, too.

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One of our new mentors asked about the PSAT and National Merit Scholars, so I got some more info from Janette about it. Here’s what I learned.

Our students take it in October of their sophomore year.
They must retake the PSAT as juniors in order to be considered for the National Merit Scholarship.
There is a fee to retake it, but fee waivers are available for those students on the free and reduced lunch program.
Mrs. Bunn reviews the PSAT scores of the sophomores and alerts the high-scoring students to take the PSAT again as juniors.
To be a National Merit Scholar, a student must be in the top 99% nationwide.
Here’s a link if you want to learn more.http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php

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A couple of you have asked about ways a student can get college credit for a second language in which they are fluent. One way is to take an AP test in that language. The student needs to let Mrs. Jenkins in counseling know they are interested in doing so. The tests are administered at YC in May and are then scored by someone fluent in that language.

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Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay is offering free tuition to seniors graduating with a 3.75 GPA or higher.

They offer on-campus housing, 14 varsity sports and a student population of 3,000.

Links to OSAC Application Tools

To make things easier/faster for students, parents, mentors and financial aid professionals, there is now a “Quick-link” to scholarship tools on our website main page.

·         Go to www.OregonStudentAid.gov
·         Look under the Quick Access heading
·         Click on SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TOOLS, and there you’ll find links to:

1.       The catalog of OSAC Scholarships

2.       New 2013-14 OSAC Guide (A summary of Scholarships, ASPIRE, OOG, deadlines, contact info, etc.)

3.       OSAC Scholarship Worksheet (to assist with the Online Application)

4.       Activities Chart Sample

5.       Personal Statements Instructions

6.       OSAC Scholarship Application

7.       FAFSA

8.       Login to your Online Application

9.       Ford Family Foundation Scholarships

10.   Contact info for Cheryl Connolly – the Scholarship Processing Coordinator

New ASPIRE / OSAC Podcasts

http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/osac-podcasts.aspx

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Monday, October 1, 2012

Chemeketa Fall CTE Tour

Chemeketa is holding a program/tour event for counselors, mentors and the like on the Salem campus from 8 a.m.-noon Oct. 18.

There will be a shuttle to the event from the Yamhill Valley Campus in McMinnville.

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Chemeketa Fall CTE Tour
Save the date!

This fall Chemeketa is offering a special tour of a handful of our career and technical education programs to high school counselors, career advisors and other student advocates -

Thursday, October 18
8 am - noon (tentative)
Chemeketa Community College
Salem Campus

This is a great opportunity to see first-hand some of our high-demand careers. A continental breakfast and lunch will be included. Shuttle service to Salem will be available from our Yamhill Valley campus in McMinnville.

ASPIRE Fall Conference

The annual ASPIRE Fall Conference will be held on Sat. Oct. 6 this year at University of Oregon in Eugene.

Federal Government Financial Aid for College Smartphone App

The US government has a new smartphone app to help students and parents find out more about how to afford college with federal student education aid:

http://apps.usa.gov/studentaid-gov.shtml

Friday, September 7, 2012

SAT & ACT Test Dates for 2012-2013

View / Print Test Dates

New ASPIRE Videos Coming

Thanks to support from the College Access Challenge Grant (CACG), ASPIRE has been working with Cogito and Attic Media to film four short videos about ASPIRE. These videos are designed to engage and educate students, community, parents, and partners about ASPIRE and how to participate, get involved, and support the program.

In addition to the student- and community-focused videos, ASPIRE has created a video just for ASPIRE coordinators, featuring best practices of successful ASPIRE sites. Coordinators share their student recruitment methods as well as ways they recruit and recognize their volunteers.

Look forward to seeing all the new ASPIRE videos on our website, www.OregonStudentAid.gov, and help spread the message about ASPIRE and so these videos go viral.

Oregon Opportunity Grant Amount Increasing

Oregon Opportunity Grants for 2013-14

At its meeting on August 24, OSAC's Board of Commissioners approved Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) award amounts and other components of the award formula for the 2013-14 academic year, as recommended recently by the OOG Advisory Group. The award formula for calculating students' OOG eligibility and award amounts is based on the Shared Responsibility Model.

The priority application deadline for 2013-14 Oregon Opportunity Grants is February 1, 2013.

OOG awards will increase from $1950 to $2000 with the same fixed award amount for all eligible students.

OSAC will make awards until funds are exhausted, whether that occurs before or after the deadline date. Based on the most recent changes in the 12-month Consumer Price Index, we estimate that the basic student share portion of the SRM formula will increase by $100 - from $5,700 to $5,800. OSAC will finalize the actual student share after the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries announces the Oregon minimum wage for 2013 in mid-September. The assumed borrowing amount added to the student share for those attending public and private independent 4-year institutions remains at $3,000, so the student share is estimated to increase from $8,700 to $8,800.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

How to Request a Tax Transcript

George Fox University kindly shared this document that describes how to request a tax transcript.

A tax transcript may be required by an institution so that they may verify the financial information you have submitted.

View/Download

DPMA Scholarship

May 2, 2012

DPMA Annual Scholarship Program

Hello:

You are receiving this e-mail because we need your assistance.

We are a small group of IT professionals that for the last 16 years have been providing an annual scholarship award to an Oregon or Washington high school senior ready to attend an Oregon or Washington college or university majoring in a technology related curriculum.

In addition to the initial $1,000 scholarship, if the student maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA each year, we will provide an additional $500 per year. Currently, we have seven (7) students in the continuation portion of the scholarship program.

The reason we need your help, is over the last few years we have NOT received very many scholarship applications! Hard to believe since we are giving away money, and no one is interested! What wrong?

Please pass this on to any student you feel can benefit from a little financial assistance and direct them to our web site at www.dpmapc.com for more interest and a scholarship application. We need to receive all applications and the required information by May 31, 2012 to be considered.

If you have a student(s) in mind, please forward an e-mail to me at wyeaw@phoenixtechnology.us so we will be on the lookout for their application.

The Scholarship Application and related information packet should be mailed to DPMA, P.O. Box 61493, Vancouver, Washington 98666.

Have a terrific day and we look forward to hearing from you.

Also, feel free to pass this e-mail around. I have attached information for your review. Walter YeawDPMA/pc Scholarship CommitteePhoenix Technology, Inc. 360.433.6930 wyeaw@phoenixtechnology.us www.phoenixtechnology.us,

Friday, April 6, 2012

ASPIRE Surveys

It’s that time of year where we collect vital information from you on the success of your ASPIRE program. Please ask your mentored ASPIRE seniors and all ASPIRE volunteers to complete their respective ASPIRE survey by May 15.

For more information, visit http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/aspire-surveys.aspx

Due Date	What	Who completes it	How
May 15	ASPIRE Coordinator Survey	ASPIRE Coordinator	http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R75WXTV
May 15	Class of 2012 Student Survey	All mentored seniors who participated in ASPIRE	http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J2DN5JS
May 15	Volunteer Survey	All ASPIRE volunteers in your school (Team Leads, Mentors, Resource Specialists)	http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R9YM397

College Courses for HS Seniors starting soon at Chemeketa

Hi Everyone,

We recently had a meeting with area HS Administrators, some HS Counselors, and some ASPIRE staff. We had one Counselor ask whether Chemeketa Yamhill Valley might offer a couple classes that would be ideal for local HS Seniors who have several open periods in the afternoon and are filling these as Office Aid or other non-academic duties.

Myself and others thought that this was a great idea. Personally, I had a half day of woodshop my entire senior year in high school and my teacher usually let me leave 1-2 hours early.

Starting for Spring term (this April) the Yamhill Valley campus will begin offering some two credit college level elective courses that could transfer directly into a Bachelor’s degree or count toward the Community College Associate of Arts Transfer Degree.

I will attach some information about the course we are offering spring term that I think would be appropriate. The course is CG 123: Community Service Leadership and I am the instructor.

I will also attach the Underage Admission Form that HS Seniors would need to complete in order to take classes here before high school graduation.

Please be in touch if you would like more information or have questions. I will be in touch again with information on other courses offered in future terms.

Best Regards,

Adam Holden

Yamhill Valley Campus-Chemeketa Community College

Student Services Specialist

288 Norton Lane NE

McMinnville, OR 97128

Phone: 503-316-3205

adam.holden@chemeketa.edu

College Rankings

Below is a collection of collecting rankings based on varying criteria.

US Government / College Navigator - individual school statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

Generic Rankings
http://www.usnews.com/rankings
http://bestcollegerankings.org/popular-rankings/forbes-college-rankings/
http://www.ordoludus.com/top.php?sort=overall&dir=up#data
http://www.library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings/rankgen.html - a list of links
http://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/deans-letter
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/09/21/worlds-best-universities-top-400-.html
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html

Value Rankings
http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/ (great sorting ability/diverse criterion)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm

something different: http://HumanCapitalScore.com/

Retention Rates
Black Retention Rates: http://www.jbhe.com/preview/winter07preview.html

Endowments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_the_United_States_by_endowment
http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf
http://www.data360.org/graph_group.aspx?Graph_Group_Id=604

Research Universities
http://mup.asu.edu/research2009.pdf

PHD Productivity
http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html
http://www.reed.edu/ir/phdrank.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/799213-post1.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/swarthmore/60986-phd-production-math-computer-science.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/swarthmore/61341-phd-production-anthropology.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/swarthmore/60990-phd-production-biology-health-sciences.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/swarthmore/61113-phd-production-physics-astronomy.html
http://oberlin.edu/instres/irhome/assessment/phd.html
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html_._,___

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Mentor News

Most of you know mentor Sandy Tuck, and many of you have worked alongside her. She was the Program Coordinator before I took on the role, and she mentored for a year before and four years after that. She, her husband, dogs and other critters have moved to eastern Oregon. Since that’s a bit far to commute to YC, Sandy has resigned her ASPIRE mentoring role. Her seniors will be checking in with me for the balance of the year. I’d like to personally thank her for all she taught me and for the hundreds of hours she devoted to helping dozens of students at YCHS. Please join me in wishing her well in her new environs.

Please remind your students that there are local scholarship supplications now posted in colorful folders on the wall next to the office.

There also are some scholarships for Juniors and others that 9^th-12^th graders can apply for!

In each of your mentor files I’ve placed a copy of the awesome and informative brochure the INCIGHT folds developed to ease the way in working with folks who are physically or developmentally challenged. It’s tuff we should all know anyway as we go about our lives – especially the term “handicrap.” Now you have to read the brochure to learn what that means. We had two sets of parents, one student, one mentor, one counselor and one teacher attend the presentation last week. I have a few extra INCIGHT packets if you’d like one. INCIGHT has a lot of resources available to us. Thanks for attending Leona.

There are two Preview Days coming up at Portland Community College, Please help spread the word:

Sylvania Campus April 20, register by April 13

Cascade Campus May 11 (tentative), register by May 4

We learned a lot at the Chemeketa Jumpstart trip. Including that, in the financial aid world, the rule of thumb for how many units a student must take is:

o Full-time 12 or more units

o ¾-time 9-11 units

o ½-time 6-8 units

o Less than ½-time fewer than 6 units

I have been remiss in thanking John for his great find, “The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting the Education You Want for the Price You Can Afford.” The authors, a former and a current director of admissions, offer a WEALTH of knowledge and tips to navigate the turns and twists on the money road to college. I have an office copy if you’d like to give it a glance.

The overhead projection equipment is now working in the ASPIRE office, in case we have the need to view something as a group. A nice amenity!

Looks like we will have at least a $250 ASPIRE Mentors Scholarship to offer this year, thanks to a generous donation from a friend of Leona’s. There may be additional funds as well: It seems that several past recipients did not claim their funds by the deadline. All that is being double-checked now. We’ll need volunteers to review this year’s applications and suggest a winner.

Thanks to Carla for donating more water bottles and snacks for students and volunteers!

Thanks to Nancy for her office help! And to Danaia, our student aide this term: She gets things done

Presentations from the Chemeketa High School Counselors Night

Below are four PowerPoint presentations from the Chemeketa Yamhill Valley High School Counselors and ASPIRE Mentors Night

Introduction to Chemeketa Yamhill Valley

Getting Started at Chemeketa

Finding Funds for Oregon Students

FAFSA Workshop

Scholarships for Juniors

Some scholarship opportunities for Juniors!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Chemeketa Foundation Scholars Application Dates

Chemeketa Foundation Scholars Applications may be turned in in McMinnville on April 13, 2012.

They may be turned in in Salem April 16 through 20, 2012.

Please note that they are not just handed in, but are checked for completeness while you wait.

Chemeketa Foundation Scholarships

The application period for Chemeketa Foundation scholarships this year is
March 26 - May 4, 2012 -- a longer and later period than last year.

Also, the application process is changing somewhat.

Scholarships awarded will be for the academic year (fall, winter and spring term). At this time, we plan to have only one application opening each year. If this changes, the foundation webpage www.chemeketafoundation.org will be updated with additional information. Students who plan to apply for the nursing program should also apply. Although, nursing scholarships will more than likely be awarded in August, when students are accepted in the program.

To apply all students will logon to My Chemeketa, complete and submit the foundation scholarship online application. Students will be considered for all scholarships that they are eligible for based on criteria. Therefore, it is important students update any information that has changed such as major/program before they apply. Also, before filling out the scholarship application, all students will need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ) form www.fafsa.gov, or for International students or students ineligible to apply for federal financial aid due to no social security number, use the EFC calculator (Federal Methodology-FM) http://apps.collegeboard.org/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) amount is now required.

The application process has been simplified by eliminating the requirement for additional documentation. This means student no longer need to upload a personal statement, letters of reference or transcript. When a scholarship requires additional information, students will be asked to submit verification when selected for a scholarship. And last but not least, we do plan to conduct some presentations to interested staff, students, and public about the new application process.

Chemeketa Jumpstart Visit and Workshops

The date for THE JUMPSTART VISIT TO Chemeketa Community College in McMinnville has been changed. The new date is Monday March 5.

Juniors and seniors who sign up for the trip in advance are welcome.

Look for a signup sheet in the ASPIRE office.

Chemeketa Community College in McMinnville is having a series of free workshops on:
            Career and College Exploration, 3-4 p.m. Feb. 15 and 29;
            Paying for College, 10 a.m.-noon Feb. 17;
            Computer Basics (specific to the college’s website); 5-7 p.m. Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27;
            Getting Started 10-11 a.m. Feb. 10 and 24.

Fear the FAFSA? Here are five mistakes to avoid when applying for college financial aid

Fear the FAFSA? Here are five mistakes to avoid when applying for college financial aid

This is a column from The Oregonian by Brent Hunsberger

Reader questions: Help filling out the FAFSA college financial aid form

is a followup column

OSAC / ASPIRE Podcasts

Good Morning!

Many of you have been asking about our OSAC/ASPIRE podcasts. Here is a link, so you can all go check them out. Use them to learn about topics, for training, for parents & students, for school staff.

http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/osac-podcasts.aspx

Enjoy!

Lori Ellis
ASPIRE and Outreach Supervisor | Oregon Student Access Commission | 1500 Valley River Dr., Suite 100 | Eugene, OR 97401

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Find the Best Colleges for You

This guide identifies and explains the most important information for your college search so that you can make good decisions about college.

Janet's Work Schedule January thru March

WEEK OF

Jan. 1       Tuesday and Wednesday
Jan. 8       Monday and Tuesday
Jan. 15     Wednesday and Thursday
Jan. 22     Monday and Tuesday
Jan. 29     Tuesday and Wednesday
Feb. 5      Wednesday and Thursday
Feb. 12     Monday and Thursday
Feb. 19     Monday and Wednesday
Feb. 26     Tuesday and Thursday
March 4      Monday and Wednesday
March 11    Tuesday and Thursday
March 18    Monday and Wednesday
March 25    spring break

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