Getting the Student Athlete to the Right College

1. Getting the Student Athlete to the Right College Black Hills Athletic Department Presenter; Cross Country Coach George Zelenak

2. Why Participate in College • Personal • Financial (for some) • Academic

3. Why Participate in College : Personal • Enjoyment • Challenge • Friendships / belonging • Directed activity

4. Why Participate in College: Financial • A few will get scholarships (don’t kid your self on this one – 10 academic scholarships are awarded for every athletic scholarship – Focus on grades and the SAT.) • Employers like these graduates! Especially when combined with a good GPA!

5. Why Participate in College: Academic • Higher Graduation Rates • NCAA D1 Graduation Success Rate at 77% compared to 61% for non athletes. (the GSR uses a 6 year cut off and includes transfer students) • Personal attention and concern by the coach and staff

6. What we will cover • Opportunities that exist for student athletes • What a student athlete can expect • How to narrow down the college search • How to identify and contact coaches • How to track school admissions • Sugessions on evaluating offers

7. Sports Sponsorship Summary Opportunities – about 1,300 schools • NAIA – 282 • NCAA D1 – 326* • NCAA D2 – 283* • NCAA D3 – 423* Divisions based on schools financial commitment, not on size of school. *NCAA numbers are estimates based on information from http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/sponssummary

8. Sports Sponsorship Summary Opportunities – for money • NAIA – wide open – school elects what to do • NCAA D1 – full rides possible • NCAA D2 – limited athletic money • NCAA D3 – no athletic money allowed

9. What to expect once there* • D1 Large scholarship – you just got a job. • D1 Walk on – a job with no benefits… except All D1 should expect great physical/medical care and dedicated academic help/guidance • D3 Club like atmosphere • D2 and NAIA – could be like either D1 or D3 varies by school and by sport. *Disclaimer – not all programs at all levels are run the same. For example D1 Gonzaga – Hard Core Basketball – club like cross country.

10. Narrow down the college search • Understand what college will cost without athletic, or academic, scholarships • Evaluate athletic and academic abilities • Determine what schools can be afforded and how. • Search on www.collegeboard.org

11. Understand what college costs • Sticker cost is not the total cost • Tuition • Fees • Room / board • Books • Travel • Pizza Money

12. Understand what college costs • Expected total cost using sticker prices • In State Public $18,000 • Out of State Public $31,000 • Private Low $34,000 • Private High $48,000 source: www.collegemoney.com/images/News/News_8_4.pdf

13. Financial Aid Formula Five big inputs Parents Income Parents Assets Students Income Students Assets Number in college One minor input Age of oldest parent One output Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Financial Aid Theory Full Sticker (+ misc) - EFC = Financial Aid Award In an ideal world all you have to pay is the EFC! Almost no one pays full Sticker

14. EFC Calculation PARENT STUDENT BLACK BOX EFC

15. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API BLACK BOX EFC

16. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API Income 22 to 47%of includible BLACK BOX EFC

17. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API Income 22 to 47%of includible Assets 35% of all assets BLACK BOX EFC

18. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API Income 22 to 47%of includible Assets 35% of all assets Income 50% over $2,440 BLACK BOX EFC

19. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API Income 22 to 47%of includible Assets 35% of all assets Income 50% over $2,440 BLACK BOX EFC Federal Methodology Institutional Methodology

20. EFC Calculation Critical Step • YOU MUST DO YOUR OWN TRIAL FINANCIAL AID “TEST” TO ESTIMATE YOUR EFC – to not do so would be like buying a car on payments with out asking the price of the car, the length of the loan, or the amount of the monthly payment. • You may use one of these calculators • http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp • http://finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml

21. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Monitor students income • Earn at least $2,440 a year • Put away at least half of all earnings past $2,440 for college

22. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Adjust Students Assets • Spend down students accounts prior to FAFSA filing • Be aware of legal aspects on UTMA and UGMA • Consider 529 plans - they are generally parental assets • Spend down students accounts early in college – do not retain these assets to help “Jr. get a start on life after college”

23. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Reduce Parent income • Sell losing investments – good time for a tax loss • Delay bonus • Self Employed / Business owner • Buy section 125 assets in December • “hire” child to $2440 if they have no other income in 2006 • Examine effect of adding to retirement plans

24. Reduce Parent Assets Know your asset protection allowance* Know what assets are not reported Retirement plans, Cash Value Life Insurance, Residence, Autos … Shift reportable assets in excess of protection allowance - See *http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/0607EFCFormulaGuideDecFinal.pdf or seek assistance Can you change your EFC – Yes!

25. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Family Members in college • It may be time for mom or dad or sibling to go back to school • The parent’s “contribution” to the EFC is divided by the number of immediate family members in college at the same time. (Coach is glad he has twins in college (a two for one deal), and in two years he will have three in college at the same time (a three for one deal).

26. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Small opportunity for a select few – • Generally you should file your FAFSA as close to January 1 as possible, there may be two general reason to wait a bit. • Oldest Parent has a birthday in January – file after birthday – Asset Protection Allowance goes up a bit • You anticipate a major cash purchase in January (really big purchase of several thousand or more)

27. Can you change your EFC – Yes! • Rerun your financial aid projection with proposed changes prior to actually making the changes. Confirm you will get the results you desire. • Help exists for completing the FAFSA • Determine what help you need and ask

28. EFC Calculation PARENT’S STUDENT’S Assets12% over API Income 22 to 47%of includible Assets 35% of all Income 50% over $2,440 BLACK BOX EFC Federal Methodology Institutional Methodology

29. Evaluate Athletic Ability • Check with your coach • Check the stats on your sport • Are you • Elite -- top 300* in the country (or top 15* in state) • Very good --- top 50 to 100* in the state • Average • Below average *numbers are estimates – not all sports have clear cut lines on this

30. Evaluate Academic Ability • Your grades and SAT scores can get you money. This varies a lot by institution. In general if your GPA is not in the top 25% of your class and/or your SAT scores are not in the 75th or better percentile you can skip this. • We will get back to this.

31. Now that you are armed with your EFC and your athletic and academic ratings use this table to start your search Best Schools to Target High and Low EFC is relative to you – but $16k to $18k is the range of in state public school.

32. Start College Search • www.collegeboard.com has a college match maker. Look under the find a college tab, or • http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp • Follow the NEXT option at the bottom of each page until all pages are done • On the Sports section be sure to follow the more detail: show sport levelslink to pick D1, D2, etc. Submit the results after all pages are done. You will end up with a list of schools that meet your initial screening.

33. Start College Search • Examine the results you got from your search • Redo search if needed • Identify schools you will chose to contact • Somewhere between 10 and 40 might be managable • You will want the colleges web address for the next step It can be found on the “At a Glance” page you just searched for • You can save the search if you wish

34. Contacting the coach • The theory; • Go to schools main web page • Find the athletics link • Now you have to find the coach’s name and contact informatin. (email address is a good start) • Try going to the sport first and look for coach info • Once you have coach’s name you may need to find the athletic directory, or faculty directory, to get the address

35. Contacting the coach • Contact the coach any way you want, • Email • Letter • Phone • Let them know you are interested in their program and you want to know if you might be a good fit. Send them information about your self as an athlete, and as a student (if good). Include stats and movies if appropriate.

36. Contacting the coach Best if it comes from the Student. “We” emailed text similar to this with an attached Resume. Dear Coach, I will be graduating from high school spring of 200X and am looking for a college with a team I can compete on. Your program has come to my attention. Please look at my attached resume, and contact me if I might be a good fit for your team. I am also wondering what type of financial help, if any, might be available. Thank you, NAME…

37. Contacting the coach • Include a resume • Academic information • Athletic information • Stats - won/loss - height/weight – awards/records • Include video clips if appropriate – attach or mail a CD or DVD (mpeg or quicktime) • Sample resume at home.comcast.net/~gznak (note no www.)

38. Contacting the Coach • When a coach contacts you • If possible research schools web site before responding. Let coach think you knew something about the school or program before you contacted them. • Follow up • If you don’t apply to the school you can’t go there • Keep a separate file for each school – Note conversations with the coach. Schools and coaches will blur together.

39. Gotta Get In – Follow the rules • You must get admitted to the school to be able to play • Follow standard admission policies – work with the counseling center on this. • Be aware of each schools deadlines for admissions and financial aid • Always fill in the FAFSA on time • NCAA – Clearing house

40. Found an interesting school • Can You Get Academic Money? • Phone Admissions or Financial Aid and ask for academic scholarship cut offs. Be prepared to give them your SAT scores, your GPA, and possibly your Class Rank. Most schools will tell you what you would be offered based on this information.

41. Congrats you got an offer • Arrange tours • Academic early decission – may reduce aid award • National Letter of Intent • Early offer – once you sign you are committed • Late offer • THEY CAN’T OFFER IF YOU CAN’T GET IN THE SCHOOL! APPLY TO ALL COLLEGES YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT.

42. What we covered • Opportunities that exist for student athletes • What a student athlete can expect • How to narrow down the college search • How to identify and contact coaches • How to track school admissions • Sugessions on evaluating offers