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Making the Case for Private Universities: Keep in Mind "Best Fit

This article explores the benefits of private colleges and universities, including affordable high-quality education, smaller class sizes, and skills development. It also provides questions to ask the financial aid office to understand financial aid options.

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Making the Case for Private Universities: Keep in Mind "Best Fit

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  1. Making the Case for Private Universities:Keep in Mind “Best Fit”Senior AVID September 9, 2015

  2. Systems of Higher Eduacation • Community College • California State University • University of California • Private/Independent Colleges & Universities • Out-of-State Colleges & Universities

  3. The Current Reality in California • With tuition increases, reduced classes and budget cuts, California’s public universities (UCs and CSUs) may not be the most cost-effective choice. • Private Schools are emphasizing their lack of enrollment cuts and boosts in financial aid packages.

  4. A Comparison of UC Graduation Rates • The data presented here is from the National Center for Educational Statistics.

  5. Questions to Explore • If a student can’t graduate “on time” in the public school system, how much does it cost them in tuition and lost income? • Is the public school system the “best deal” in all cases?

  6. Benefits of a Private Colleges and Universities • Affordable High Quality Education • Most small liberal arts colleges make very attractive financial aid and grant offers to all types of students regardless of financial means • Smaller Class Sizes • Private Colleges typically have a smaller student body than Public Universities; this means smaller class sizes • Greater Class Participation • Smaller classrooms and smaller professor-to-student ratios mean much more opportunity for engaged student participation

  7. Benefits of a Private Colleges and Universities • Skills Development • Most private colleges tend to emphasize the development of practical skills that can be applied in the workplace. • Responsive to Change • Because private colleges function more along the lines of a business model, private colleges are to quickly adapt their curricula to the rapidly changing demands of the job market. • Teaching rather than Research • In private colleges, the primary role of a faculty member is to teach classes and to help students acquire the skills they need to become successful in their chosen fields.

  8. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • What percent of my need do you meet? • The EFC, or Expected Family Contribution, determined by the FAFSA, is the same regardless of the cost of the college or university. • Some colleges will meet 100% of your need. (Need is defined as the cost of the college minus your EFC.)

  9. Financial Aid Award/Need • Let’s see an example of a financial aid award from a college that provides 100% of need with a student who has an EFC of $5,000 Financial Aid Award: At a college that pays 100% of your need you pay $5,000.

  10. Financial Aid Award/Need • If a Private School only provides 90% of need: Until you know what percent of need the college meets, don’t eliminate a college from consideration just because it is expensive.

  11. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 2. Do you have merit based aid? • Many colleges that don’t meet 100% of a students need do offer scholarships for some students. • Questions to ask if the college provides merit aid: • How many merit awards are available? • What is the value of the merit awards available? • What are the qualifications to receive one of these merit awards?

  12. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 3. How is financial aid determined after the first year? • Some colleges have a policy of providing good financial aid for the first year and then substantially reducing the grant aid in the following years while increasing the loans. • Ask the college how they determine financial aid after the first year and what the average loan is after the first year.

  13. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 4. What is the average loan amount at graduation of those students who have loans? • This question will give you an indication of the amount of loans that this college requires compared to other colleges that you’re considering. • Although most students will have some loans when they graduate, you don’t want this amount to be any more than necessary.

  14. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 5. What is the school’s policy regarding outside scholarships? • Most colleges will subtract money earned from outside scholarships from your financial aid package. • Some colleges will reduce the loan burden by the amount of the scholarship, but other colleges will reduce your grant money. • If the college reduces the amount of loans you have to take out that is a benefit to you. There is no benefit to you if the college reduces the grant aid.

  15. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 6. What is your packaging policy? • Most colleges give a financial aid package that includes grant money, loans, and work study. • But each college combines this money differently. • What percentage of an aid package from your college is grant vs. self-help (loans, work study)? • The greater amount of grants versus loans and work study the better for the student. • Do you have a preferential packaging policy? • Preferential packaging occurs when a college gives a better financial aid package to a student with a stronger academic background than to another student with the same financial need but with a weaker academic background.

  16. Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office • 7. What is your four year graduation rate? • 8. Also, What is your job placement rate (for my major)? • If the college has a high four year graduation rate, you will most likely only have to pay for four years of college. • However, if the college graduates most students in six years then you can plan on paying for six years of college, not four. • A private school with a low four year graduation rate may not be the “best deal” for prospective college students.

  17. What is the CSS Profile • College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile • Determines eligibility for Non-Federal student aid funds • Helps families make competitive financial aid decisions • Calculates Institutional Methodology & Federal Methodology • Customized to each school

  18. The Benefits of the CSS Profile • CSS Data enables colleges and programs to identify lower income applicants which determines fee waiver qualifications. • The calculation of the Institutional Methodology helps colleges award institution financial aid.

  19. CSS Profile Application • Any student applying to a private college that accepts the CSS profile should apply • (Not all institutions participate in the CSS profile) • Students should register as soon as they’re sure about where they’ll be applying • Must apply at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship priority filing date that needs to be met (Individually set by each school) • Cost • $9 Application Fee plus $16 for each college the information will be sent to. • A very limited number of fee waivers are offered based on the info provided on the Profile.

  20. Net Price Calculator • Pomona College

  21. Modified from Poppy Hill [T] 714-220-4262 (ext. 144) [E-mail] hill_p@auhsd.us

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