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Greetings
As we near the end of the school year, we want to
provide you with details of some programs and exciting developments within the
CFNC partnership - some that have recently been implemented, and some that will
take effect when you return in the fall. Please contact us if you have
questions about any of the topics contained in this newsletter, or anything
else regarding College Foundation of North Carolina and the services we
provide.
Enjoy your break.but don't forget to print a copy of this newsletter and take
it home with you so that you'll have something interesting to read this summer!
We wish each of you a great summer, and we'll look forward to seeing you in the
fall!
Robbie Schultz,
Mark Wiles, Ben Kittner,
Nicole Roach
CFNC newsletter editors
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Redirection Pool / Late Decision Flier Available Online
Each year a number of students learn they were not admitted to
their first-choice college. Other students decide at a late date that they
want to attend college in the fall, but they are not certain of the steps they
need to take to be admitted to a campus.
Many colleges, including all the state's community college, are still accepting
applications. A number of four-year campuses are able to administer the SAT or
the ACT to students who have not taken either test in order to be considered
for fall admission. It's not too late to start college in the fall!
CFNC's Redirection Pool provides an opportunity for students whose plans have
changed - or are just beginning to take shape - to learn of campuses that have
available spaces. Students who opt in to the Redirection Pool will receive
information from North Carolina campuses describing their academic programs,
admissions requirements and financial aid availability.
CFNC has created a flier that can be handed or e-mailed to students, providing
the information they need to get started with the
Redirection Pool registration process. The file is available in the
"Downloadable Resources" section of the CFNC Website under "Helping You Pay".
It's not too late to apply to college for the fall semester, and we urge you to
share the flier with your seniors who would like to be in college in the fall
but have not applied or are still trying to find a campus that will be a good
fit.
More information about the Redirection Pool can be found at
CFNC.org on the College Redirection Pool page or by calling College
Foundation of North Carolina, toll-free, at 866-866-CFNC (press Option 1.)
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Fall Financial Aid Workshops
The State Education Assistance Authority is pleased to announce
that we will again offer fall financial aid workshops for counselors. The
workshops will be offered at six locations across the state, following other
regional counselor meetings. As in the past, we will provide lunch, followed by
updates on major federal and state programs and new CFNC initiatives. We will
also discuss financial aid issues and provide answers to your questions.
We plan to send details to counselors in early August. Counselors will be able
to register for the workshops of their choice in early August by
visiting CFNC.org and clicking the "Register
for CFNC Events" button.
Mark your calendars! The dates and locations for the 2008 programs are:
September 9 - Meredith College (Raleigh)
September 10 - Fayetteville Technical Community College
September 11 - Western Carolina University (Cullowhee)
September 12 - Marriott Hotel - South Park (Charlotte) - following the CACRAO
workshop, NOT the College Board workshop
September 12 - Greenville Hilton
September 16 - Winston-Salem State University
As in the past, the programs will follow The College Board's morning workshops
at most locations.
Please note that this year the Charlotte program will follow the CACRAO
conference in that city.
All other financial aid workshops will follow the morning College Board
workshops.
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FAFSA Day Update
We are pleased to report that over 3,600 students and their
families benefited from last February's free FAFSA Day program. More than
650 volunteers, including many school counselors, assisted at 56 locations.
We hope many of you will want to assist at a FAFSA Day site next year, and
we'll send a request for volunteers to high school counselors in the fall.
While the list of sites will not be available until late summer, we do know the
date: Saturday, February 14, 2009. Please mark your calendar!
As in the past, student registration will begin in October. We will send
you more details in the fall, and we will also send promotional materials to
each high school counseling office in January 2009.
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New and Improved Financial Aid Estimator Is Online
The Financial Aid Estimator (FAE) developed by SEAA has
recently been enhanced, offering a cleaner look and incorporating new aid
programs, such as EARN. The FAE provides a good snapshot of the funding North
Carolina residents might qualify for, based on the information provided by the
student. The FAE takes into account such factors as the student's EFC, which
campus he or she will attend and the rigor of a student's high school
curriculum to determine which federal and state programs will be available to
the student. Estimates can be made based on a student's actual FAFSA
information or self-reported data.
To receive an estimate, students should visit CFNC.org,
click the "Paying for College" tab and click the Financial Aid Estimator link
under "Tools and Resources."
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2009 FAFSA Deadline for North Carolina
For years, the FAFSA has indicated that North Carolina has a
March 15 deadline for state aid programs, but the deadline ONLY applied to the
North Carolina Student Incentive Grant (NCSIG) which was the only statewide
program for many years.
Times and funding have changed! North Carolina now offers more than $300
million in need-based aid, not including the NCSIG funding of approximately $6
million. While the NCSIG funding will likely be exhausted early as it
always has, there is plenty of other funding for students and it should be
sufficient to fund most eligible students!
As a result, the State Education Assistance Authority made the decision to
remove the deadline from the FAFSA. Beginning with the 2009-10 FAFSA,
North Carolina will be listed at the top of the form with 25 other states with
no deadline. Please update any school Internet pages, counseling office
newsletters and other materials you will distribute to your seniors next year
to reflect this change.
We thank those counselors who assisted at one of the sites this year, and we
look forward to the assistance of counselor volunteers next February. And we
appreciate the help of all counselors to make your students and their families
aware of this important opportunity to get the help they need applying for
college funding!
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CFNC Training Dates Announced for Fall 2008 & Spring 2009
To accommodate as many educators as possible to plan for
regional training sessions dates and locations for
both fall 2008 and spring 2009 training are in place. Here's the
schedule:
Locations
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Dates: Fall 2008
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| Rocky Mount / Gateway Center |
September 25-26 |
| UNC Wilmington |
October 6-7 |
| Meredith College |
October 9-10 |
| UNC Charlotte |
October 13-14 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College: Enka Campus |
October 20-21 |
| Winston-Salem State University |
November 13-14 |
Locations
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Dates: Spring 2009
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| Rocky Mount / Gateway Center |
February 26-27 |
| Meredith College |
March 2-3 |
| UNC Charlotte |
March 9-10 |
| UNC Wilmington |
March 12-13 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College: Enka Campus |
March 16-17 |
| Winston-Salem State University |
April 2-3 |
This fall's training modules are four unique three-hour (.3
CEU) workshops that focus on:
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Paws in Jobland (newly updated) for educational professionals working with
elementary students
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Choices Explorer a career tool for educational professionals working with
middle school students
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Choices Planner a career tool for educational professionals working with high
school/college students
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Curriculum Collection - for all grade-level educators. An overview of the ready
made curriculum in print
and on CFNC.org showcasing the Educator's
Toolkit, career exploration and college preparation lessons,
as well as interactive financial literacy activities. Participants create
action plans designed to fit the needs
at their respective school.
Also in the works are plans for online learning opportunities
for educators to access "on-demand" updates, as well as web-based seminar
scenarios. Stay tuned for updates on these exciting new developments in later issues.
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Free Financial Literacy Programs for High School and College Students
CFNC has added two new free, interactive financial literacy
programs to its CFNC.org website; Financial
Literacy 101 (for college students) and MoneyEdu (for high school
students). Students may take the course independently or teachers and
counselors may wish to use the instructor module to utilize the course as a
classroom experience. Topics include: creating a budget, avoiding credit
card debt, choosing the right bank account, understanding credit reports and
credit scores, choosing and managing education loans, debt reduction
strategies, avoiding identity theft and other financial topics pertinent to
young people.
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New Career and College Planning Curriculum for 7th-12th Grade
The launch of CFNC's new Career and College Planning Curriculum
is growing closer. Based on the NC Standard Course of Study for School
Counseling, national research on factors impacting educational attainment, and
educators from across NC, sixty activities and lesson plans will be posted to
CFNC.org in late June. View the topics-at-a-glance as well as
detailed learning outcomes for grades 7-12 by going to
CFNC.org, Downloadable Resources; look under the Curriculum Materials
section. Many schools are having the activities embedded in their school
calendars; please see the fliers posted on CFNC.org
for more details. Watch for training sessions in late summer and early
fall.
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CFNC Regional Representatives are available for presentations in your area
CFNC has individual representatives located across North
Carolina to make free presentations to students, parents, teachers and other
community groups. Topics available include career and college planning
resources, financial aid, the N.C. 529 college savings plan, and financial
literacy.
CFNC regional representatives are assigned by area code to better assist you
with workshops, training and other presentations:
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Publications Update
As you are aware, CFNC produces a brochure each year promoting funding opportunities for students planning health-related careers, and a separate brochure for students considering teaching careers. The 2008-09 brochures should be finalized in the early fall, and we will send sample copies to each counseling office across the state. If you need additional copies of either brochure - or many other CFNC publications - you may order them by calling 866-866-CFNC (press Option 1) or by visiting
CFNC.org and clicking the "Downloadable Resources" tab on the left side of the home page. The brochures can also be viewed online.
The 2008-09 edition of Student Financial Aid for North
Carolinians, the CFNC publication detailing aid programs for which North
Carolina students have a good chance of qualifying, will be published in the
fall. A copy of the book will be sent to each high school counseling
office in the state. Don't forget - the book is also available online at
CFNC.org/fabook; please make your students aware of this valuable
resource!
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Let us know what you think!
To share your comments or questions with us regarding this
newsletter, please contact Nicole Roach,
Editor, CFNC - Educator Update.
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