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Helping You Plan, Apply, and Pay for College
 
 
CFNC Educator Update
 
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VOLUME I / MAY 2008


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. 


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
Dates: Fall 2008
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
Dates: Spring 2009
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:

  • Paws in Jobland (newly updated) for educational professionals working with elementary students
  • Choices Explorer a career tool for educational professionals working with middle school students
  • Choices Planner a career tool for educational professionals working with high school/college students
  • 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.


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:

252 Amy Denton 252-402-6157 adenton@cfi.org
336 Takeila Barnes 336-402-5622 tbarnes@cfi.org
704 / 980 Timeka Ruffin 704-281-3437 truffin@cfi.org
828 Laura Misner 828-712-9840 lmisner@cfi.org
910 April Morey 910-280-1883 amorey@cfi.org
919 Sarita Broadway 919-264-3686 sbroadway@cfi.org

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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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