State Updates
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Nebraska State News
NeAFSAA recently elected the 2002 - 2003 board members. We are happy to have them on the board and look forward to all the great contributions they will give to NeASFAA.
2002-2003 Board of Directors
Past President: Paula Kohles, Creighton University
President: Vickie Kucera, Central Community College, Hastings
President-Elect: Deana Unger, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Treasurer: Kyle Rose, Wayne State College
Secretary: Tammie Sovereign, Northeast Community College
Four-Year Public Sector Rep: Sandy Straight, University of Nebraska-Omaha
Four-Year Private Sector Rep: Dean Obenauer, Creighton University
Two-Year Public Sector Rep: Ted Fellers, Mid-Plains Community College-McCook
Private/Career Sector Rep: Amy Dober, Vatterott-Omaha
Associate Sector Rep: Tammy Stevenson, Foundation for Educational Funding
How the EPC helps Nebraska students and parents
When it's time to plan for college and apply for financial aid, Nebraska students and parents turn to the Educational Planning Centers (EPCs). With locations in Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha, we've helped Nebraska families plan and pay for college for over 15 years. Our free college planning services and tools include:
- In-house Services
- Financial Aid Information and FAFSA Completion. Many Nebraska schools regard the EPC as "an extra staff person" and rely on us to help their students and parents with financial aid questions and FAFSA completion. We electronically file the FAFSA for students and estimate their financial aid eligibility with our College Funding Estimator.
- College selection tools. Our catalogs, reference books, and college selection software help students find the best school for them. They can use our phones and Internet connection to get immediate answers from colleges, or to set up campus visits.
- Scholarship search tools. Students visit our offices to look for scholarships using our software programs and reference books to find local, statewide and national awards. Our EPC Scholarship Quest program features a database of Nebraska scholarships.
- Loan Counseling and Consolidation. When loans help pay for a student's education, the EPC makes sure the borrower understands the loan terms and repayment options.
- Outreach Programs and Materials
- College fairs and college planning programs. The EPC sponsors seven college fairs in Nebraska that bring admissions representatives directly to students and parents. We also conduct educational planning programs and financial aid presentations at high schools across the state.
- Loan Counseling. EPC staff conducts loan counseling sessions for Nebraska colleges stressing repayment options and budget solutions.
- College planning newsletters and brochures. Our College Prep News newsletters provide financial aid, admissions and college transition information in a colorful, easy-to-read format. Our College Funding 101 brochure provides financial aid basics, while Intro to College Selection gives tips and tools for finding the right college.
On the Web…
Located at www.ne-epc.com, our web site features:
- On-line Guided Tours. After students and parents log on, we'll take them on a tour through all the steps to plan and pay for college whether the student is in middle school, high school or a college freshman.
- Countdown to College. Students and parents can sign up to receive monthly e-mails to help them plan and prepare for college.
- Scholarship Quest. Our on-line scholarship search program featuring local awards is easily accessible on our web site. Students can search by personal demographics, deadline date, or scholarship name.
- Activities Resume. Students record their extracurricular activities as they prepare to apply for college admissions and scholarships.
The EPCs are a program of the Foundation for Educational Funding, Inc. We also receive partial funding from NS LP for default prevention efforts. For more information, call the EPC Hotline at 800-666-3721 or visit www.ne-epc.com.
Colorado State News
Colorado LIFT Helps Qualified Teachers Repay Student Loans
Thirty-one Colorado first-time teachers in high-demand disciplines are among the first to receive help in repaying their college student loans, under Colorado LIFT, a state pilot program announced last August by Governor Owens. LIFT (Loan Incentive For Teachers) is designed to attract qualified first-time teachers to math, science, special education and linguistically diverse education - the four disciplines in which teachers are most needed statewide.
Monthly payments on behalf of teachers recently accepted under Colorado LIFT will begin in January, 2002. Eligible teachers will receive up to $2,000 per year forgiveness of loan payments over a four-year period. "We hope this program will attract more new teachers to these fields so that they, too, can begin receiving these benefits," said Geri Reinardy, chief college and governmental affairs officer for the Colorado Student Obligation Bond Authority which operates the program in cooperation with the Colorado Commission On Higher Education.
Of the 31 teachers accepted so far this fall, 10 are teaching or will be teaching in the metro Denver area with the remainder located throughout the state. Nineteen are new teachers in the science field, five in each math and special education, and two in the area of linguistically diverse education.
To be eligible for the program, teachers must have completed a teacher education program approved by CCHE at an eligible Colorado public or private university and must be teaching in one of the four disciplines for the first time when they enter the program. Teachers must also have student loans through the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loan from CSOBA or a student loan through participating lenders including Citibank, US Bank or ASAP Union Bank. Also qualifying are William D. Ford Stafford loans from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University.
Applications are currently being accepted for Colorado LIFT. Teachers who think they may qualify for the program can contact their school district personnel office, or CSOBA at 303-295-1981 or 800-448-2424, or they can download an application from www.csoba.org.
Wyoming State News
Joint Effort - Wyoming Community Colleges
The seven Wyoming Community Colleges will join together to encourage Wyoming students to stay in state to go to school. A brochure funded by WSLC and Target Marketing will be mailed to each Wyoming high school senior. The brochure advises students of the many choices and opportunities in their own state.
North Dakota State News
North Dakota is actively planning for RMASFAA 2002 "Exploring the Financial Aid Frontier" which will be held in Bismarck this October. NDASFAA is pleased to be hosting the conference and is looking forward to welcoming all RMASFAA states to North Dakota.
Kansas State News
NSLP Awards Cash for ClassTM to Butler County Community College
by Sharon O'Neal
National Student Loan Program
Students at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, were selected to receive NSLP's Cash for Class award at the Rocky Mountain Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (RMASFAA) conference last October. Cash for Class is a scholarship program that provides money to schools to help their students pay for college expenses and allows the school to decide how to award the funds. Schools register for Cash for Class in conjunction with the six regional financial aid conferences.
"We're really pleased to have this money for our students," said Susie Edwards, Director of Financial Aid, after her school was selected as this year's RMASFAA recipient. "We have a lot of deserving students on our campus who can use it." Julie Esau, NSLP's Regional Director, presented the Cash for Class award to Butler County Community College Vice President Bill Rinkenbaugh.
In addition to donating money for scholarships, NSLP helps to sponsor Educational Planning Centers®, a program of the Foundation for Educational Funding, Inc. The centers provide free college planning services to students and families and debt counseling to student loan borrowers. NSLP also provides educational planning and student loan repayment assistance on its website at www.nslp.org.
Submitted by:
Teresa Boldt, Corporate Promotions Coordinator, NSLP
1300 O Street, Lincoln NE 68501-2507
Phone 800-735-8778, ext. 6827 Fax 402-479-6762
E-Mail teresab@nslp.org
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