Financial Aid Awareness Month
"South Dakota Chat"
Informal conversation is nothing new to the patrons of J&M Cafe in Lake Preston, SD. J&M Café is a small town café that specializes in home-cooked meals and fresh coffee. The atmosphere feels more like grandmother's living room than a business. Although the food is "just like mom's", the anticipation of chatting with friends brings patrons back many times per week. The fast pace of the modern world seems to slow to a crawl with the good food and conversation at J&M Café.
Small town café's dot the landscape of the Mount Rushmore state. South Dakotan's feel at home when "chatting" with fellow citizens over a home-cooked meal or a cup of coffee. Informal talk is one of the most popular methods of gathering information for the people of South Dakota.
SDASFAA has recognized that many South Dakotans will ask more questions about financial aid in a friendly and informal setting. The SDASFAA awareness committee has worked intensely the past few years to help families become familiar with the professionals in the financial aid community.
SDASFAA's awareness committee secured a proclamation from Governor William Janklow declaring January as South Dakota Financial Aid Awareness Month. The governor urges the citizens of South Dakota "to avail themselves of the programs and activities of the South Dakota Association of Financial Aid Administrators provide during January to heighten the awareness of students and their families to financial aid programs and application procedures."
SDASFAA and Education Assistance Corporation sponsored a state wide Internet "chat" on January 21. Mapping Your Future hosted the live web chat from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. CST. South Dakota financial aid professionals were available for an informal question and answer session that addressed financial aid questions from students and parents.
Transcripts of South Dakota's chat night are available on-line at http://mapping-your-future.org/services/chatnight.htm. Students and parents are invited to search past chat events to determine if their question has been answered during a previous chat.
The response to the first South Dakota financial aid chat night has energized SDASFAA' s Awareness Committee to do more with Internet chat nights. SDASFAA will continue to promote the people behind the programs.
"Nebraska's Countdown to College"
Nebraska students and parents received answers to their college planning questions during "Countdown to College," a one-hour television special on Wednesday, January 23 on the Nebraska ETV Network. Students and parents phoned in questions during the live program. Experts in the areas of admissions, financial aid and student orientation answered questions about how to plan and pay for college and how to make a successful transition from high school to higher education.
The 2002 "Countdown to College" panel included Ted Fellers, director of financial aid at the Mid-Plains Community College Area in McCook; Linc Morris, director of recruitment at the University of Nebraska at Omaha; Jodi Vanden Berge, director of the Educational Planning Center in Kearney; and Crystal Jefferson, a student at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.
Behind the scenes, fifteen NeASFAA volunteers answered over 50 calls and e-mails so that all questions were answered immediately. Students and parents also had the opportunity to attend "viewing nights" at 18 sites across the state hosted by high school guidance counselors and financial aid directors.
"Countdown to College" is a collaborative project of NET and the Foundation for Educational Funding (FEF), an educational charity whose mission is to improve access to higher education in Nebraska.
"Montana's Reach Out Program"
MASFAA developed a power point presentation that is being used in the same basic format by the entire state for High School Nights and Financial Aid Nights. MASFAA has coordinated with the Financial Aid Offices across the state in an effort to be sure that all schools have an opportunity to see the presentation. This will be an on-going project for future years to make sure all our high schools are covered.
Also, to get the word out to all students who might be interested in applying for Financial Aid, MASFAA has a public service announcement that is distributed to radio stations around the state. The basic message is to be sure to apply and to apply early. It is usually played from the middle of January until the 1st of March, the priority deadline for most institutions.
"Wyoming's Super Goal Sunday"
Super Goal Sunday is an event planned to assist Wyoming students in completing financial aid applications and scholarship forms. The goal for the afternoon is to provide accurate information and assistance at an early enough date to help students obtain funding for a higher education. The afternoon will be hosted at Central Wyoming Community College in Riverton, Wyoming.
"North Dakota's FAINs"
In association with Financial Aid Awareness month, financial aid representatives are conducting information sessions at area high schools. In addition to review of the paper FAFSA, information is given on electronic filing using the PIN number. The various financial aid programs and alternative loans are also covered, along with an overview of cost of attendance, needs analysis and important deadlines.
"Kansas' College Goal Sunday"
For the 4th straight year, KASFAA members (along with Missouri association members in the Kansas City, Missouri area) will conduct College Goal Sunday on February 24, 2002. Prospective students and their families receive hands-on help in completing the FAFSA in 8 Kansas locations and 1 location in Kansas City, Missouri. More details are at http://www.collegegoal.org/
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