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It's envelope time for seniors
The Oscars of college applications are about to begin. The envelope please - is a phrase both for parents and seniors beginning around April 1st. All those months of waiting come to an end, and a new challenge begins. What school do I choose? Is it an ivy league, honors program, private school, public state university or community college? Regardless of the weight of the envelope, and the level of the school, decisions are about to made on more than the prestige of a name, and the offer of admission. For most seniors, finance is starting to play a major role in that final decision. For those who are accepted to the school of their dreams, the immediate joy is often tempered by the sticker price. While some Ivy League schools have announced that grants will replace loans in the financial aid packages for the coming classes, it seems obvious that the higher income families of Long Island will not be affected by this policy change.
While our Long Island salaries and incomes may be significantly higher than those in other locations across the country, so are our expenses. Most families have two working parents, and taxes are considerably higher than those in other parts of the country. Albeit most of our brillant students will not qualify for those generous grants, so what do they do about financing a $50,000. + a year education? Another downside is the recent report more and more banks are withdrawing their participation in college loan funding. What are students and parents to do? Besides, what loan is a Long Island student eligible for other than a Stafford Loan? In truth, one option may be for students and parents to look at fine schools that may offer students a great education and a low debt ratio. Look for grants, and awards based on high school academic performance that are not need based. These funds may just offset that cost of tuition or room and board.
Parents and students need to look carefully at their financial aid packages, and determine the indebtedness each wishes to face in the future. To some an Ivy League education may be worth the financial indebtedness, but to others, choosing one of the thousands of other wonderful colleges and universities across the USA may be the right decision.
While our Long Island salaries and incomes may be significantly higher than those in other locations across the country, so are our expenses. Most families have two working parents, and taxes are considerably higher than those in other parts of the country. Albeit most of our brillant students will not qualify for those generous grants, so what do they do about financing a $50,000. + a year education? Another downside is the recent report more and more banks are withdrawing their participation in college loan funding. What are students and parents to do? Besides, what loan is a Long Island student eligible for other than a Stafford Loan? In truth, one option may be for students and parents to look at fine schools that may offer students a great education and a low debt ratio. Look for grants, and awards based on high school academic performance that are not need based. These funds may just offset that cost of tuition or room and board.
Parents and students need to look carefully at their financial aid packages, and determine the indebtedness each wishes to face in the future. To some an Ivy League education may be worth the financial indebtedness, but to others, choosing one of the thousands of other wonderful colleges and universities across the USA may be the right decision.
Comment
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Comment by Barbara Restivo on May 14, 2008 at 7:49am
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Sure. I will try to get to it tonight.
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Comment by Blanca Duarte Martini on May 13, 2008 at 10:42pm
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Hi Barbara,
Spoke with LI Works and Lisa and she would like to continue the conversation. I've added some information in the High School group and wonder if we should continue the conversation there. Any suggestions?
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Amen! I'll send a shout out to a few people and see what we resources we can pull together.
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Virtual opportunities seems like a great idea. Perhaps Long Island Works would like to get involved in such a project. They have the partnerships on the isand to work with, and I am sure there are industries and careers that would welcome the opportunity. It's time to move from the narrative video to the interactive ones.
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Barbara,
Do you think that perhaps we can create "virtual" opportunities (just thinking out loud) where students could get an idea of what a career would be like by having simulated activities? This might be one way that we can create opportunities for each student, even if the opportunity was not in the real world. In order for Long Island to withstand a recession if indeed we are affected by one, we need to have a workforce ready to create those new jobs to keep our economy strong. I thank the partnerships that the Small Business Development Centers on Long Island have created for I am not sure where the small business community would be without the support that this community (and others) have provided them. Linking in to community partnerships is key as well. A community that invests in its students, invests in itself.
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Dear Blanca,
You are right on the mark. Jobs- careers- are all so different in this twenty first century, and will continue to explode with the internet. Internships are the key. Wouldn't it be great if all of our high school students had an opportunity to intern in a career field while they were still in high school? My school has participated in the Long Island Works Job Shadow Day for several years now. Our only problem is finding enough placements for our kids. The great part is that our community has rallied and offered placement in their own industries for our sophomores. I wish we could get an opportunity for each student.
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Dear Barbara,
How on the mark your post is. The other option to look at is the strength of vocational careers, from which many good paying jobs are born. Where would we be without our plumbers, electricians and mechanics, without which we'd be stuck without heat, light and our cars (very important when you live on LI). Since you are talking about envelope time, I'll bring in a discussion that I've begun on the HS discussion post, and that is the one of career options. LI Works is an organization dedicated to connecting students with business owners on LI.
Prior to applying for college students should explore career options to see what different careers interest them. While our "jobs" may change over time (doesn't the Shift Happens video claim digital natives to have 14 jobs by the time they are 38?) it is important for HS students to have a chance to explore early options before college.
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