To commute or not to commute...that is the question!

To commute or not to commute...that is the question!

It is a fact that the majority of students who go to college in New Jersey commute to college. If you are thinking of living on campus, consider the facts: 

• Be aware! The cost of living on campus can almost double your cost of attending college. This is important to remember. Although most college students want to experience what it's like to have more independence and live away from home, think about whether it  will be worth living away from home if you have to take student loans to do so. The four years spent at college pass very quickly, but student loans must be paid off for 10 or more years. It may be more valuable to you to exert your independence by spending a lot of time at college while commuting there, instead of living at college. 
• On the other hand, most commuters find that they need to travel to campus early to get a parking space before classes, since parking is limited at just about all colleges. 
• If you decide that you do want to live on campus, you need to apply for on-campus housing early. At all the New Jersey campuses, on-campus housing is limited, since most to the students are commuters. If you are thinking of living on campus, your best bet is to apply for housing early, before you miss out. 
• However, be aware that most colleges have a non-refundable housing deposit. At Kean University, the deadline date for applying for and submitting your deposit for on-campus housing is May 1, 2014. 
• If you want more detailed information about on-campus housing for the Fall and Spring semesters at Kean University, visit the webpage for the Office of Residence Life  http://www.kean.edu/~reslife/Welcome.html. 

I have been admitted to college!! Now what?

I have been admitted to college!! Now what?

So you have been admitted to college! Congratulations! Now you can relax... at least a bit. There are still items to check off your to do list. The top one is taking a placement test. Here is the 411 about placement tests: 

• Most colleges require students to take a placement test. to determine what your academic skill levels are in Math, Writing and Reading. 
• Some colleges/universities will waive you from a test or portion of a placement test depending upon your SAT/ACT scores. 
• Your placement test results will help determine what courses you can enroll in for your first semester. 
• You may be placed in remedial or developmental courses based on your placement test results. These are courses that count towards the total number of credits you will take during a semester, but they are not courses that count towards the total number of credits you need to graduate. Why? They are not college-level courses, but are instead, courses to assist you in bring your academic skills up to college level. 
• Many students must take developmental courses. it is nothing to be ashamed of. These courses will provide you with a solid foundation for your college level courses. 
• To do your best on the placement test, you should prepare for the test. Statistics show that students who prepare for the test have better results. preparation may help you avoid taking developmental courses and allow you to start with college level courses. 
• Most colleges require that you register to take the test. This will allow you to plan accordingly to prepare for the test.
• Check out sample questions that may be available at the college's placement testing webpage. You can see see such questions on the Kean University's ACCUPLACER webapge:http://cas.kean.edu/resources.htm
• Do take advantage of test review sessions, such as those Kean University offers for the Math portion of the  placement test (http://ku.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2rXiIqaA68wzw4R). 
• get a good rest the night before the test and eat a good breakfast that day. 
• Relax! This is only the first step in your college studies. if you have prepared, you will do your best!

FAFSA Workshops!

FAFSA Workshops!

FAFSA Workshops:

March 20: 4-7pm CAS 113
April 2: 4-7 CAS 113
April 15: 4-7pm CAS 113

Financial Aid Professionals from the Office of Financial Aid will be there to help you complete your FAFSA*. All current and prospective Kean students are Welcome! *Bring 2013 tax information for student and parents. For more information, call 737-3220 or email finaid@kean.edu. #kean #keanuniversity #financialaid #FAFSA

It's all in the details!

It's all in the details! 

So you applied for admission to college and for financial aid, but you have not heard anything? This is the refrain heard time and again from students. 

However, have checked the details of your communication with the college?

1. Have you checked your email for a response? Yes, yes, we know that high school students do not use email as much as older folks, but email still remains a quick and easy way for colleges to communicate with students. Check your email and while you are at it, check to see if the email you included on your admission application is still in operation. If not, reactivate the email account, or create one just for college responses, but don't forget to inform the college (preferably by email) that your email address has changed. 
2. Speaking of changes, did you change your mailing address? Did you move since you applied for admission? If so, you must inform the colleges to which you applied of your new address. Otherwise, that coveted admission letter might go back to the college as undeliverable!
3. If the colleges to which you applied use an electronic portal to communicate with students, remember to also frequently check what was sent to you via their portals. At Kean University, we use KeanWise to communicate with students, in addition to emails and postal mail. 
4. Listen to your home and cell phone voice-mail messages. If colleges cannot reach you electronically, we may have to resort to old-fashioned phone calls to leave you important information in a message. 
5. If you are asked to submit a form listing all your family members, including their ages and your relationship to them (as students seeking financial aid are asked on the Verification Worksheet for Dependent Students at Kean University), don't just list your family members without the other information that was requested! It will only delay the processing since the college then has to contact you indicating that you only submitted partial information. 
6. When a document is asked from you, did you make sure it is exactly what was asked for? For example, for freshmen applying for financial aid, including the EOF Grant for Kean University EEO/EOF applicants, the 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript is required and instructions are sent to students with information as to how to procure this document.  However, many people instead send to our office a photocopy of the 2013 federal tax form filed with the IRS. However, it is the 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript instead that was requested because it shows that the IRS processed the tax forms, and that is exactly what is needed for financial aid processing. Again, it is all in the details. 

Apply for Scholarships

Apply for Scholarships

Many colleges and universities offer scholarships. You will be automatically notified that you qualify for some, but there are others for which you must apply. 

Kean University offers both types of scholarships. You can apply for scholarships according to the following timeline:

December 1^st - Kean University Scholarship Application is Posted Online

March 1^st - Kean University Scholarship Application Deadline (application must be fully completed and submitted)

April 15^th - Incoming Freshman Award/Non-Award Announcements

June 15^th - Undergraduate and Graduate Award/Non-Award Announcements

July 15^th - August 1^st - Awards Posted in Student KeanWise Accounts

There are over 250 scholarships tom which you can apply for new and continuing students based on major, grade point average, financial need, community service, class level, earned college credits, military service, hometown, or a combination of factors. 

Visit the Kean university Scholarship Services web page to review the scholarships and apply online:http://www.keanfoundation.org/scholarships.

You can also apply for scholarships external to your college/university. The U.S. Department of Labor offers a free web search tool to look for scholarships for which you may be able to apply: http://careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=category&nodeid=22

If you receive an external scholarship, follow the instructions with Kean University Scholarship Services for processing information: http://www.keanfoundation.org/pages/scholarship-services/external-scholarships

Don't let your Social Media image hurt your chances of getting into college!

Don't let your Social Media image hurt 

your chances of getting into college!

• College admissions officers will sometimes visit an applicant's social networking site or can simply "Google" your name to see what can be found. You do the same and clean up any photos that do not demonstrate that you are a serious student. Photos of you holding red plastic cups could be a sign that you are not!
• Make sure your email address  that you share with the college is not risque-1beautifulbody@gmail.com or livingmythuglife @hotmail.com are not suitable to use for college email. Create a new email account using your name and/or initials that you will use only for college until you get admitted and have a college email address.  
• Check your privacy settings on Facebook and other online pages to limit who and what non-friends may view.  Remove past posts that do not show you as a studious person. Opt out of allowing friends to tag you in photos without your knowledge. However, be sure to keep your profile photo appropriate (no sexy poses, no twerking, and definitely no red cups) since your photo will be visible even if the content may not be.
• Change your Twitter name. Anyone can search you by name and see your tweets. Create a Twitter handle for your friends so that only they will know the tweet was yours. Also make sure your Twitter photo is appropriate. 
• Be aware of everything you post online. Your online history will not disappear and could haunt you during your job search after college even when you are ready to graduate with having had illustrious academic achievements.  

Well, that just made life easier!

Well, that just made life easier!

When any students applies for financial aid, they must file the FAFSA. When filing the FAFSA, it is suggested, after the 2013 Federal income tax forms are processed by the IRS, to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool. This allows the 2013 Federal income tax information to be securely transferred into the FAFSA with only a few simple steps. 

Some colleges and programs, like the EEO/EOF Program at Kean University, also require additional documentation, like a copy of the 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript. Unlike a copy of a Federal  tax return (form 1040, 1040EZ, etc.), the IRS Tax Return Transcript is proof that the tax forms for a particular year  have been received and processed by the IRS. 

Over the past couple of years, the IRS has received an 

overwhelming demand by college applicants for the IRS Tax Return Transcript. Therefore, this year, the IRS allows you to more easily get your 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript. You can view, download and print it immediately, without requesting that it be mailed, as was necessary in the past!

Visit the IRS website for more information:  http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript