Adventures in Admission

Managing unmet cost through student employment options

As students examine the various ways to manage unmet cost when attending a college or university, one mechanism to consider is working over the breaks or part-time during the school year.  Here at the University of Denver, many students view employment is an excellent way to help finance their education and there are several offices that will assist them in the search for employment opportunities. Three of these offices include the Office of Student Employment, the Career Center, and the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning and each offers a unique cross-section of the employment options at University of Denver.

The Office of Student Employment
The Office of Student Employment assists students in finding part-time jobs while students are pursuing a degree, regardless of financial need. It develops off-campus job opportunities for students and manages the Work-Study program.

Off-Campus Jobs
For undergraduate and graduate students who want jobs regardless of their financial need, the Office of Student Employment specializes in locating and developing part-time off-campus jobs. All jobs pay a minimum of $10 per hour and are local community organizations easily accessible by utilizing the bus and light rail systems available to all students. The positions are updated daily, so there are always options for students to pursue.

Work-Study
The Work-Study Program provides jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses and is awarded through the Office of Financial Aid. The program encourages community service work and work related to each student’s course of study. Work-Study jobs are available both on and off campus. If the student works off-campus, then the employer will be a private nonprofit organization or a public agency. The work performed must be in the public interest (more information below).

Although many students qualify for Work-Study, a Work-Study award is not offered to all eligible students because funding is limited. Because Work-Study is a highly competitive financial aid award, it is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. To be considered for the Work-Study program, it is imperative that prospective students complete their FAFSA and CSS PROFILE by the priority deadline of March 1, 2010. We make a conscious attempt to support the employment needs of all University of Denver students to the greatest extent possible.

The Career Center
The Career Center serves as a career planning and internship/job search center for the University. Students can utilize the following specialized services:

· Job & Internship Resources

· Career Assessments

· Career Fairs

· Interview Preparation

· Professional Network of alumni, employers and parents

· Major & Career Counseling

· Resume & Cover Letter Critiques

For more information visit:
http://www.du.edu/studentlife/career/

The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning
The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning seeks to educate, engage, and equip the campus community to accomplish tangible, public work that improves the lives of people in our communities.

Community Service Work-Study
If awarded a Work-Study award through the Financial Aid process, you will have the option to pursue a position in a community service position. For the purpose of the University of Denver Federal Work‐Study Program, community services are defined as services designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low‐income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their needs.  through the CCESL, you can earn your work-study money by working in any one of our Denver Public School partners or in any of several non-profits that they work with throughout the Denver community.

AmeriCorps Service Scholarship
If you decide to utilize your Work-Study award in a community service setting or you pursue a volunteer service position, you may also be eligible for an AmeriCorps service scholarship. In exchange for providing an unmet human need in the community, DU AmeriCorps members receive a federal educational award. The award comes in the form of a voucher, and can be used for tuition or outstanding student loans. In addition, the award can be held in an account for up to seven years if a member wishes to use it at a later date. The dollar amount of the award depends on the length of service. Often times, it will not require any extra hours or commitment, just additional paperwork and tracking of hours. It will also connect you with other DU students engaged in their community. This scholarship amount is directly related to the number of hours you work in your position:

· 300 hours over 1 calendar year = $1000

· 450 hours over 1 calendar year = $ 1250

· 675 hours over 1 calendar year = $ 1800

· 900 hours over 2 calendar years = $2363

In addition, a portion of the interest accruing on your federally backed student loans will be paid while you are a member. Members are also eligible to apply for an additional $250 scholarship that can be applied toward professional development training opportunities and conferences.

I hope this gives you a good overview of the different types of employment services available for students on our campus.  We look forward to helping you throughout your time here as a student!

Joslyn Robich, Assistant Director of Student Employment

Where do I find outside scholarships?

In addition to federal, state and University of Denver  funding, there are scholarship awards sponsored by local and national corporations, civic organizations, credit unions and banks, religious organizations and other groups, which are designed to help students with their college costs. We list many private scholarship opportunities on our website:

http://www.du.edu/finaid/ugradprivateschol.htm 

Scholarship Application Tips:

1.    Follow directions

2.    Be concise and to the point

3.    Directly answer the prompt

4.    Present yourself well: give yourself credit for accomplishments and circumstances you have overcome

5.    Proof-read! Have someone else edit your essay.

6.    Be professional

You can also find awards on the Web through a variety of free online scholarship searches. The University of Denver recommends the following sites:

• FastWeb: Scholarships, Financial Aid and Colleges
  One of the first free online search services with a database of more than 400,000 scholarships.
• College Board Scholarship Search
  A database of scholarships, internships and other financial aid programs from 2,300 sources.
• FastAid! A SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
  A database of awards for undergraduate through postgraduate studies.

Lori Orzech, Scholarship Administrator

Financial Aid Verification Demystified…

As you are submitting your 2010-2011 FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, you may be selected for a process called verification.  Hopefully this will give you a good sense of the process and necessary steps to demystify the process and make it simple and easy!

Q. What is verification?

A. Verification is an auditing process required by the Department of Education to check the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for errors.  Schools are required to verify about 30% of the population.  This is to ensure all information is accurate so the student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is correct, thus ensuring an accurate Financial Aid Award.  We review tax documents to verify that the tax information is correct on both the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE.  If you initially estimated on the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, by submitting the verification documents, our office can make the necessary updates to your account.   

Q. How will you be notified if I am selected for verification?

    A. You will be notified in two different ways.  The first way is through your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR), which is sent to you via email once your FAFSA has been submitted.  It is important that you read the comments included on your SAR, as there may be important steps that you need to follow up on.  Your FAFSA may say the following to notify you that you have been selected for verification, “Your FAFSA has been selected for a review process called verification.  Your school has the authority to request copies of certain financial documents from you and your parent(s).”

Second, the Office of Financial Aid will also send out weekly missing document emails to notify you that you have been selected for verification, as well as to let you know what outstanding documents are needed.  For admitted students, this email will be sent to the email address that you provided on your FAFSA.  For continuing students, the email will be sent to your DU email address.

For families that are submitting an appeal due to Special Circumstances (i.e. loss of job), verification is always required.

Q. What are the documents necessary for verification for the 2010-2011 academic year?

    A. The following documents are necessary to complete the verification process.  Additional documents may be requested as a follow-up, as needed, for clarification to complete the verification process.  If a student or parent did not file taxes, this may be indicated on the Federal Verification Worksheet.

· 2010-2011 Federal Verification Worksheet – found online at http://www.du.edu/finaid/IVF.htm

· Signed copies of student and parent 2009 Federal Taxes, including all tax schedules (i.e. Schedules A, B, C, D, etc.)

· 2009 student and parent W-2s, 1099s and K-1s

Q. What is the best way to submit these documents?

    A. Documents may be faxed, mailed, or brought directly to our office.  If you bring the documents to our office, please have copies made beforehand.  We would prefer that documents are not emailed to us, because of confidentiality reasons.  Once the documents have been received, it takes our office about two business days to electronically scan the documents in to the student’s account.  After the information has been added to the student’s account, all documents are shredded for your security. 

Q: How can I confirm that you have received my documents?

A: You can confirm receipt of documents submitted by visiting webCentral at http://webcentral.du.edu/cp/home/loginf.  If this is your first time logging in, your user name is your student ID number and your password is your birthday, in the form of six digits (MMDDYY).  After you log in, select the myWeb tab, followed by Student and Financial Aid, Financial Aid, and finally Financial Aid Requirements.  It takes the Office of Financial Aid about two business days to process your documents once we have received them.  The Office of Financial Aid cannot provide you with immediate confirmation of faxed documents.   

Helpful Tips:

· Please be sure to include the DU Student ID Number on all pages of the documents. 

· Please read and complete the Federal Verification Worksheet (FVF) thoroughly.  When it asks for the number in the household and the number in college, please include all dependent students and parents supported within the household.  Parents do not count as being in college, but should still be included on the form.  Also, for dependent students, be sure to include both student and parent signatures on the second page of the worksheet.

· Please be sure to sign the federal taxes in the signature box and to submit all tax schedules (i.e. Schedules A, B, C, D, etc.)

· Make sure to check your email (for admitted students, it’s the one you provided on the FAFSA) regularly, as this is how our office will communicate with you about missing documents!

Ann Fischer, Financial Aid Senior Financial Aid Advisor

Important Dates for Financial Aid!

Happy (early) New Year’s! For those of us in the Office of Financial Aid, January 1^st not only means that it’s the start of a new year, but – more importantly – it is the first day that the 2010-2011 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available! All students who want to be considered for need-based aid are required to complete a FAFSA, which is based on your 2009 federal tax returns. It can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov.

In addition to the FAFSA, another financial aid application is required for those students who think they may qualify for need-based grants from DU, which is called the CSS PROFILE. Not sure if you qualify? For those of you applying for the first time, I would suggest completing the PROFILE at least this year to determine your eligibility. If it turns out you do not qualify, feel free to skip the PROFILE next year. The PROFILE can be completed online at http://profileonline.collegeboard.com.

DU sets several “priority deadlines,” by which time we ask to have both of these applications. If you don’t meet the priority deadline, you may still qualify for financial aid, but we can’t guarantee that certain types of awards that are limited in nature, such as Work Study, will still be available. Keep in mind that we need to receive your applications by the priority deadline; it may take up to a week for DU to actually receive them after you have submitted them online! The 2010 priority deadlines are:

February 1^st – for early action applicants

March 1^st – for regular decision applicants

April 1^st – for returning/continuing students

A common question we get about financial aid applications is: “I only want to be considered for merit-based aid/scholarships; do I still need to fill out the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE?” In short, no – you do not need to fill out either financial aid application if you only want to be considered for scholarships. If you are interested in getting any type of federal student loan, however, you will need to fill out a FAFSA.

The Office of Financial Aid is happy to answer all of your questions about the financial aid process. Some great resources are posted on our website: www.du.edu/finaid, or feel free to call us at 303-871-4020 to speak with a staff member or to schedule an appointment.

 

Debbie Sheanin, Financial Aid Custom Service Coordinator

Scholarship Fair on Campus THIS Saturday!

Scholarships For Colorado is holding its first ever scholarship fair and workshop event. For anyone in the Denver area, feel free to join us on Saturday, September 26th from 1:00 – 4:15 pm at the University of Denver Driscoll Student Center. At the fair you will be able to speak directly to scholarship providers to learn about scholarship opportunities. By attending the workshops you will be able to gain strategies for obtaining various types of scholarships. We are excited to host this great event on our campus because we realize that in these challenging economic  times students and families are looking at all possible ways to make the college experience an affordable option.  For more information on this specific event, please visit their website.  Our Office of Financial Aid also does a great job of collecting information on various outside scholarships that our students may be eligible to apply for, which you can view here. 

Emily Forbes, Assistant Director of Admission

The 411 of Financial Aid

It’s that time of year again! The Office of Financial Aid is right in the thick of issuing financial aid packages. This includes reviewing financial information submitted on the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, collecting tax returns and other forms required by federal regulation, and sending award letters. These are certainly essential tasks; however, the most important job we have is talking to students and parents to assist them through the process and provide them with information regarding the financial resources that will help to pay for the time spent on our campus. We consider financing a higher education a partnership between the school and the family, and the student should be taking an active role in managing his or her financial aid.

Here is a quick method for how to formulate the true cost of higher education: first, you will want to break down the costs between 1) those being billed directly by DU and 2) the once-a-quarter and everyday expenses that are a part of going to school (these will vary by student). Then, you will want to consider how to pay for each of these “buckets.” 

The award letter you receive includes a line for estimated cost. This monetary amount is the difference between the cost of attendance and the amount of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study that you will receive. The ‘cost of attendance’ is an estimate of average costs for a student attending DU, and it includes both direct and indirect costs (this may not be the actual costs incurred by you, however – it is designed to be an estimate). ‘Direct costs’ are those that are billed by DU directly — these include tuition, fees, on-campus housing and meal plans. Any scholarships, grants or loans you receive will automatically pay to these ‘direct cost’ charges from the Office of Financial Aid. ‘Indirect costs’ include books, supplies, personal expenses and travel. These expenses will not be a part of the tuition bill. If you accept a work-study award, you will be paid like any other job and these earnings can help supplement indirect costs.

When looking at the costs that are unmet after you have been awarded financial aid, students and their families should consider how much can be covered from savings, current income or through borrowing. The Office of Financial Aid has lots of information on both federal and private loans. There are federal loans available for both students and parents, regardless of financial need (but please know that filing the FAFSA is an imperative step in this process to get the best interest rates). Many schools include federal parent PLUS loans in their financial aid package. While we do not include them in your package, we still make PLUS loans available to the parents we are working with. DU also offers a tuition payment plan where you can make payments on a monthly basis or on a credit card – this plan can assist families in budgeting expenses.

The Office of Financial Aid has worksheets that will assist you with your financial planning, and detailed information about all of our financial aid awards can be found at http://www.du.edu/finaid/documents/UGRADInfo2010.pdf. You can also make an appointment with an advisor in our office to discuss your options in more detail – feel free to call our office at 303.871.4020.

We understand that this can be a difficult process at times. We are here to help!

Barbara Marshall, Director of Financial Aid

"Show me the money" - steps to apply for Financial Aid

Welcome to the Office of Financial Aid Director’s blog.  I’m Barbara Marshall, Director of Financial Aid.  I want to congratulate you on your admission to the University of Denver and share with you some tips about our financial aid process. 

First, you should be aware that DU’s financial aid priority deadline is March 1.  Students who complete their financial aid applications early are more likely to maximize the various types of financial aid assistance available based on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). 

To get the application process started, you and your parent(s) will need to complete your 2008 federal tax return as soon as possible, that way you can enter financial information on the CSS PROFILE and FAFSA and submit the applications in a timely manner.  I encourage you to complete the CSS PROFILE and FAFSA by March 1.  Here are the steps you need to take to apply:

STEP 1. Complete a CSS PROFILE Application

The 2009-2010 CSS PROFILE is available online at www.profileonline.collegeboard.com.  Designate DU as a recipient by using our CSS code, which is 4842.

If your parents are separated or divorced, the parent with whom you live (the custodial parent) completes the CSS PROFILE.  Your other parent (the noncustodial parent) completes the Noncustodial Parent's PROFILE.  College Board will email you application instructions, including a link to the Noncustodial Parent's PROFILE website and login instructions, to send to your noncustodial parent.  You will receive this email after you complete the CSS PROFILE indicating your parents are separated or divorced.

STEP 2. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Our school code is 001371.  Both you and your parent will need to sign the FAFSA electronically. 

STEP 3. Check your email for additional instructions

A number of applications are selected for a process known as verification.  Verification simply means that you will be required to submit a copy of your parents’ 2008 federal tax return and schedules, W2s, as well as your own tax returns, and a verification worksheet to the DU Office of Financial Aid.  If you are selected for verification, you will be notified via email.  Once you get our email, send us your documents.  Additional information about the verification process is located on our website at www.du.edu/finaid/verification.htm. 

You can confirm receipt of applications submitted by visiting myWeb at https://myweb.du.edu .  Enter your DU ID and Passcode. View your Financial Aid Award and Financial Aid Requirements.

Once we received your CSS PROFILE and FAFSA and you have been officially accepted, we will create an award for you and notify you via email and standard mail. 

Additionally, you should take time to check the financial aid website http://www.du.edu/finaid/ugradprivateschol.htm   for scholarship opportunities. Throughout the year, various organizations provide the Office of Financial Aid with information regarding private scholarships and grants. We have provided contact information for each and, if possible, a website you can visit for more information.  There are many scholarships for fall 2009 that have application deadlines in March.   

If you have any questions about financial aid, please contact our office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  We are happy to assist you through this process!

Sincerely,

Barbara 

Director of Financial Aid