Believe it or not, we are done editing and submitting college applications in the Bottom Line Worcester office! Though I feel that this year's "packaging season," as we call it, went by pretty quickly, I'm also content to know that my brain can move on and do something besides scour essays and applications for mistakes.
January is the beginning of financial aid season. We've been talking with our students all year about what makes schools more or less affordable, and now we will begin the process of applying for the public and private funding they will need to make it to the next step of their lives.
There are a lot of myths and misinformation floating around about financial aid. This year, a student said that she did not plan to apply for financial aid since her cousin told her that she would "still have to pay anyways." When I explained that just filling out the FAFSA could be the difference between paying $2,000 per year or over $20,000 (and possibly over $50,000), she was dumbfounded. We've heard less extreme, but equally unnerving misinformation coming from our students' parents, and even guidance counselors.
Now that I have seen two classes of students through this process, I firmly believe that coming up with a college list that has many realistically affordable options is the best service we can provide for our students. However, every year we have students who refuse to take our advice and attempt to attend a school that we know is not going to be affordable for them in the long run.
This spring, a classmate and I used Bottom Line data to find out how many of our students drop out of college due to financial hardship, and determine whether financial aid had any significant impact on our students' college graduation rates. You may be able to guess the answer (hint: just read the link below), but here is the report that Bottom Line put together on the issue, which was picked up by Wheelock College's Aspire Institute:
http://info.wheelock.edu/aspirewire/bid/166650/Financial-barriers-a-severe-hindrance-to-higher-education-access
Do you think it's important for students to have access to accurate financial aid information and resources? Please consider making a donation to my marathon fundraiser to help Bottom Line serve more students in Massachusetts! http://www.crowdrise.com/teambottomline/fundraiser/michelleeaston/
After a bit of a break following my half marathon, I am happy to say that I am finally back at it. Last weekend, I met the other members of the Bottom Line marathon team at the first Marathon Coalition run of the year. I'll be building up mileage with this group every Saturday from now until race day. While it is a comforting familiarity to be back on a running schedule, I must say that getting my individual runs in during the week has become an additional challenge, since the morning temperature has dropped about 40 degrees since I was last training. While it was once easy to get myself motivated and out the door to avoid running in the 90-degree heat, I now find myself pushing my runs later and later in the morning, praying that the temperature might edge above freezing before I have to step outside. I have also come to the conclusion that I may need to change my favorite running route. I used to be able to head out the door and zone out; my feet already knew where to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk, the bushes that stuck out too far, and the ever-present broken glass on some street corners. I've recently noticed, however, that my route was so enjoyable in the summer because it is shady and breezy--two things I am NOT looking for at 8am in December.
Though I am glad I trained over the summer to test my limits and build confidence in my ability to take on this greater challenge, I can tell that marathon training will be a different kind of beast. Our running coach already has me making small tweaks to my running form, meaning I do considerably more thinking about my running, which brings on new kinds of muscle soreness and mental exhaustion. I will be spending this month learning all over again how to psych myself up in the morning, to plan my running schedule around my relatively unpredictable work schedule, and to push myself on the pavement every time I'm out there. Establishing the routine is half the battle. Bring it on, phase two.
January is the beginning of financial aid season. We've been talking with our students all year about what makes schools more or less affordable, and now we will begin the process of applying for the public and private funding they will need to make it to the next step of their lives. 