SAT Preparation

New England Regional Student Program

(reduced tuition program)

The New England Board of Higher Education's Regional Student Program (RSP) provides a regional tuition rate - which is significantly less than an out-of-state tuition rate - to New Hampshire residents enrolled in approved degree programs offered by state colleges and universities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Aquaculture, aviation science, biomedical engineering, coastal studies, communication design, dental medicine, environmental safety, food science, information systems engineering, landscape architecture, law, marine transportation, medicine, Middle Eastern and Near Eastern studies, music business, pharmacy, real estate/urban economics, sound recording technology, plastics engineering, television studies, textile design and turf management are examples of the hundreds of degree programs available at reduced tuition to New Hampshire residents through the RSP.

During the 2003-04 academic year, more than 2,300 New Hampshire residents were enrolled out-of-state through the RSP; each New Hampshire participant saved an average of $6,300 last year, if enrolled full-time.

Discounted undergraduate and graduate programs are listed in the RSP catalog, the 2005-06 Apple Book for New Hampshire Residents. Last fall, NEBHE distributed copies of the catalog to all high school guidance offices and libraries, city and town libraries, state college and university admissions offices and state legislators.

The catalog is available online at www.nebhe.org , http://www.nebhe.org/apple_book.html or in print from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Telephone 617-357-9620, E-mail: tuitionbreak@nebhe.org

All of New England's 78 public two-year and four-year colleges and universities participate in the RSP,
offering more than 700 undergraduate and graduate degree programs at reduced out-of-state tuition.

The RSP, established in 1957, not only saves students and their families thousands of dollars in college tuition, but also saves taxpayers millions of dollars by enabling the six New England states to share educational resources and avoid the duplication of costly academic programs at public campuses.

The NEBHE website features comprehensive RSP information including:
Apple Book catalogs downloadable as PDFs at
http://www.nebhe.org/apple_book.html , and
Lists of RSP majors by state of residence, by degree level, and by
institution at: http://www.nebhe.org/rspprogs/applekey.asp .

Get Ready

Get Set!

GO!

As seniors complete and submit their applications for admission to their selected colleges and universities, the emphasis now shifts to paying for it. The New Year is upon us, so too is the overwhelming task of understanding the financial aid process. The NHHEAF Network's Center for College Planning is here to help. Counselors are available to help students and families better understand the process by answering questions and assist in filing the forms. It is just another one of the free services provided by their counselors.

The Forms
Students should confirm which forms are required with colleges and universities they are wishing to apply. There are potentially three separate financial aid forms: FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), CSS Profile and an institutional form (specific to the college). The FAFSA is required at all colleges and universities, while the CSS Profile (www.collegeboard.org) is only required at select private institutions. Students should be cognizant of each school's financial aid deadlines. Colleges and universities are unforgiving when it comes to missed deadlines.

The FAFSA
We encourage students to file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1, and at the very least by the earliest financial aid deadline for the colleges to which they are applying. The FAFSA must be filed to determine the student's eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant Program, Federal Stafford/Direct Loans, and Federal Campus-based Programs (i.e. SEOG, Perkins and Work Study). Families have the option of filing the FAFSA by paper or online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is a FREE application to file. Within 3-6 weeks of filing the FAFSA, the Department of Education will send the student a Student Aid Report (SAR). Students should pay close attention to the instructions that are included with the SAR and be sure to do what is asked.

The Center for
College Planning

provides parents and students with the information, materials and guidance they need to begin the process of applying for college admission and financial aid. We offer free services and materials for every population. Call our Concord office with questions or to schedule an appointment with one of our college counselors,
(800) 525-2577 x119.

Individualized college counseling in our Concord office .
Specialized lists of colleges
that match search criteria .
Calculation of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for financial aid purposes .
Access to career surveys and popular college majors .
Assistance filing complicated financial aid paperwork

Submit your college essay
for feedback, collegeplanning@nhheaf.org

Sponsored by
The NHHEAF Network
Center for College Planning
1-800-525-2577
collegeplanning@nhheaf.org

Upcoming
COMING SOON: Local Scholarship opportunities for New Hampshire students

1.You should submit your FAFSA as early as possible, but no earlier than January 1, 2005 . Each college has its own individual deadline. Don't miss the deadlines.	2. If your 2004 tax forms will not be completed before the earliest college deadline, you should estimate. It is better to estimate and get the FAFSA in on time than to wait for the exact information and miss the deadline.	3. When reporting net worth in questions #44 & #45 (student) and #82 & #83 (parent), report the equity (value minus debt).
4. While you do not have to include the total value of your retirement savings on question #82, you must provide your annual contribution, as well as any other untaxed income, on line #79.	5. Do not leave items blank on the FAFSA form. If the appropriate response is zero, then enter zero. (i.e. If you don't own any investments, write "0", don't leave #44 or #82 blank.)	6. On the FAFSA form, the green section is to be completed by the student and the purple section is to be completed by the parents. It is especially important to make sure your social security number, birth date and address are accurate in the appropriate sections.
7. The guidelines for #98 is as follows: Full-time equals 12 hours or more, three-quarter time equals 11-9 hours; half-time equals 8-6 hours; less than half-time equals 5-1 hours; and not enrolled equals 0 hours. Your enrollment status will affect your financial aid package.	8. The guidelines for #57 - 64 are as follows: If there has been a divorce situation, the parent with whom the student resided 51% of the time should complete the FAFSA. If that parent has remarried, the new spouse must also complete the paperwork.	9. To apply online, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov . In order to sign the FAFSA, both parent and student must register for a pin number. Go to www.pin.ed.gov. A pin number will be mailed to you. This pin number serves as your electronic signature.
10. Applying for financial aid may require additional forms (i.e. CSS Profile). You may also have to provide copies of income tax returns or bank statements. Be certain to submit all required documents and respond immediately to follow-up requests.	*They expect us to pay how much?* As if the cost of attendance hasn't shocked your parents enough, you may ask them to remain seated awhile longer. When you submit the FAFSA form, The Department of Education calculates how much they feel your family can afford to pay for school next year. This figure is your EFC (Expected Family Calculation). Because the FAFSA asks for financial figures such as adjusted gross income, investments and assets, your EFC may seem slightly inflated. While this does not affect any academic, athletic or merit scholarships offered to you, it will impact how much you are eligible for in terms of need-based grants. If you would like to calculate what your EFC might be, simply visit www.finaid.org for an estimate. Do not despair if you are not Pell Grant eligible. You may still be eligible for other federal and institutional financial aid.
Understanding the process While the financial aid process may seem overwhelming, keeping a close eye on deadlines and utilizing all of your resources will be a huge help. Call our office to set up a FREE one-on-one counseling appointment in person or over the phone, (800) 525-2577 x119. We will assist parents with filing the applications and reviewing award letters. Do not hesitate to call the college's financial aid office directly to ask specific questions or to confirm they have received all of the necessary paperwork.