This content was paid for and created by EAB.
The editorial staff of The Chronicle had no role in its preparation.

Now is the ideal time for colleges to host high school seniors and juniors for campus tours. Seniors are deciding where to go in the fall—and, more urgently, where to put down a deposit—and juniors are starting to think about life after high school.
Sadly, COVID-19 has shuttered campuses, effectively eliminating one of the most important recruitment tools a school has to offer, a campus visit, right in the middle of the most important recruiting period of the year.
To fill that void, more now than ever, students and schools are turning to virtual tours. Recent EAB analysis shows a significant increase in the number of people visiting and interacting with virtual campus tours. Over 350 percent more people visited the YouVisit college search page in March 2020 than in March 2019. In March, more than 1.4 million people took a YouVisit virtual tour.


The data also offers more insight into who is taking virtual tours. The largest increases have been with high school juniors (272 percent), followed by seniors (235 percent) and sophomores (224 percent). This suggests that future classes are already using virtual visits as an important tool in narrowing down and making their choices.
“These virtual experiences encourage exploration through immersive and interactive content. Done right, virtual tours go beyond simply showing pictures of buildings and students; they help replicate the experience and culture of a particular campus, helping prospective students imagine what it would be like to attend that school.”
Chris Marett, president of EAB Enrollment ServicesA truly interactive tour immerses a student in a campus by allowing them to experience key components of student life, such as sitting in on a class, entering a dorm room, hearing from other students, exploring facilities, meeting faculty and staff, and even going beyond campus to understand what it would be like to live in a certain part of the country.  
Creating this kind of immersive experience requires a sophisticated platform that not only leverages 360-degree photos but also integrates interactive elements like conversational engagement forms so students can express interest directly while on the tour.
“If you compare spring 2019 to spring 2020, we have seen a 114% increase in people sharing their contact information and interests with the schools during their virtual tour. That is huge when you consider the difference between spring 2018 and spring 2019 was only 6%,” said Marett.


In December 2019, EAB acquired YouVisit, the leader in virtual tours with a goal of helping its partners create a differentiated digital experience during the recruitment and yield seasons. Because of COVID-19, virtual tours are more important than ever, but many schools are wondering if it is possible to implement one given campus shutdowns.
“While travel is suspended, we are offering schools the ability to create tours using content they already have. This includes photos, videos, and 360-degree photos, if institutions have them,” said Emily Bauer, vice president at EAB. “We can get a tour up and online in 3-5 weeks, so now is the time to act in order to achieve 2020 enrollment goals.”
Given yield season, many schools are using virtual tours to recreate key campus visits by hosting “virtual visit days.” Using remote conference platforms, student ambassadors guide prospective students and parents through a tour while fielding questions. Faculty members also join in, sharing information on their areas of academic focus, while admissions teams handle enrollment questions.
“Virtual tours are a powerful tool schools can use right now to achieve their enrollment goals in the face of intense adversity. We know that many students need to experience the campus and culture of a school in order to make a final decision, and we are happy to be able to provide schools with a digital storytelling platform to help make this possible despite the circumstances,” said Marett.
Though much is uncertain and unknown right now, one thing that is clear is that students are choosing to explore campuses through virtual tours.   

 4 JUNE 2020 
 CHARLOTTE LAU
 CATEGORIES: COLLEGE FAQS, FINANCIAL AID, GENERAL COLLEGE
Jump ahead to:

• The basics: How do student loans work?
• What’s the difference between government loans and private loans?
• How much can I borrow in student loans? 
• How much can I afford in student loans?
• What’s the average national student loan interest rate?
• How do student loan payments work?
• Should I make payments while I’m still in college?
• How do I compare student loan terms to find the best one?
• Any tips on managing (or lowering) my loan costs? 

The average college graduate comes away with a degree–and $29,000 of student loan debt, requiring an average monthly loan payment of $393. That ends up being a really high percentage of new graduates’ salaries, so perhaps it’s no surprise that, in 2018, 20% of student borrowers were behind with their payments. The problem is: once you’re behind, it can be even easier to get more behind. 
We’re here to help you figure out how to not let that happen to you. How do student loans work? How do you know how much you can afford to borrow? How do you choose the right (cheapest, most flexible) loan? And how do you best manage the costs? 
The basics: How do student loans work?First off: What is a loan?A loan is money you borrow and have to pay back. Usually, you have to tell your lender what you’re planning to use the money for. In this case, since you’re using it for college, these are student loans. (There are also business loans, car/auto loans, etc.)
What does it cost?If you’re loaned $1000, this $1000 amount is called your principal. When you repay a loan, you have to pay back your principal (original borrowed amount), plus interest (basically, a fee for borrowing it). Generally, this interest rate is indicated as a percent per yearー but in practice, this is divided into monthly payments.
In addition to interest, some loans also have an origination fee or disbursement fee, which is a one-time charge for creating your loan. This is sometimes a dollar amount, or more often a percentage of the loan amount.
How long do you have to pay it back?Your repayment term is the length of time (for example, 10 years) that you have to repay the loan. Generally speaking, the longer your repayment term, the lower your monthly payments, but the more you’re paying in total over time. (This is because you’re still paying that annual interest rate, but for more years!)
Who gives you the money for a student loan? Depending on your financial need, the government might lend you some money. However, that might not be enough, so some students also take out “private student loans” from private, for-profit companies like Earnest. This isn’t always a bad idea, but you do have to be careful with your total loan debt. With our free Insights product, we’ll help you figure out if your student loan debt is too much. 
Can you give me an example?Sure, we can! So let’s take the Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan as an example. Under its standard repayment plan, these are the loan terms:

• Interest rate: 4.53% fixed
• Origination fee: 1.06%
• Repayment term: 10 years
• Minimum monthly payment: $50

Based on this, if you borrowed $3500, here’s what your loan would look like:

• Borrowed: $3500
• Total paid over 10 years: $4123.29
• Interest paid over 10 years: $623.29 ー This is effectively what you paid to borrow that original $3500!

That’s a lot right? Loans (even the “best” ones from the federal government) are expensiveーwhich is why we recommend generally limiting them as much as possible. 
For more help understanding your college finances, we recommend using our free Insights product. You can compare financial aid packages from different colleges, get estimates on future salary and monthly debt payments, and get a reading on the overall affordability of each college. 
What’s the difference between government loans and private loans?Loans are offered by the federal government or by private companies. 
There are three main types of federal student loans:

1. Direct Subsidized Loans (also known as Stafford Subsidized Loans)
2. Direct Unsubsidized Loans (also known as Stafford UnsSubsidized Loans)
3. Parent PLUS loans (also known as Direct PLUS Loans)

The first two (the Direct Stafford types) are generally loans with very good terms, better than what you’d find elsewhere from private companies. So if you need to take out loans, always max out your offers of these first.
Unfortunately, after accepting 100% of your Direct Stafford loans, you might still have a financial gap.
In that case, you should consider Parent PLUS loans as well as private loans (like this one). Parent PLUS loans are designed to be more similar to offers you might find elsewhere, so they’re not always better. 
For more information on federal student loans, we have a full article on how those work. 
How much can I borrow in student loans? For federal loans, the limits are: 

• Direct Stafford Loans (subsidized & unsubsidized): $5500 first year, $6500 second year, $7500 third year and beyond
• PLUS loans: Your cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid

Private loans will all have their own rules for maximum amounts. For instance, Earnest provides loans of $1000 up to the total cost of attendance. 
That said, remember that just because you can borrow a certain amount does not mean you should do so. You should always consider whether you can afford to repay those loans later on. 
Using our free Insights tool, you can calculate your college costs, your financial gap, and whether you can afford to take our loans to fill that gap. 
How much can I afford in student loans?How much you can afford to borrow in student loans really depends on what your after-graduation salary will beーin particular, what your debt-to-income ratio is. This ratio is your monthly repayment amount, divided by your monthly salary. And a good rule-of-thumb is to keep it at a maximum of 10%.
For example, if my monthly loan repayment is $400, then to keep within this 10% rule, I’d need to earn at least $4000 per month (about $48,000 per year) to be able to make those payments. Of course, earning more than this would make it even easier to repay my loan!
This ratio is why it’s important to assess your financial aid package (including the loans), alongside your likely salary after graduation. We can help you do exactly that with our free Insights product. We look at government data to estimate your future salary, to then calculate whether your loan burden is too high. 
What’s the average national student loan interest rate?First, a primer on interest rates: Fixed vs. VariableMost student loan providers will allow you to choose whether you want your loan with a fixed rate or a variable rate. So really, we need to phrase the questions as: 

• What’s an average (or good) FIXED student loan rate?
• What’s an average (or good) VARIABLE student loan rate? 

And, of course, what’s the difference? 

• A fixed rate means it never changes. All government loans are fixed. For example, a Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan has a fixed rate of 4.53%. Every year for the entirety of your loan term (usually, 10 years), you will pay this 4.53%. It doesn’t matter if interest rates go up or down after you take out the loan. Generally, for this “security” or knowing your rate, you will be charged a higher (at least initially!) rate than if you choose variable. 
• A variable rate fluctuates with the performance of the economy. It  is usually quoted as a percent on top of some common financial rate, for example LIBOR (the interest rate that banks use to lend to each other in London). So for instance, if you have a variable loan rate of 3.00% + LIBOR, and the current LIBOR rate is 0.44%, then your interest rate right now would be 3.00%+0.44%, or 3.44%. However, if the LIBOR rate rises (usually because the economy is doing well), then your student loan interest rate will rise too. 

Now that you understand the difference between them, which is better? Well, it depends. 

• Generally, the fixed rate is the “safer” bet. It gives you a dependable monthly payment (that remains the same), which means easier planning. 
• The variable rate is better if you think you’ll be repaying the loan quickly, since your initial interest rate will be lower. Also, if you think the economy is about to take a turn for the worse, this is the better option because your rates will decrease as interest rates go down. 

Okay, now back to your regular programming.
What’s a good interest rate? Student loan rates differ widely based on your (or your co-signer’s) credit score. That said, in surveying the rates of nine popular lenders for May 2020, here’s what we found: 
FixedVariable
Lowest3.98%1.47%
Highest15.00%14.18%
Average (of ranges)8.23%6.60%A while ago, the Credible loan marketplace did an analysis for May 2017-2018 and found that the average 10-year student fixed-rate loan (with immediate repayment) was 7.64%. 
So in summary, a very good rate is pretty close to 4% (fixed) and 1.5% (variable). An average loan is likely 7%-9% (fixed) and 5.5%-7.5% (variable). That said, remember to shop around and find the lowest rate for you. Most lenders will allow you to get a rate estimate (like this one from Earnest). 
Generally, asking for many lines of credit can lower your credit score. But there’s a time-limited exception for student loans! If you request all these estimates within about two weeks, the credit bureaus will “de-duplicate” these requests, so that they will be counted as one request, meaning your credit score won’t take a knock. Just remember to be proactive and get those estimates all around the same time! 
How do student loan payments work?Many student loans offer you the option to defer some or all of your payments to after you graduate. Some also provide you with a “grace period” of 3-9 months after graduation, to find a job and get financially settled. During this “grace period,” interest still accrues (continues being added), but you aren’t required to make a payment. 
Once your repayment period starts, you’ll need to make monthly payments on your student loans. If you have multiple federal loans, you can consider consolidating them to give yourself one easy payment (but, warning: this might increase your total repayment amount). If you have federal and private loans, then you will need to make these payments separately.
You can use loan calculators like the government one here  to estimate your monthly payments. Otherwise, you can sign up for our free Insights product, and we can figure out your total student loan payments for you (across federal and private loans!).
In general, it’s better to pay as much as you can, as early as you can. This allows you to pay off all your student loan debt faster, meaning you will be paying interest for fewer years. If you repay your loans before the end of your term, you end up paying less money overall. 
However, at the very least, it’s important to make your monthly payments. Many lenders have late fees or nonpayment penalties, so you can end up racking up an even higher bill if you skip your payments. 
Should I make payments while I’m still in college?Yes, if you can afford to. Most student lenders will allow you to defer all payments until after you graduate, but your loan will still accrue interest, which then gets capitalized every month or quarter. Let’s walk through an example to see what these technical terms mean. 
To simplify the math, let’s say I borrow $1000, and each month, my interest is $10. 

• If I pay $10 each month, then at graduation, my total balance is still $1000 because I’ve been paying off the monthly interest as it gets added. 
• If I pay more than $10, then I am paying off my monthly interest and paying down my original principal (borrowed amount) of $1000. So if I pay $15 in month 1, then in month 2, I only need to pay interest on the $995 remaining balance! 
• If I pay less than $10, then this amount gets added to my balance (“capitalized”) and then the interest is calculated based on the new, higher balance. So if I don’t pay anything ($0) in month 1, then in month 2, my balance is $1010, so my interest will get calculated on that (I’ll now owe more than $10.10 just in interest.) 

This example uses small numbers, so maybe an increase in $0.10 doesn’t seem so bad. But Earnest gives a great, transparent example of why this matters for larger sums: For a $10,000 loan over 15 years, at 13.03% interest rate, here’s what your total repayment (over the life of the loan) would look like, under different repayment schemes while studying:

• Full monthly payments while in college: $22,828
• Pay only monthly interest for 4 years: $28,187
• Defer payments (pay $10) for all 4 years: $34,874

The difference between paying at least interest, and paying nothing, is a whopping $6,687.
Of course, for some students, it’s just not financially feasible to pay anything while studying. That’s understandable, but it’s important to at least understand the financial implications of that. 
How do I compare student loan terms to find the best one?We’ve got a list of questions you can research or ask any lender. Just sign up for our free Insights product, which will help you better understand your college costs, get a forecast of your future salary, and pick the right loan offering. 
Any tips on managing (or lowering) my loan costs? Yep! Here are four ways to lower the overall loan cost of your loan (what you’re paying over the full repayment period): 

1. Fill out the FAFSA. Since federal student loans generally have better interest rates than private student loans, you want to maximize those first. And the only way to be offered them is to fill out your FAFSA. (Incidentally, you might get some federal grant money that way too!) 
2. Apply for external scholarships. Winning scholarships will mean you don’t have to take out as much money in loans. You can sign up for Going Merry or another scholarship website, to get a personalized list of scholarships you can apply for. Most of these will require essays, so here’s some help for that.  
3. Make (small) payments while in school. As discussed above, it can save you a lot of money in the long-term if you can make payments (ideally covering at least your monthly interest) while you’re in school. Many students work a part-time job during college, or work during the summers, so remember to earmark some of those earnings for your loan payments!
4. Consider refinancing later on. After you graduate, if you have a stable income, you might be eligible to refinance your loans, which means combining all your federal and private student loans into one single loan, with a lower interest rate. Lenders are willing to offer you a lower rate because rather than being a credit-risky student, you’re now a more financially secure, salary-earning adult! 

May 7, 2020 | Articles, College Prep, Financial Aid & Scholarships | 0 comments
More colleges have gone ‘test optional’ in 2020, accepting students without a test score. Without an ACT or SAT score, students now can get into more colleges, including more selective colleges. These colleges get more applicants, improving their rankings and diversity. Some of these selective colleges have cited the pandemic for going test optional for one year or even three years, beginning with the high school class of 2021.

Why the ACT and SAT Matter at Test-Optional Colleges
However, many private and most public colleges still offer scholarships based on test scores. For example, Iowa State costs $5,000 less per year for Iowa residents with a 30 on their ACT. University of Nebraska-Omaha tuition should be zero for Nebraska residents with a 30 on their ACT. For Arkansas residents, four 4-year Arkansas public colleges offer free tuition for an ACT score of 25 and five 2-year colleges offer free tuition for an ACT score of 23.

When should you submit your scores?
So seniors this fall, who do not want to pay the full retail sticker price, should still prepare hard and get their maximum ACT or SAT score. Jumping that score remains the best paying job a high school student could have.
Further, most applicants historically have submitted a score to test-optional selective colleges. If your highest score is at or above the median for incoming students at a college, be sure to submit it because it increases the average score for incoming freshmen, giving you a competitive advantage in admissions. If you’re from an under-represented group, you might submit it even if it’s slightly below the median score for incoming freshmen.

Other Benefits of the ACT & SAT
An ACT score of 22 or higher should also waive most 2- and 4-year college applicants out of freshmen year remedial classes, the high school do-over classes that cost money, offer no college credit, and decrease the likelihood of college graduation.
Many colleges have gone test optional. Students willing to pay full price may deemphasize the ACT and SAT. Students with lower scores can withhold them and may now get accepted to these colleges that are selective.
Test scores matter for those seeking merit-based scholarships, a competitive advantage in selective college admissions, or a freshman year with no remedial classes.
Test scores matter for those seeking merit-based scholarships, a competitive advantage in selective college admissions, or a freshman year with no remedial classes.

We are excited to offer our live, Paying for College webinar series, that is available for students, parents and even you or your peers! Please share the information below on your social media sites and via email:

 How to Pay the Remaining Balance: Many students and families will consider financing a portion of their college education. The focus of this session will be on encouraging responsible borrowing and what students and families can do to find the right solution for their borrowing needs.
 
 Wednesday, June 10: 1pm-2pm EST Register here
 
Thursday, June 11: 7pm-8pm EST Register here
 
  
Understanding the cost of student loan borrowing: This presentation covers financial literacy topics such as the relative cost of a student loan, loan repayment tools, and tips on managing student loans. It identifies important things students should know about their loan portfolio, identifying their servicers and understanding the cost of their student loan.
 
 
Wednesday, June 17: 2pm-3pm EST Register here
 
Thursday, June 18: 8pm-9pm EST Register here
 
 
 
Sallie Mae’s free Paying for College Resource another great tool you can share with students and families as they navigate their college journey. As always, we are available to answer questions from you or your students directly. Please reply back to this email with any questions.

Sincerely,
Sallie Mae

​From Ms. Cecilia Holden, President and CEO of myFutureNC:

 Recognizing that this is a very busy time, I’m reaching out on behalf of myFutureNC to ask for your help on something that can change student lives and our state forever. 
 
As you know, North Carolina is on a mission to close the educational attainment gap with bipartisan support for the goal of 2Million by 2030.  We are confident more than ever that educational attainment is both a short-term recovery strategy for our state post-COVID, and a long-term strategy towards economic prosperity for all North Carolinians.  That’s why myFutureNC, in partnership with CFNC and all education sectors, is excited to launch a FAFSA Frenzy campaign during the entire month of June.  Click here for more details. 
 
One of the best ways to increase postsecondary attainment is to encourage all of our high school graduates and their families to complete the FAFSA.  To enhance this opportunity for students and to change the college conversation for many families, we want North Carolina to be First in FAFSA but as a state, we are currently 3% behind year-over-year!  Let’s change the trajectory one student at a time - beginning in your district.  Click here to see how schools in your area are currently tracking. 
 
For now, we are asking that you share this email with your high school principals and encourage them to prioritize this with their counselors to begin boosting FAFSA completions among high school seniors and parents in whatever ways possible.   Stay tuned for more details – and the launch of FAFSAFrenzyNC.com next week – as we work together to create a “FAFSA Frenzy” all across our great state.  Thanks in advance for your support of this initiative and the future of our students. 
 
 #NCFirstinFAFSA

 

​Request Records and TranscriptsThe Randolph County School System utilizes an online service called ScribOrder for current/former students and third parties to request records and transcripts. ScribOrder is an online student records request and payment solution used by more than 2,000 high schools and districts across the country.
Please click here to order records and/or transcripts using the new ScribOrder online service.

Fall Registration Is Open
Register NowDear Colleague,

We're working to ensure that students will have opportunities to take the SAT® to make up for this spring's lost administrations. Today we're sharing with you that registration is now open for the fall SAT test administrations.

All students can register for the November or December SAT administration at this time.

To accommodate students who were impacted by recent cancellations, we're offering a weeklong priority registration for August, September, and October administrations to the following groups:

•Students who registered for June SAT or SAT Subject Tests™ and didn't cancel their registrations

•Students in the class of 2021 without a test score

•Students in the class of 2020 without a test score

Registration for August, September, and October administrations will open for all students on June 3 at 8 p.m., ET.

For students who were registered for the June SAT or SAT Subject Test administrations only: Students can simply transfer their registration to any of the upcoming SAT dates. They won't be charged a change fee if they transfer their registration before July 31. When they log in to My SAT, they should select the option to change their registration. Then, they should follow the rest of the required steps until they get to the order confirmation.

For students who are eligible for a fee waiver: As always, eligible students will be able to take the SAT with a fee waiver. To learn more about weekend fee waivers, visit our SAT fee waiver page.

Adding Capacity Throughout the Summer
Together with our members and local communities we're working hard throughout the summer to add more test centers and available seats, so please encourage your students who haven't yet had an opportunity to test to keep checking back. We'll also provide updates periodically via email and social media when we add new test center capacity. We may have limited capacity in certain areas due to public health restrictions, so if students can’t find a nearby test center with availability, they should be sure to check other dates.

If your school is interested in becoming a test center, please visit our webpage.

 
Upcoming SAT Dates
August 29, 2020

September 26, 2020

October 3, 2020

November 7, 2020

December 5, 2020

Supporting Students Through the Covid-19 Pandemic
Our top priorities are the health and safety of students and educators. Please note that as the covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we will monitor the situation and will let you know if circumstances change closer to the test dates. We will regularly update our webpage with more information.

Thank you for your partnership. We appreciate your understanding during this unprecedented time.

Sincerely,

College Board

Fall 2021 Application Update
Short answer prompts available 
 
The short answer prompts for the Fall 2021 application are available on the admissions blog. As in previous years, students will have a choice of answering two prompts as part of the UNC-specific portion of the application. Their responses help us understand who they are, and we'll use these insights to consider them for merit-based scholarships and Excel@Carolina, a collection of special opportunities.

New for 2021, Common Application is including an optional section for students to write about how COVID-19 has affected them.  

​

SAT
To ensure students will have opportunities to take the SAT® to make up for this spring's lost administrations, we've added a new SAT administration on Saturday, September 26, 2020. This administration date will be for the SAT only (no SAT Subject Tests™ are available). Sunday testing for religious reasons will be available on September 27, 2020. Visit our SAT website for additional updates.
​

Salvation Army
301 W Green Dr
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 881-5400
Hours of Operation:
Mondays: 8am - 11:30am and 1pm - 2:30pm
Wednesdays: 8am - 11:30am and 1pm - 2:30pm
Fridays: 8am - 11:30am and 1pm - 2:30pm
 
Open Door Ministries Food Pantry
400 N Centennial St
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 885-0191
Mondays through Fridays: 11am to 2pm
 
Open Door Ministries Father’s Table
Soup Kitchen
400 N Centennial St
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 885-0191
Breakfast: Mondays through Sundays 8am - 9am
Lunch: Mondays through Saturdays 11am - 12pm
Dinner: Mondays through Sundays 6pm - 7pm
 
Solid Rock Baptist Church Food Pantry
903 E Kearns Ave
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 889-2486
Mondays through Fridays 10am - 4pm.
 
Abbotts Creek Labor of Love Food Pantry
2817 Abbotts Creek Church Rd
High Point, NC - 27265
(336) 869-8410
1st and 3rd Monday of each month from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
 
Sincerely Agape Food Pantry
410 Brentwood St
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 887-7314
3rd Saturday of the month from: 11am - 1:30pm
 
New Beginnings Full Gospel Ministries Food Pantry
215 Fourth St
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 884-8183
By appointment Mondays through Fridays 10am - 4pm
 
West Ministries Pantry
903 English Rd.
High Point, NC - 27261
(336) 884-1105
Wednesdays: 3pm - 5pm
Soup Kitchen hours- Thursdays: 5pm - 6:30pm
 
A Gift of Giving Food Pantry
1309 Leonard Ave
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 819-6120
Saturdays: 1pm - 3pm   Sundays: 2pm - 4pm
 
Macedonia Family Resource Center
401 Lake Avenue
High Point, NC - 27260
(336) 883-0300
Fridays: 5:30-8pm
 
Helping Hands High Point
2301 S Main St
High Point, NC - 27263
(336) 886-7696
Tuesday through Thursday
9-11am and 1-4pm
 
Christ United Methodist Church Pantry
1300 N University Pkwy
High Point, NC - 27262
(336) 889-4777
Thursdays:  10:30-11:30 am
 
One Step Further Food Pantry
1012 Leonard St
High Point, NC - 27401
(336) 275-3699
2nd and 3rd Friday of the month from
11 am to 3 pm
 
5 Loves 2 Fish Pantry
2066 Deep River Rd
High Point, NC - 27265
(336) 454-5292
Saturdays: 1-4pm

By Katherine Mangan MARCH 25, 2020

Wikimedia Commons
The prayer chapel at Liberty U.
Quoting Scripture, Gov. Ralph S. Northam of Virginia on Wednesday strongly urged Liberty University’s president, Jerry Falwell Jr., to reconsider his decision to invite thousands of students to return to campus amid the state’s worsening coronavirus crisis.
“We appreciate that our colleges and universities are making accommodations for students with special cases, but that is very different from inviting students to leave their homes and come back to campus,” Northam said during a news conference about the state’s overnight spike in Covid-19 cases. As of Wednesday, Virginia had 391 diagnosed cases, up 101 in the past 24 hours, with at least 13 deaths.
By encouraging students to return to campus, Liberty, one of the nation’s largest and most prominent evangelical colleges, was adding to the mixed messages people are receiving about the severity of the crisis, the governor said.

Coronavirus Hits Campus
As colleges and universities have struggled to devise policies to respond to the quickly evolving situation, here are links to The Chronicle’s key coverage of how this worldwide health crisis is affecting campuses.

• The Coronavirus Is Upending Higher Ed. Here Are the Latest Developments.
• Now Is Not the Time to Assess Online Learning PREMIUM
• Will Coronavirus Close Your College for Good? PREMIUM

“As we are told in First Corinthians, it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful,” he added. And that means providing “clear and consistent guidance” and “respecting the duty Liberty University has to its students, its staff, the Lynchburg community in which it is located, and our commonwealth.” Northam suggested that Falwell follow the lead of the state’s flagship universities by encouraging everyone who is able to remain home.
The governor’s call stepped up the pressure on Liberty to scale back its campus presence. On Tuesday about 2,000 students were living on campus after Falwell sent an email last week inviting students to return, even though all but a few classes are now being offered online.
Falwell has insisted that Liberty isn’t doing anything different from other campuses that are making room for international students and those who have nowhere else to go.
Liberty officials strongly refuted the governor’s accusations in a statement on Wednesday, lobbing back some Scripture at Northam.
“The governor was quoting Scripture today about Christian duty to protect our students. That’s exactly what Liberty has been laboring tirelessly to do over the last couple of weeks,” the statement said. “We really think it’s un-Christian to turn students away and push any problems off on someone else. Most of our residential-campus students are not in the Lynchburg area. Only about 10 percent of our residential students are currently here on campus.” Many are international students who cannot return home, it said.
The university is complying with all state and federal guidance on social distancing and other protective measures, the statement said. “That anyone in the City of Lynchburg would welcome other college students from across the state — and indeed the world — to return ‘home’ to Lynchburg but expect the drawbridge should be pulled up to deny entry to Liberty students illustrates the height of hypocrisy and scapegoating that is going on today.”
The university invited the governor “to come and see our compliance for himself, rather than making false accusations in press conferences from Richmond.” And it ended by saying, “as the Ninth Commandment says, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’”
Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com.
As the coronavirus crisis deepens, The Chronicle is providing free access to our breaking-news updates on its impact on higher education. It’s your support that makes our work possible. Please consider subscribing today.
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College-bound high school sophomores and juniors should now be dedicating time to work on optimizing their social media profiles to create compelling content accurately reflecting their activities, service, interests, and accomplishments for the college admissions process. Here are 5 reasons why:  
Reason #1: Admissions Officers Are Looking at Applicant Social Media
Whether it’s Kaplan Test Prep’s annual survey of college admissions officers or some other sourced survey, we know that at least 36% of college admissions officers in the United States viewed applicant social media during the last admissions cycle and 20% view social media “regularly and routinely.” We also know that up to 70% of college admissions officers consider applicant social media to be “fair game” in their decision-making process and are willing to look when invited to do so.
Reason #2: Social Media Should Be Used Proactively to Craft the Essay of Your Life
College admissions officers have neither the time nor the interest to search social media simply to find reasons to reject qualified applicants. When colleges look, logic dictates they look because they want to learn more about the applicant, opening the door of opportunity for the prepared applicant to set themselves apart from other qualified applicants. Having a digital presence that is hard to find and fails to tell colleges the story you would want to tell them is a missed opportunity.
Reason #3: Character and Fit
Many schools are placing an increasing emphasis on personal qualities that will lead students to succeed in college. This renewed focus includes examining “curiosity, love of learning, perseverance, good character, and grit” in addition to the standard “grades, rigor, curriculum, and other qualitative data.”
Social media is one way of delivering this missing and actionable information to admissions, enrollment, and financial aid offices. Not only can social media positively impact acceptance and scholarship decisions by showing an applicant’s readiness, abilities, skills, and character but it can also be used to gauge an applicant’s interest in attending a particular college. A student’s chances for admission will greatly improve once they understand how to utilize social media to demonstrate interest, convey good character, and showcase the skills and personal attributes colleges are looking for to set themselves apart from other qualified applicants.
Reason #4: Many Colleges Use Social Media to Proactively Engage With Students
Almost all colleges now have a prominent social media presence and encourage applicants to interact with them on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Interacting with college officials, alumni and current students is a positive for applicants if, and only if, their social media is in proper order. Remember that whenever an applicant sends a message to a college official using a social network’s native messaging system, that applicant is also necessarily transmitting a digital dossier containing all profile information specific to that social network. This includes all past posts, photos, friends and followers. As a result, colleges are routinely receiving full access to applicant digital DNA by way of these social interactions. By having their social media optimized for inspection, applicants can freely and safely interact with colleges using social media and may very well impress the right people as a result.
Reason #5: Enrollment Yield Algorithms
Schools can now get a complete picture of their applicants, including what they’re saying and thinking about them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter – which could be even more meaningful than traditional data points like GPA and SAT. Colleges have begun to use algorithms that work on an individual-student basis to profile and predict their behavior. They use social media data, as well as the data supplied by the applications, to compute the likelihood a given student will enroll if accepted, the extent of financial aid needed by the student – or needed to seduce a relatively well-off student.
The best generic advice for students is to create a discoverable social media presence designed for colleges that showcases their character, highlights their service, and/or conveys their commitment to an activity. Social media should be viewed as their digital college essay which can be appended to their college applications.
This was from a blog originally published by Social Assurity. Check them out at https://socialassurity.com/

4 Things to Do When Your Daughter Gets Rejected by Her First-Choice CollegeFor weeks, your daughter has anxiously checked her account on College X’s portal. She refreshes her email several times each day and even treks out to the snail mailbox to see if her fate has been delivered there. She is hoping for an acceptance to her first-choice college, one that was chosen carefully after an exhausting college search. Your daughter has studied hard throughout high school. She has put her heart and soul into academics, skipped evenings out with friends to prepare for tests and gone into school early for extra help. She has taken difficult courses and achieved, even in subjects that aren’t her favorites. Her activities list is impressive. College X may be a bit of a reach, she deserves this.
The letter arrives. She was rejected. Now what?

1. Pat yourself on the back for encouraging your daughter to shoot for the moon. If your daughter took a risk in the application process by applying to a reach college where she was not a “slam dunk,” then you have likely raised a confident young woman who will learn from this experience and continue taking chances until she succeeds. Many female applicants are only encouraged to apply to colleges where admission is virtually assured because parents do not want their daughters to feel hurt by rejection. As a society, we tend to protect our daughters from the time they are young by teaching them to be cautious. We allow our sons to fall down and dust themselves off, but tell our daughters to be careful so they won’t experience disappointment. Your confident, smart, talented daughter took a chance with her college application. She may not have won this time but being the type of person willing to put her hat in the ring assures she will have the chance to win the next time.
2. Realize that the rejection is not about your daughter personally or her ability to be a successful college student. In most cases, rejections are based on institutional need and a competitive applicant pool. Competitive colleges do not have enough space for all qualified applicants and must send rejection letters to top-notch students. Why did they reject your daughter and not someone else? It is impossible to know for sure. Perhaps it is because the college is trying to diversify geographically and your daughter is from a state where they have enough applicants. Maybe it is because she is a violinist but the orchestra just graduated a cellist and the college chose a student who filled that need over your daughter. If your daughter applied a different year when the mix of institutional needs was slightly different, she may have been accepted.
3. Don’t overreact and don’t underreact. When your daughter was learning to walk, she fell down many times and looked to you as a model of how to react. Even though it was very hard to see your child wipe-out, you did your best to regulate your emotions. By doing so, you allowed your daughter to learn that falling is just part of the process of learning to walk and she could stand up and keep moving forward. In the same way that your daughter looked to you for how to react when she fell down as a toddler, she will look to you for how to react to this rejection. If you get upset, insist the college made an error, call the college, call the school counselor and generally make a big fuss, you will send a message to your daughter that College X is the only path that will allow her to move forward and have a successful and happy life. This is just not true. It is also important not to underreact or make light of the disappointment and hurt your daughter feels. As your daughter’s first choice, College X became a tangible goal that represented the reward she would reap for the effort she put into her studies. Additionally, it is important to remember that identity development is a significant task of adolescence. Between the time that your daughter chose College X as her favorite and she learned that she was not being offered a place in the freshmen class, she tried on the identity of being a College X student and even a College X alum. She did this in her imagination and each time she shared with a friend, family member or acquaintance that College X was her first choice. It is confusing and painful to be forced to let go of a preferred identity and choose a new one. While your daughter is processing this loss, make sure you empathize with her feelings. They are real and not trivial.
4. Trust that your daughter will bounce back. The stress and anxiety that she feels by being rejected from College X is not necessarily a bad thing. Stress and anxiety can serve as motivators. After the initial disappointment and hurt of not being accepted to College X lessens, your talented and motivated daughter will naturally move into problem solving mode. She will discover that this rejection is also an opportunity to redirect and pursue another path forward. As she engages in the process of selecting a new “first choice,” she might want to visit additional colleges, add a few colleges to her list or plan a gap year experience. If College X remains her goal, your daughter might even plan how she will transfer into College X after she spends a year at another college. You should encourage this exploration.

Students do find a way to put a college rejection into perspective and move forward. Your daughter is the same successful, talented and confident young woman that applied to College X. She will take these attributes and skills to another college and find success and happiness.

​Virtual Experiences at Appalachian
We are disappointed that we are unable to host your students on campus, but we are committed to sharing the App State Experience with them. We have several virtual opportunities to explore our campus, connect with admission counselors and get a feel for what it’s like to be an App State Mountaineer. Whether you have younger students interested, current applicants or admitted students, our team will be available to connect. Please share with your students! 

Processing Application Materials 
At this time, our team is working remotely to still process all received electronic and physical application materials. For an updated view of your student's checklist, they can log in to their MyMountaineer portal. 

Ways to Connect 

We are here to help with any questions you or your students may have! Please call us at 828-262-2120, text us at 828-457-8070, or email our office at admissions@appstate.edu. You can also chat with us through our Admissions Zoom at appstate.zoom.us/my/admissions, Monday - Friday from 8 am - 5 pm. (No appointments necessary!) 

We empathize with you and your students during these challenging times. We thank you for the continued support you have for your students during the college decision process. That said, it is our goal is to continue to provide the same high level of support that you and your students deserve. If there is anything we can do to help you and your students, please let us know.

Go Mountaineers!

Sincerely, 
Meghan Hudson
hudsonmt@appstate.edu
Office of Admissions
Appalachian State University

Federal Student Aid is pleased to announce that beginning this summer, students and parents will have two ways to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form; a redesigned fafsa.gov website and a mobile app. These two improvements will make it easier for students and parents to access and complete the FAFSA form on the device that works best for them, with a particular focus on improving the experience on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
 
Parts of the fafsa.gov website have been redesigned so that the site pages will fit the screen size and shape of any device, including desktop or laptop computers and mobile devices, such as a smartphone or tablet. The first phase of the redesign will provide students and parents with the flexibility to complete the FAFSA form on a mobile device with the same ease as on a desktop or laptop computer.
 
Details about the redesigned website, which launched July 22, are provided below. More specific information on the mobile app, which will become available later this summer, will follow in an upcoming electronic announcement.
 
Key features of the redesigned website
·         The site will now resize to fit on mobile devices, making it easier for students and parents to complete the FAFSA form using smartphones and tablets.
·         The page design of fafsa.gov now has a more modern and user-friendly look and feel to improve the overall experience.
·         The “Help and Hints” display boxes have been replaced by new “tool tips.” Tool tips will provide easy-to-use contextual information as students and parents go through each FAFSA question.
·         To ease the students’ and parents’ navigation through the site, some questions on fafsa.gov are now grouped in a different order. The questions are now displayed in a more user-friendly way, which may require fewer page views for students and parents.
 
The changes described above are only applicable to initial and renewal applications. Additional fafsa.gov functions will be redesigned in subsequent phases. 
 
Here is the official announcement link with more details and resources:  https://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/072418TheFAFSAFormisGoingMobile.html
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Award Notification/Letter-An official notice issued by the financial aid office. that lists all the financial aid awarded to the student. This communication may be online and generally provides the expected family contribution, cost of attendance and the terms of the aid awarded.

Capitalization-The process of adding unpaid interest to the principal balance of an educational loan, increasing the principal amount of the loan that must be repaid.

Consolidation- The loan program that allows a borrower to combine several educational loans into one new loan.
This process extends the repayment period and allows for a single monthly payment. It simplifies the repayment process and usually lowers the monthly payment, though it may result in higher overall interest payments.

Cost of Attendance (COA)- The total cost of an education, which is usually expressed as a yearly amount. COA includes tuition and fees, room and board an allowance for books and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses., dependent care, study abroad expenses for co-op study and loan fees. The amount is determined by the financial aid office of the institution.

Default-Failure to repay a student loan according to the terms of a promissory not signed by the student. The organization that holds the loan (the state or the federal government) can take action to recover the money, including notifying national credit bureaus of the default. Wages and/or tax refunds of the defaulter may be garnished, and the borrower will no longer be eligible to receive federal financial aid until the defaulted load i repaid or the borrower has made six full, on-time, consecutive monthly payments.

Deferment-An authorized period of time during which a borrower may postpone principal and interest payments. Deferments are available to borrowers who are in school at least half-time., enrolled in a graduate fellowship program, experiencing periods of unemployment or economic hardship, or in some cases, while teaching in shortage areas or  low income schools, or for volunteering with the Peace Corps, VISTA, etc.

Dependent Student-For financial aid purposes, an undergraduate student is usually classified as a dependent and is expected to have access to parental financial resources if he/she is not married, does not have legal dependents, including children that he/she supports more than 50%, is not a veteran, is not currently serving on active duty, including the National Guard or reserves activated by federal authority in the Armed Forces for purposes other than training, was not an orphan, ward of the court, or foster child at the age of 13 or any time thereafter, or is not an emancipated minor is legal guardianship, or unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self supporting and at risk of homelessness and under 24 years of age.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)-Determined by a formula, this figure indicates how much of a family's financial resource are expected to help pay for the student's education. The EFC is used in determining eligibility for financial aid.  Both FM (federal methodology) use the EFC concept, although the calculated EFC under the two methodologies may differ.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)- the federal aid application that must be completed by students who want to be considered for federal and much state need-based aid.

Financial Need- The difference between the Cost of Attendance and the Estimated Family Contribution.  It is used in determining what the student's aid package will be.

Full-Time Student-For undergraduate students, this is usually a  minimum of 12 semester hours of enrollment in a degree-granting program.

Independent Student-For financial aid purposes, a student is classified as an independent student if at least one of the following applies: he/she is 24 or older, is married, is enrolled in a graduate or professional education program, has legal dependents other than a spouse, was an orphan, foster child, or ward/dependent of the court at any time since age 13, is an emancipated minor, in legal guardianship, or was determined at any time since July 1, 2016 to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or was self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, is a veteran, or the US armed forces (A veteran is a student who has engaged in active service in the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard and was released under a condition other than dishonorable-including a student who attended a US military academy but withdrew in good standing.") -or is currently serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces for purposes other than training and activated by Federal Authority.

Profile- A need analysis form required by some institutions for non-federal aid and processed through the College Boards College Scholarship Service (CSS).  This form can be found at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com.

​According to U.S.News.com’s article “25 Best Jobs That Don’t Require a College Degree” by Rebecca Koenig (March 21, 2018),
Nuclear Medicine Technologist ($74,350)
Paralegal ($49,500)
Hearing Aid Specialist ($50,250)
Optician ($35,530)
Medical Equipment Repairer ($48,070)
MRI Technologist ($68,420)
Computer Support Specialist ($52,160)
Web Developer ($66,160)
Medical Records Technician ($38,040)
Physical Therapy Aide ($25,680)
Home Health Aide ($22,600)
Radiologic Technologist ($57,450)
Occupational Therapy Assistant ($59,010)
Medical Secretary ($33,730)
Personal Care Aide ($21,920)
Patrol Officer ($59,680)
Medical Assistant ($31,540)
Plumber ($51,450)
Message Therapist ($39,860)
Wind Turbine Technician ($52,260)
Radiation Therapist ($80,160)
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer ($69,650)
Radiation Therapist ($58,670)
Physical Therapist Assistant ($56,610)
Dental Hygienist ($72,910)
*** All incomes reported are the national median ***

Seniors who are applying to colleges can start! The Common Application is now available for students who are applying to schools such as NCSTATE, UNC, High Point University, UNC-Wilmington, just to name a few. 
The CFNC- College Foundation of North Carolina is  also open for students to start to apply.  

Transcripts must be requested to schools either by using CFNC or the SCRIBEorder function that is located on the left hand side of the Wheatmore Homepage under TRANSCRIPT request.  

If you have any questions please see Mrs. Atkins in Guidance.