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Know Your SAT & ACT Reporting Rights

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

As many seniors will currently attest, some schools are reporting, on the high school transcript, all college entrance scores provided by the testing agency, namely the College Board (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) programs.

Prior to sending their transcripts, students should look into whether their school is doing this. At most schools, students do have the opportunity to decide if their scores will be recorded on the transcript. This will be done on an all or none basis.

If students do nothing, and your school has the capability to include scores, all scores (SAT, SAT Subject and ACT tests) will be reported. If a student’s choice is to not have their scores recorded on their transcript, they can take advantage of the College Board Score Choice option, or even choose to send no scores.

Regardless of which option the student chooses, he/she must understand that all schools and some scholarships require official score reports from the testing agency. In this case, the official score must be sent from the College Board or the American College Testing program.

The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com
Barry Liebowitz barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com
Kate McKenna kate@internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Tags: Add new tag, college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor NYC, international college advisor, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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Florida Bright Futures Scholarship – Important Updates

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Parents with students who are hoping to apply for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship need to be aware of the changes made to the program, says Miami college counselor Mandee Heller Adler of International College Counselors.

You can see some of the 2009 Legislative updates as well as information on further changes at
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/PDF/2009_BF_SummerNotice.pdf

We have also listed a few of them below to give you an idea of what you can expect.

For parents new to this, the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1997 to reward students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding to attend postsecondary education in Florida.

The following are some of the more major changes, cut and pasted from the site:
2009-10 Awards

Bright Futures recipients will receive a fixed cost per credit hour award based on:
·award level [Florida Academic Scholar (FAS), Academic Top Scholars (ATS), Florida Medallion Scholar (FMS), or Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar (GSV)]
·institution type (4-year, 2-year, or Vocational/Technical), and
·credit type (semester, quarter, or clock hour).

See the award amounts on the Bright Futures Web site at
www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/ssfad/bf/newsrenew.htm

Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Expense Allowance is No Longer Available
·The FAS college-related expense allowance is no longer available. The Florida Legislature amended Section 1009.534(2), Florida Statutes, by removing this provision of the FAS award.

Repayment for Courses funded by Bright Futures that are Dropped/Withdrawn
·Students will be required to repay the cost of any course dropped or withdrawn unless an exception is recommended by the financial aid office at their home postsecondary institution. An exception will be based on a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the student’s control.

·Repayment for the cost of dropped or withdrawn courses is required to renew a Bright Futures award for a subsequent academic year.

Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) Remain GSV
·The Legislature removed the provision which allowed GSV recipients to renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
·GSV students may receive funding for up to 90 semester hours.

Renewal Criteria
·As of the 2009-10 academic year, Bright Futures recipients are required to meet new minimum credit hour requirements to renew their award each year. The Florida Legislature now requires full-time students to earn at least 24 semester hours, or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours, to renew their award (prorated for part-time students) at the end of the spring term.

The Bright Futures Initial Eligibility brochure for 2010 high school graduates can be printed as a 2-page booklet. For your convenience, we have placed booklet printing instructions on our Web site. The brochure is accessible at: www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/ under Brochures/Posters

The instructions to print Bright Futures and all State Programs brochures booklets are available at
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/pdf/Bookletprinting.pdf
You must have Adobe Reader to print as a booklet.

Apply for the International College Counselors scholarship at www.internationalcollegecounselors.com We’re awarding 4 scholarships worth $250 each.

The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreamsof each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

International College Counselors
Main Office
Mandee Heller Adler (954) 253-5719
Barry N. Liebowitz (954) 658-4570
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors
European Office
Kate McKenna
Dialing from the USA call: 011 + 359 + 88-810-9427
Dialing from Europe call: 00 + 359 +88-810-9427
kate@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Tags: bright futures scholarship, college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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Homework for Mom and Dad

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

You’re not free and clear yet, mom and dad! College crunch time also includes you. Don’t forget to fill out any appropriate financial aid forms before the financial aid deadlines.

Don’t miss out on valuable financial aid money, and please don’t rely on your children to fill in the forms. Very few will understand all the financial jargon and will need your guidance.

Making mistakes on your financial aid forms like FAFSA could delay your application and quite possibly make you lose out on some financial aid. And, you know, If you receive federal financial aid because your FAFSA contained incorrect information, you have to repay it.

The best way to complete financial aid forms is early. Do them online if possible, many websites (like FAFSA) are designed to catch errors.

Our expert college counselors say, you can’t go wrong if you:

1. Very carefully read the directions and the questions.
2. Clearly, accurately, and completely fill in every field.
3. Meet the deadlines.

Here is a link to some information on common mistakes parents make when filling out financial aid forms from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2009/rntips021209.html

The biggest mistake, however, is not applying!

Although our expert college counselors at International College Counselors do not provide financial aid support, we can help you find some help from a reputable financial planner.
Remember, the longer you wait, the harder it will be.

International College Counselors

Mandee Heller Adler
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, we’d be happy to answer them.

Tags: Add new tag, college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, expert college counselor, FAFSA, financial aid help, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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2010 INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS SCHOLARSHIP

Monday, September 14th, 2009

From the Miami college counselors at International College Counselors:

2010 INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS SCHOLARSHIP

All students in 9th through 11th grade are eligible to participate. An essay is required that answers the question:

What makes a good college education?

There will be five scholarship award winners. Three winners will be chosen from within Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. One winner will be selected from the U.S. – outside Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. An additional winner will be selected from outside the U.S. who wishes to attend college in the U.S. All five winners will receive a $250 scholarship provided by International College Counselors.

Learn more about this scholarship at http://www.InternationalCollegeCounselors.com.

The goal of the International College Counselors High School Scholarship is to increase awareness of the value of higher education among high school students.

Essay Length: 500 Words or less

Essay Deadline: February 27, 2010

All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Official Student Registration Form and official rules are available at www.internationalcollegecounelors.com

ABOUT US:
International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

International College Counselors
Main Office
Mandee Heller Adler (954) 253-5719
Barry N. Liebowitz (954) 658-4570
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, freshman scholarship, international college counselors, junior scholarship, mandee heller adler, scholarship, sophomore scholarship
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College Fairs

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

National college fairs span the US from coast to coast and visit every major metropolitan area across the country. You won’t find any Ferris wheels or cotton candy at these events but you will find them to be outstanding opportunities to learn about a wide variety of schools. At a college fair you can attend helpful seminars, meet school representatives, and collect information on:
• Admission requirements

• Financial aid

• College majors and courses

• Admission requirements

• Life on campus

Fairs can also help you cross some colleges off your list and discover new ones to add. Some college fairs are even attended by actual admissions officers – who you can talk to! You can also pick up a lot of pens, bags and other giveaway items.

Our International College Counselors college counselors have cut and pasted the Spring 2010 National College Fairs Schedule below. Events are held from Honolulu to NYC to Miami. College counselors or your high school counselors are also great resources for other fairs that may be coming to your area too.

These below are all free and open to the public. Note that this is an incomplete list of college fairs, there are many more. International students and those who are unable to travel to the college fair locations should consider attending virtual college fairs. One of the most popular hosts for this is College Week Live.

Spring 2010 National College Fairs Schedule

City

Date & Time

Location

Atlanta

Sunday, January 24 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Georgia International Convention Center

College Park, GA

Pittsburgh

Thursday, February 4  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Friday, February 5 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Pittsburgh, PA

Miami

Sunday, February 21

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Doubletree Miami Mart/Airport Hotel & Exhibition Center  Miami, FL

Louisville

Saturday, February 27

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Kentucky Int’l Convention Center Louisville, KY

Tampa

Sunday, February 28

12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Tampa Convention Center

Tampa, FL

Springfield

Sunday, March 7

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Monday, March 8

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Eastern States Exposition (The Big E)

West Springfield, MA

Rochester

Wednesday, March 17

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Rochester Riverside Convention Center Rochester, NY

Charlotte

Sunday, March 21

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Park (formerly the Charlotte Merchandise Mart)

Charlotte, NC

Syracuse

Sunday, March 21

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Monday, March 22

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Onondaga County Convention Center, at Oncenter

Syracuse, NY

Buffalo

Tuesday, March 23

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 24

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center Buffalo, NY

Greater Memphis

Wednesday, March 24

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Agricenter International

Memphis, TN

Hartford

Thursday, April 8

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, April 9

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Connecticut Expo Center

Hartford, CT

Houston

Sunday, April 11

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, TX

Austin

Tuesday, April 13

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Austin Convention Center

Austin, TX

West Michigan

Tuesday, April 13

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

DeVos Place

Grand Rapids, MI

Montgomery County

Wednesday, April 14

9:45 a.m. – 12:45 a.m.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 15

9:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Montgomery County Agricultural Center

Gaithersburg, MD

Metro Detroit

Thursday, April 15

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Burton Manor Banquet and Conference Center

Livonia, MI

Prince George’s County

Friday, April 16 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 17 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex

Landover, MD

San Francisco

Saturday, April 17

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Concourse Exhibition Center San Francisco, CA

San Diego

Tuesday, April 20

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA

Honolulu

Thursday, April 22

8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Hawaii Convention Center

Honolulu, HI

Inland Empire

Thursday, April 22

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

National Orange Show Events Center

San Bernardino, CA

Providence

Saturday, April 24

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Rhode Island Convention Center

Providence, RI

Nashville

Sunday, April 25

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Nashville Convention Center

Nashville, TN

New York

Sunday, April 25

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

New York, NY

Orange County

Sunday, April 25

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Anaheim Convention Center

Anaheim, CA

Boston

Tuesday, April 27

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 28

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

World Trade Center

Boston, MA

Greater Los Angeles

Tuesday, April 27

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 28

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Pasadena Convention Center

Pasadena, CA

New Jersey

Wednesday, April 28

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 29

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center

Edison, NJ

Ventura/Tri-County

Thursday, April 29

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Seaside Park

Ventura, CA

Cleveland

Sunday, May 2

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Wolstein Center

Cleveland, OH

From NYC to Miami, college counselors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact one of our college counselors with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors also wants to announce the addition of the newest member of our team, Kate McKenna. Kate serves as Director of International Operations for International College Counselors, LLC and is based in Europe.

International College Counselors

Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler

mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz

barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Kate McKenna

Kate@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor broward, college counselor miami, college fair, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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Starting the School Year Right

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Advice from an expert college advisor

For anxious new freshman or confident seniors, heading back to school signals a time of transition: new classes, new teachers, new opportunities. For all grades too, this is a time to prepare for college by making the most of this year.

To help start the school year right, our college counselors at International College Counselors made a general September checklist.

• Consider your courses and teachers and decide if you’re happy with your choices. Ask yourself if you’re sufficiently challenged or overwhelmed, and if you should switch some classes. It’s important to take challenging courses, but it’s equally important that you do well in them.

• Build your vocabulary. READ. READ. READ. The PSAT and SAT both count on your having a good vocabulary. It is much easier to build this slowly and naturally than to try and cram it in before a test. If you see or hear words you don’t know or can’t grasp the meaning from the context, jot them down and then, use a dictionary or www.dictionary.com to learn the word’s definition.

• Take a good look at what your high school offers like clubs, activities, sports, and classes. The beginning of the school year is the best time to make some decisions about what interests you. Did you like what you were doing last year or do you want to make a change? For freshmen, this is a chance to try something completely new. Once you decide what you want to try, find out how you can get involved in those specific organizations. And remember, to try something new. You may never know if you’ll like something until you try it and you can always change.

• Start looking into scholarships and consider which ones you will apply for. There are many freshmen are eligible for as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors. Write down the deadlines and stay on top of them.
Stay tuned, in our next blog we’re going to reveal the International College Counselors scholarship. We’re awarding 4 scholarships worth $250 each.

The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors
Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, expert college advisor, expert college counselor, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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Save Money By Renting Textbooks

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

To the many students from NYC to MIami, college counselors at International College Counselors helped get into college this year – from the University of Florida to the Ivies – a word of advice for you…

There’s a new way to save money on textbooks: Rent them!

Textbook publishers are starting to let students rent their books. They’re aiming to thwart competition from used-book sales, digital texts, and other textbook rental businesses including ones that are already online like Chegg.

Recently, one of the nation’s largest textbook publishers, Cengage Learning, announced that it would start renting books to students for 40% to 70% off the retail price. Several hundred titles will be for rent with more to be added in 2010. Students will be able to buy print textbooks, e-textbooks, individual e-chapters and audio books, as well as homework and study tools. Free content and discounts for purchasing multiple products will also be available. As a bonus to renting from them, Cengage will give students immediate access to an e-book of the first chapter so that they don’t fall behind while the book making it’s way through the mail.

A few college bookstores have been offering rentals for years, and more are moving in that direction. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers is starting a pilot rental program at three of its 624 college bookstores this fall.

No big surprise that students are looking to cut costs. College textbooks often cost more than $100 apiece, costing students an average of $700 to $1,100 a year. This adds up to one of their biggest expenses after tuition and room and board. Many students who buy the textbooks often resell them at the end of the year, feeding the used-book market, which publishers hate as they don’t get any money from that resale. Of course, students only get a very small percentage of their money back for a book. It’s the school bookstore that will make the killing, by marking them up astronomically and selling them the next year/semester.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act, passed last year, included $10 million for grants to support textbook rental pilot programs. At International College Counselors, our college advisors are looking to see how the 20 college bookstores who have applied for grants do. If they do well, we’re bound to see a lot more of this in the future.

Of course, books may one day be all digital, but that’s a time that has not yet come.

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them. I work with international students (9 countries and counting!) as well as those in the U.S. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

By the way, my college advising company is opening a new branch of International College Counselors in NYC so now you can visit our college advisor NYC as well. Our college counselors, MIami, are here for you too.

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, international college counselors, mandee heller adler, save money textbooks
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TIPS FOR WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

The personal essay can help you improve your chances for admission. It may be as short as 250 words, but the words you choose can mean the difference between a “maybe” and a “yes”. The essay tells the admissions committee how and why you are different from everybody else.

While there is no exact formula for the perfect admission essay, here are some tips you should consider when trying to make a lasting impression on someone who reads 50 to 100 essays a day:

Write about yourself. The admissions committee isn’t looking to learn about the American Revolution or Bioresearch, they’re looking to learn about you – your achievements, your obstacles, your goals, your values. Whatever topic you choose to center your essay around, make sure you shine through.

Focus on one facet of yourself. Pick one project, one activity, or one passion. Don’t try to cover too many topics in your essay, or you’ll end up with a laundry list of details and activities that won’t give the admissions committee what they’re looking for in the essay: an in-depth look at you. The magic is in the details.

Tell a good story. Demonstrate how you are compassionate – don’t just tell readers you are. If you had a difficulty, don’t tell the admissions committee your complaints, tell them how you overcame them.

Keep it real. Don’t make things up. If you speak from the heart, it will show and your essay will flow more easily. Choosing something you’ve experienced will also give you the vivid and specific details the admissions committee is looking to see in your essay.

Share your opinions, but avoid anything controversial. You don’t know who is going to be reading your essay so you want to appeal to the broadest audience possible. That’s means write nothing about your opinions on what’s wrong with governments or religion, please.

Don’t repeat information already in your application. If you’ve taken 7 AP courses in one year, don’t list that you’ve done it or that you did it because you “love to learn” unless this relates directly to the focus of your essay. Admissions officers want to learn something about you from your essay that they can’t learn from reading the other sections of your application.

Spend time on your essay. Hemingway didn’t write his stories overnight and neither should you write your essay overnight. The admission committee is looking to see what you can do given the time to brainstorm, rewrite and polish. They are looking to see what topic you chose and what you did with it. An essay won’t help you if it’s sloppy and uninformative.

Check your grammar and spelling. Yes, this counts. You can write conversationally, but the grammar and spelling still need to be correct. And don’t solely rely on your computer’s spell check. Often times, the wrong word (spelled correctly) can slip by. And nothing says last-minute essay more than the wrong spelling and grammar.

Show the essay to someone who can give you objective feedback. Sometimes you can get too close to the essay and be unable to see it clearly. Other people can often tell if there isn’t enough being revealed, or your essay rambles, or if the humor is falling flat, or if you’re not making the impression you’d want to. Remember, this essay is going to someone who doesn’t know you and is going to be making a big decision on what they’ll learn from it.

College counselors Miami to NYC at International College Counselors are available to review your essays and help you brainstorm topics. To hop on the calendar for our NYC or Miami college advisors, call or email Mandee Heller Adler at International College Counselors. The number is 954.253.5719. The email is mandee@internationalcollegecounelors.com

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, college essay tips, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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New Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will Make College More Affordable

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Whether you’re in California, NYC or Miami, college advisors at International College Counselors are pleased to report that the House Education and Labor Committee passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA).

This legislation, passed last Tuesday, will make college dramatically more affordable by investing billions of dollars in additional student aid – and at no new cost to taxpayers.

The SAFRA will generate almost $100 billion in savings over the next ten years. These savings would be directly invested in students and families by

• Boosting Pell Grant scholarships by investing $40 billion to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019. Starting in 2010, the scholarship will be linked to match rising costs-of-living by indexing it to the Consumer Price Index plus 1 percent.

• Keeping interest rates low on need-based – or subsidized – federal student loans by making the interest rates on these loans variable beginning in 2012.

• Creating a more reliable and effective financial aid system for families.

• Investing $3 billion to bolster college access and completion support programs for student.

• Strengthening the Perkins Loan program, a campus-based program that provides low-cost federal loans to students.

• Making it easier for families to apply for financial aid by simplifying the FAFSA form.

• Investing $2.55 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions to provide students with the support they need to stay in school and graduate.

• Providing loan forgiveness for members of the military who are called up to duty in the middle of the academic year.

• Enacting President Obama’s key education priorities.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221) was passed by the committee with a vote of 30-17.

In addition to saving $87 billion over ten years that would be reinvested in college aid, this legislation will also direct $10 billion in savings back to the U.S. Treasury to help pay down the deficit.

The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill next week but will most likely vote on it after the August recess.

The advisors at International College Counselors encourage you to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to support H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA)

If you have any other college admissions questions for one of our NYC or Miami college counselors, we’d be happy to answer them. I work with international students (9 countries and counting!) as well as those in the U.S. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

By the way, my college advising company is opening a new branch of International College Counselors in NYC so now you can visit our college advisor NYC as well.

Tags: college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, international college counselors, mandee heller adler, student aid and fiscal responsibility act
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Bright Futures drops 100 percent awards

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

At International College Counselors in Miami, college counselors Mandee Heller Adler and Barry Liebowitz say that parents and students counting on The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program for the 2009-10 academic year need to take notice of the new changes that have come as a result of The 2009 Florida Legislative Session.

The changes to Bright Futures will affect both incoming freshmen and students who started in Florida state schools after fall 2006.

Among other changes, the Program will NOT raise funds to cover the tuition hikes coming this fall.

This means that the FAS award (100%) now covers a fixed amount of $126 per semester hour no matter what Florida schools you attend. This will NOT cover the entire tuition any more. It will not cover the tuition differential nor the 15% increase for the coming year. The difference in cost will need to be covered by students.

Florida Prepaid and other forms of financial aid can be used to cover the costs.

On the website, the word “IMPORTANT” is next to this change:
Students who drop or withdraw from a class paid for by Bright Futures will now have to repay the state the same amount Bright Futures awarded the student per credit hour if the class was dropped after drop/add period. The only exceptions will be based on a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the student’s control. In the past, Florida students have had the ability to drop classes with no penalty other than receiving a W on their transcripts.

According to its web site, Bright Futures will also discontinue the allowance that covered textbooks and other college related expenses.

You don’t have to be a college advisor to know that the students who receive financial aid could potentially be hit the hardest. Depending on a student’s income and the income of his or her parents, the student might not receive enough aid to cover the new costs. If students think they are going to need aid, they should apply early to get the best financial aid package.

The state will be mailing information regarding the changes to the Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship Program to parents of Florida students this fall. To see the updated information go to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program official website at:

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the Bright Futures office toll-free at 1- 888-827-2004

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

By the way, my college advising company is opening a new branch of International College Counselors in NYC so now you can visit our college advisor NYC as well.

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