Adult Students and Financial Aid

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Adult Students and Financial Aid Presented
by David Pearlman, D. Ed.
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Who are adult students?

• http//www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/video-stor
  ies

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Who are adult students?

• Veteran
• Married
• Parent
• Employed
• Active Military
• Single parent
• Unemployed
• Underemployed
• Widow or widower
• Living at home
• Employer Educational Assistance Program
• Employed full-time

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Who are adult students?

• Returning to the labor market
• Mental or Health issues
• Displaced worker
• Displaced Homemaker
• Incarcerated (or recently released)
• Facing legal challenges
• Retired
• Older adult learner
• Senior Citizen Program
• Graduate or professional program
• Career Change
• Life Changing Event

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To do

• Look into getting a General Educational
  Development (GED) certificate if you dont have a
  high school diploma try searching online for
  GED certificate and your states name.
• Research careers and the need for various jobs in
  the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Or, for an
  interactive tool, try the U.S. Department of
  Labors career search.
• Use College Navigator to find the right school
  for your career intentions. Get tips on choosing
  a school.
• Check the Yellow Pages and ask employers to
  recommend schools that provide training in the
  skills you will need for the career you choose.

From College Preparation Checklist, US Dept of
Education
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To do

• Ask your employer if assistance is available to
  help you pay for school.
• Use the U.S. Department of Labors scholarship
  search to find scholarships.
• Apply for federal student aid by filling out the
  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Get to know the financial aid staff at the school
  you plan to attend they can help you with aid
  applications and explain the types of aid
  available.

From College Preparation Checklist, US Dept of
Education
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Counseling Adults

• Bad Stories
• What did you (we) learn from this?

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Counseling Adults

• Good Stories
• What did you (we) learn from this?

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Financial Aid for Older and Nontraditional
Students

• According to data from the 2007-08 National
  Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS),
  nontraditional students are more likely to
  receive the Pell Grant than traditional students,
  but less likely to receive private scholarships.

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree (Age 24-29)

• Represent 13.8 students pursuing a Bachelor's
  degree
• 20.9 of Pell Grant recipients
• 4.7 of private scholarship recipients

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree (Age 30 and above)

• Represent 14.4 of students pursuing a
  Bachelor's degree
• 17.2 of Pell Grant recipients
• 4.8 of private scholarship recipients

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Likelihood to receive a Federal Pell Grant
Bachelor degree

• 40.5 of students age 24-29 receive the Pell
  Grant
• 32.0 of students age 30 and above receive the
  Pell Grant
• Compared with 23.1 of traditional students who
  receive the Pell Grant

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Likelihood to receive a private scholarship -
Bachelor

• 3.0 of students age 24-29
• 2.9 of students age 30 and above
• Compared with 11.1 of traditional college
  students

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Certificate or Associate's Degree

• Age 24-29 represent 20.8 of students
• 25.3 of Pell Grant recipients and 16.2 of
  private scholarship recipients
• Age 30 and above represent 29.1 of students
• 27.8 of Pell Grant recipients
• 27.6 of private scholarship recipients

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Likelihood to receive a Federal Pell Grant
certificate or associate degree

• 37.0 of students age 24-29
• 29.0 of students age 30 and above
• Compared with 28.4 of traditional students

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Likelihood to receive private scholarship
certificate or associate degree

• 2.2 of students age 24-29
• 2.6 of students age 30 and above
• Compared with 3.1 of traditional college
  students

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Likelihood of pursuing a certificate or associate
degree

• Nontraditional students are more likely to be
  pursuing a Certificate or Associate's degree than
  traditional students, and less likely to be
  pursuing a Bachelor's degree.
• 35.8 of nontraditional students are pursuing a
  Bachelor's degree
• 58.6 of traditional students are pursuing a
  Bachelors degree

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Federal Student Aid

• Nontraditional students should submit the Free
  Application for Federal Student Aid just like
  younger students.
• A student who has already earned a bachelor's
  degree or first professional degree is no longer
  considered an undergraduate student and is
  ineligible for the Pell Grant.
• (There is an exception for postbaccalaureate
  programs necessary for teacher certification or
  licensing credentials as required by the state.)

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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Additional Federal Aid

• An additional 4,000 per year during the freshman
  and sophomore years and an additional 5,000 per
  year during the junior and later years.
• "Professional judgment"
• Counseling for over-borrowing

From Financial for Older and Nontraditional
Student retrieved Oct 11, 2012 from www.finaid.org
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P.A.W.S.

• Perseverance Ambition Will Success
• PAWS sought to improve the rate at which adults
  on public assistance pursued and completed
  post-secondary education.
• PAWS was a free program developed in 2006 under
  the Altoona Community Outreach partnership.
• Fairview Hills Public Housing was selected for
  the program.
• Funded with H.U.D. grant

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Why P.A.W.S.
From P.A.W.S. Manual, pg 10 Source National for
Children in Poverty (2006).
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Need for P.A.W.S.
From P.A.W.S. Manual, pg 12 Source National for
Children in Poverty (2006).
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Resources of P.A.W.S. Program

• Peer Mentors (three)
• Faculty coordinator (and researcher)
• Meeting space (community center of public
  housing)
• Technology (two computers and printers)
• Social Services (how does going to school effect
  welfare payments)
• Career (participants attended local career fairs)
• Expertise of high school guidance counseling
  staff
• Program dinners with topics (and pizza)
• Mini college Fairs (all local schools)
• FAFSA Completion session
• Group and individual follow-up

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P.A.W.S. Mentors

• Starting the conversation
• Establish Goals and Interests
• Struggles with education
• Adjusting to education
• Financing an education
• Career goals
• Resource person

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There were 32 P.A.W.S. Participants

• 9/32 did not complete the application process
  (28)
• 23/32 enrolled in post-secondary education (72)
• 13/23 enrolled at Penn State Altoona (56)
• 10/23 enrolled at other schools (44)
• 78 of participants were women

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Adult Students and Financial Aid

• Thank You!