EDUCATIONAL
TALENT SEARCH
We s t e r n K e n t u c k y U n ive r s i t y
From the Director’s Desk
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
From the Director
1
FAFSA Workshops
1
Choosing a College
2
ACT Information
2
Test Again?
2
FAFSA Step by Step
3
Field Trip Pics
The time before the Holidays is always busy. For the ETS staff, it’s even busier as we
finalize our yearly progress report for the U.S. Department of Education. We thought
we’d share our (YOUR) success! ETS makes a tremendous difference in the lives of
the students we serve.
99% of ETS students persisted on to the next grade level
100% of ETS seniors graduated last year
80% of ETS seniors graduated with a rigorous program of study (college prep)
85% of ETS seniors enrolled in postsecondary education (college, trade school, etc.)
We served 781 students from ten counties
4-5
Paying for college
6
Budgeting Sites
6
That's the value of a
college education... I
don't know anywhere in
the world where you can
make an investment and
make that kind of return.
Gaston Caperton
Encouragement of higher
education for our youth
is critical to the success
of our collective future.
Charles Rangel
If you know of students who would benefit from participating in our ETS program,
please let your Academic Coordinator know. We’re here to encourage, advise, and
guide you to a successful career through continued education.
Congratulations on another great year!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
ETS Academic Coordinators will be at the following schools to assist seniors and
their parents with filling out the FAFSA. Please see you school guidance office to
sign up for a time slot.
Allen County Scottsville High: Thursday, January 22 from 10-5:00 PM
Butler County High: Thursday, January 8 from 8-5:00 PM
Cumberland County High: Friday, January 9 time 8-3:00 PM
Edmonson County High: Monday, January 12 from 12-7:00 PM
Hart County High: Wednesday, January 14 from 1-6:00 PM
Logan County High: Tuesday, January 6 from 8-3:00PM
Monroe County High: Thursday, January 15 from 9-2:00 PM
Russellville High: Wednesday, January 7 from 9-4:30 PM
Educational Talent Search
Western Kentucky University
Mission Statement
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11098
Educational Talent Search at Western Kentucky University engages qualified youth in grades
eight through twelve in developmentally appropriate activities that will encourage persistence
in high school, enrollment in postsecondary education and a lifelong pursuit of learning in order to be productive citizens of a global society.
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1098
(270) 745-3757
www.wku.edu/ets
ETS Newsletter
December, 2014
Page 2
E duc a ti o na l T al e nt S e a r c h
Important Factors in Choosing a College
ACT: Should I Test Again?
In choosing a college, the first things you'll probably consider will be the type of
academic program and the availability of the major—or majors—you are most
interested in. Here are some other things to think about as you compare colleges.
How you rank these other factors will depend largely on your personal preferences and needs.
Many students test twice, once
as a junior and again as a senior.
You should definitely consider
retesting if you had any problems
during testing, such as misunderstanding the directions, running
out of time, or not feeling well.
You may also want to consider
retesting if you don't believe that
your scores accurately represent
your abilities, especially if you see
a discrepancy between your ACT
scores and your high school
grades, or if you have completed
coursework or an intensive review in the subject areas included
in the ACT since you tested. If
you test more than once, you
determine which set of scores
are sent to colleges or scholarship programs. Also remember,
the higher your ACT score, the
more KEYS money you’ll receive.
Location
 distance from home
Environment
 type of school (2-year or 4-year)
 school setting (urban, rural)
 location and size of nearest city
 co-ed, male, female
 religious affiliation
Size
 enrollment
 physical size of campus
Admission requirements
 deadline(s)
 test(s) required
 average test scores, GPA, rank
 special requirements
Academics
 majors offered
 special requirements
 accreditation
 student-faculty ratio
 typical class size
Financial aid
 deadline(s)
 required forms
 % of student population receiving aid
 scholarships
 part-time employment opportunities
Housing
 residence hall requirements
 availability
 types and sizes
 food plans
Facilities
 academic
 recreational
 other
How will you do on a retest?
Research shows that students
from the 2013 graduating class
who took the ACT more than
once:
Activities
 clubs, organizations
 sororities/fraternities
 athletics, intramurals
 other

Campus visits
 when to visit
 special opportunities

College expenses
 tuition, room and board
 estimated total budget
 application fee, deposits

57% increased their composite score on the retest
21% had no change in their
composite score on the retest
22% decreased their composite score on the retest
ACT Dates and Deadlines
Each ETS member is eligible for one ACT fee waiver. Ask your ETS counselor for more information.
Test Date
Registration Deadline
(Late Fee Required)
February 7, 2015
January 9, 2015
January 10-16, 2015
April 18, 2015
March 13, 2015
March 14-27, 2015
June 13, 2015
May 8, 2015
May 9-22, 2015
Page 3
E duc a ti o n a l T a l e n t S e a r ch
F i n a n c i a l A i d : A st e p b y s t e p g u i d e
Step 1: Gather Documents. As with most things in life, you can save yourself time and aggravation by preparing in advance to fill out the FAFSA. Here’s what you’ll need:
 Your driver’s license.
 Your social security number.
 Your W-2 forms and any other record of income for the prior year.
 If you are married, you will need you and your spouse’s Federal Income Tax Return for the prior year.
 If you are a dependent student, you will need your parents’ Federal Income Tax Return for the prior year.
 Records for any untaxed income from the prior year.
 Your current bank statement.
 Investment mortgage information, self-employed business forms, bonds or other investment records for
you, your spouse if you are married, and your parents if you are a dependent student.
 If you are not a U.S. citizen, you need to provide your alien registration or permanent resident card.
Step 2: Apply for a PIN. A PIN is a four-digit number that is assigned to you. Go to
www.pin.ed.gov to apply for a PIN. (It takes one to three days for the number to be
verified, but you can use that time to gather your documentation and begin filling out
the web worksheet. This number allows you to:
 Sign your FAFSA.
 See the results of the FAFSA on the website.
 Apply for financial aid in future years.
 Access other federal financial aid websites.
Deadline Alert
You can submit the FAFSA
starting on JANUARY 1st.
If you’re applying before you file
your taxes, you can use last
year’s tax information as an estimate for this year. Don’t delay
submit your FAFSA early.
Step 3: Complete the Web Worksheet. Filling out the FAFSA Worksheet makes it a breeze to fill in the information
online. In fact, you can pretty much just transfer the data from the worksheet to the online form.
Go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1112/pdf/fafsaws12c.pdf
Step 4: Fill Out the FAFSA Online. Go to www.fafsa.gov to fill out your form. The online format has calculators and
help tools to assist you along the way.
Step 5: Sign the Form Electronically with a PIN.
Step 6: Get Your Results. Once you get your confirmation page, you know that your form has been submitted, and you
just need to wait for the results. If you don’t want to wait, you can check the status of your application online. If you
signed the FAFSA with a PIN, you can check the status just one week after submitting it. If you printed, signed, and
mailed a hard copy of the signature form, you can check the status of your form two to three weeks after submitting the
form.
Step 6: Results. In about a month, you will get a paper copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) or you will be e-mailed
one if you have included your email address. The SAR (along with your EFC – Expected Family Contribution) will be sent
to all the schools you indicated on the FAFSA. You can include more schools and get extra copies of your SAR online.
Step 7: Make Corrections. Once you get the results from the FAFSA, you can make corrections. You may want to correct information that was not accurate on the original form or make changes if you family situation changes.
Information taken from How to Pay for College: A Library How-To Handbook.
E duc a ti o n a l T a l e n t S e a r ch
Freshmen Frenzy and Senior Flash Forward
Page 4
E duc a ti o n a l T a l e n t S e a r ch
Freshmen Frenzy and Senior Flash Forward
Page 5
P ARENTS P AGE
Paying for College is a Family Affair
THE SAD FACT is that many students who earn admission to college never go because they do not complete the financial aid
process.
THE GOOD NEWS is that there are lots of ways to pay for college and lots of information and help are available to students who
honestly need financial aid assistance!
Worth Noting:
 The earlier you begin to think about paying for college the better.

Money is available to almost every student who attends college.


No one gets financial aid by wishing! You need to apply and follow through.
Even the most ambitious student will need assistance from the adults in the household in order to complete the financial aid application process.
You do not need to pay anyone to help you apply for financial aid! Beware of anyone who offers a service for a fee
Often the most expensive colleges have the “deepest pockets” and can help the very neediest students to make college affordable.


In a perfect world, families begin thinking about college finances when their children are still in grade school. But we all know
this is NOT a perfect world. So—the time for you to start thinking about paying for college is TODAY!
There is a lot of money available to students with need:
While it is true that college costs increase almost yearly, it is also true that there is more financial aid available than ever before- according to the College Board, more than $199 billion. This money comes from the following sources:
 US Government programs, which provide more than $146.5 billion a year in grants, loans and work-study assistance.

State grant and loan programs.

College and university grant, loan and scholarship programs.

Scholarships given by foundations, corporations and community organizations
Sources of Financial Aid:
 Grants and scholarships: Also called “gift aid,” grants are based on financial need and
do not need to be repaid. Scholarships are most-often awarded on the basis of strong
academic achievement, a special talent or ability, or personal characteristics.
 Work-study: This option gives students the opportunity for part-time employment either
on campus or off campus at a private, non-profit organization or public agency to help
them meet their financial need.
 Loans: These are offered to students or parents and must be repaid. Loans that are
awarded based on financial need are low-interest loans, usually sponsored by the federal government. Interest on these loans is paid by the government for students with the
greatest need. Repayment does not begin until 6 months after completion of the college
program and may be deferred until a later date under some special circumstances.
The article above can be found at WWW.nacacnet.org. Check out the website for additional information on college-prep info.
Budget Balancing Tools
Balancing a family budget is a difficult task, especially when needs are many and funds are few. Be leery of websites that want
you to “consolidate” your debts. While they may contain some reasonable budgeting information, their bottom line is to
make money off of you. Check out some of these “legitimate” recommended websites below:
www.mint.com—A financial tool that pulls all your financial information into one place.
youneedabudget.com—Free online classes and tools to help you set up a budget and stick to it.
www.daveramsey.com—Contains tools to keep you on track to get out of debt and stay that way.