Frequently Ask Questions

Even students who have done exceptionally well in high school find college work challenging. Students spend less time in class and more time in preparation. College professors demand much more, and course material is covered at a faster pace. Good note-taking and study habits are essential.

Yes. Parents are an invaluable resource for students in every aspect of campus life, and the Greek experience is no different. Many chapters have parent events and publications to keep parents informed of chapter events, achievements, and needs. Parents can also get involved by volunteering at chapter fundraising activities or presenting educational presentations, helping the chapter make community contacts, or providing additional resources to assist the chapter in a variety of programming areas.

Learning to discipline oneself and manage time are critical adjustments. College classes may meet only every other day, or once a week, but the workload does not diminish. It is suggested that the student spend two hours of studying for every one hour in class, balanced with study breaks. Students should know to seek help for academic difficulties.

Schools are prohibited from releasing certain information (including grades) to parents without permission of the student because of a federal law (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment).

Because of FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, information is not provided to parents of students over the age of 18. Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record.

For more information, check out the Department of Education's site: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

Start with the 2009-2010 form - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. After you enter your initial information, it should ask if you want to log your historic information.

Submit 2008-2009 FAFSA on the Web Applications by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2009.

Submit 2009-2010 FAFSA on the Web Applications by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2010.

It depends upon the college plans and the investment needs and goals of the family. Most states have created innovative college savings programs individually designed to reflect the unique needs of its citizens. The plans offer affordable, flexible, and tax-advantaged options that can ensure the education of our most precious resources - the children of America. While prepaid tuition plans offer the opportunity to assure future tuition payments, savings plan assets can be used for tuition and other qualified expenses such as room and board.

The Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program, which provides incentives for states to provide grants to students who attend college, has played a significant role in encouraging every state to create and maintain its own student grant program. States are required to provide at least 50 percent of the funding for this program. In 2001-02, federal LEAP funds provided $50 million in grants to students who attended postsecondary education. Including state matching funds, approximately 2 million students receive LEAP funds in 2000-01.

Your FAFSA information should be completed based on the information of the parent you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you didn’t live with either parent, or if you lived with each parent an equal number of days, use the information of the parent who provided the most financial support to you in the most recent calendar year.

The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Program program provides grants to low-income students, and generally helps supplement the aid they receive from Pell Grants and other sources. Federal funds provide for 75 percent of the award; the college or university contributes the remaining 25 percent or more. In 2001-02, the program provided $691 million in federal funds to approximately 1.2 million students at approximately 3,800 postsecondary institutions. In 2001-02, awards ranged from $100 to $4,000; the average grant was $581.