March 2018 ykcc

YOUR

COLLEGE CONNECTION MARCH 2018

Kentucky rising junior may win scholarship, photo shoot A rising junior at one of Kentucky’s public or private high schools will win a $500 scholarship and a photo shoot at his or her school through the “Promote Your School” scholarship contest, sponsored by KHEAA. The school must participate in the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program.

To enter, the student must submit an essay about one of these subjects:

IN THIS ISSUE 2 - Gain experience with work- study program 2 - Wants vs. Needs 3 - ‘Surviving College’ booklets 3 - National History Day contest 4 - The College Circuit booklet 4 - Bus safety poster contest 5 - KET Young Writers contest 5 - Scholarship spotlight 6 - New option for KEES money 7 - Co-op courses count toward KEES scholarship 7 - Personnel Cabinet poster contest

• How I will inspire others to do better.

• How education makes a stronger community.

The essay must be no more than 200 words long and cannot mention the student’s name, school, county or community. The essay topic must be shown at the top of the page. The student’s name, address and high school must be listed at the bottom of the essay. The student must be a junior during the 2018-2019 school year. For more information, visit www.kheaa.com/website/contest/intro.

Photos from the winning school will be used in KHEAA publications and on KHEAA websites.

To enter, mail essay to KHEAA Publications, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602. Students may also email their essay to publications@kheaa.com or fax it to (502) 696-7574. The winner will be chosen by a committee of KHEAA employees.

The deadline for submissions is May 31.

For help with your higher education and financial aid questions, visit www.kheaa.com

Students from high schools that have been featured in the past five years — Logan County, Daviess County, Lexington STEAM Academy, Somerset Christian and J. Graham Brown — are not eligible to enter this year’s contest.

2 Learn the difference between needs and wants One of the biggest steps to financial security is learning the difference between a need and a want.

Students who have learned that difference will find that their bank accounts grow more quickly.

Needs include clothes, food and, for many students, transportation.

Students can earn money, get experience with work-study One way students can help pay the cost of education after high school is through a work-study program.

Plus, work-study can provide valuable experience that looks good on a résumé.

The Federal Work-Study Program offers undergraduate and graduate students a chance to earn money to help pay college costs. Rules may vary by school, but generally to qualify, a student must: • • • •

Be enrolled in an eligible program.

Be working toward a degree or certificate.

Have financial need.

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.

Students must be paid at least the federal minimum wage. Jobs may be on or off campus. Students who submitted the FAFSA will be considered for Federal Work-Study unless they asked not to be.

Many colleges also have their own work-study programs. Students interested in a school’s program should check with the college’s financial aid office.

With clothes, a want may mean wearing only designer items that cost more than clothes that last just as long and look just as good.

Students might want to eat a deluxe cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant every day, even though they can save money by making their own sandwich and brown-bagging it.

If a student needs a car to drive to and from school, a want would be a new sports convertible instead of a reliable used car with good gas mileage and less flash. A student who lives in a city might spend less on getting to school by taking public transportation.

Each time students are faced with a purchase, they should ask themselves if they really need it or if they can get by with a less expensive item — or without it completely. They should save the money they don’t spend so it’s there when they really need something.

‘Surviving College’ booklets can help freshman, adults “Surviving College,” a guide that helps college freshmen succeed during their first year on campus, is available free from KHEAA.

A guide to GET You through your freshman year

The 36-page booklet includes sections about: • Majors and class schedules.

• Staying healthy and safe on campus.

• Learning styles and study tips.

• Campus life.

• Financial basics.

KHEAA also provides “Surviving College for Adults,” geared toward nontraditional students.

To order a free copy, email publications@kheaa.com.

Please include mailing address.

Online versions are available on www.kheaa.com.

National History Day contest now open for entries Kentucky students can enter the National History Day Contest by presenting a project on any historical topic related to the 2018 theme, Conflict & Compromise in History.

Students can create a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website.

The contest is open to middle school and high school students.

Kentucky’s competition will take place on April 21 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

The top two projects in each category are invited to the National Contest held June 10–14, at the University of Maryland in College Park.

To get more information about the contest and how to enter, contact the Kentucky coordinator Cheryl Caskey at 502-564-1792 or cheryl.caskey@ky.gov.

Visit https://www.nhd.org/ for more details and ideas.

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4 Free booklet helps Kentuckians plan for college 8

The College Circuit

201

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL AID

Learn about state financial aid options

You CAN afford college.

Learn how inside!

pg. 18

Check out your KEES award

“The College Circuit,� a booklet published by KHEAA, can help Kentuckians planning for higher education.

File the FAFSA starting October 1

Students ranging in age from middle school to adults can use the booklet. Parents www.kheaa.com and counselors can also use it to help their students plan and pay for college. The booklet includes information about careers, college preparation, state and federal financial aid, tips for parents, online resources and a template for setting up a personal college plan. pg. 22

Students can enter bus safety poster contest Kentucky students have until May 1 to enter the 2018 State School Bus Safety Poster Contest.

The contest is sponsored by the Pupil Transportation Program, part of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

pg. 15

Students and families can also find detailed information about the KEES program. The booklet shows the steps involved in applying for federal student aid and provides guidance about student loans.

To request copies, email publications@kheaa.com or use the order form on www.kheaa.com.

The poster must feature the 2018 theme: My School Bus, the Safest Form of Student Transportation!

KDE will accept posters that comply with the National School Bus Safety Poster Contest rules.

These rules can be found on the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) website.

All students in elementary or middle school (plus high school for Division 4 and 5 only) may participate.

A local selection committee will choose a finalist, whose application must be mailed to the Kentucky Department of Education, Pupil Transportation Unit, 300 Sower Blvd., Frankfort, KY 40601. Entries must be postmarked no later than May 1.

Only one poster for each category from each school system or district will be judged at the state level.

The winner in each category will be sent to the NAPT national contest. The winner will be chosen during the NAPT Conference and Trade Show and used to promote 2019 National School Bus Safety Week. For more information, visit education.ky.gov.

KET Young Writers contest seeks entries Students in grades K–8 are invited to submit stories and poems for the 2018 KET Young Writers Contest. The contest, which runs through March 30, encourages students to submit their original stories, poems and illustrations.

The categories are: • Grades K–3, Young Writers Illustrated Story Contest. Stories from kindergartners and firstgraders should be between 50 and 200 words.

Second- and third-graders should write stories between 100 and 300 words.

• Grades 4 and 5, Young Writers Short Story Contest. Stories should have 400 to 800 words.

• Grades 6–8, Young Writers Poetry Contest.

Poems should have between 25 and 250 words.

Scholarship Spotlight Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association Scholarship Eligibility: Based on GPA, writing ability and leadership potential. Preference given to a student with a tobacco farming background.

Award: $2,000 Number: 10 Deadline: April 1 Contact: Scholarship Committee, Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, 620 South Broadway, Lexington, KY 40508, 859.252.3561, kathy@burleytobacco.com, www.burleytobacco.com

Entries must be received by March 30.

To enter, students must submit original, singleauthor work. Only one entry per child is permitted.

Illustrated story entries must include at least five original illustrations. Illustrated stories and short stories may be nonfiction, fiction, prose or poetry.

Complete rules and contest entry forms are available at KET.org/writerscontest.

KET will select winners at each grade level and award prizes. Winners will be notified no later than May 30.

First-, second- and third-place entries in each grade level will be published online on the KET website.

Student Poll:

What is your favorite educational app or resource?

We want to hear from you! Which educational app or online resource is your favorite to use?

We will feature the results in next month’s newsletter.

Click the button or scan QR with phone.

Take the poll!

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6 KEES can be used for some apprenticeship programs this fall Kentucky residents have a new option for using their Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) after high school graduation. Last April, Governor Matt Bevin signed into law a bill expanding the use of KEES to include expenses for registered apprenticeship programs.

Beginning this fall, KEES-eligible students can request reimbursement of approved expenses toward registered apprenticeship programs. This may include costs such as tuition, books, required tools, uniforms, safety equipment, licensures and travel allowances.

directly to their postsecondary institution.

• Students must pay for items related to the apprenticeship, then complete a request form and provide supporting documentation to KHEAA for reimbursement of approved expenses.

• The maximum reimbursement amount per year may not exceed the student’s KEES annual award amount earned while in high school.

• Similar to traditional KEES, eligibility will extend for up to four years of reimbursement.

Eligibility ends within five years of high school graduation or when the student successfully completes the apprenticeship program.

For more information about the KEES program, visit www.kheaa.com. Questions may be directed to 800-928-8926, ext. 67401, or kees@kheaa.com.

Students must participate in a program approved by the Kentucky Labor Cabinet and must meet certain requirements related to instruction and work experience.

Specific details about the new KEES option, including forms and instructions for students, will be available on www.kheaa.com in late spring. In the meantime, below are some key points to assist in counseling students.

• There is no change in the way KEES is earned before high school graduation.

• KHEAA will verify student participation through the Kentucky Labor Cabinet.

• Registered apprentices will be contacted by KHEAA to see how they want to use their KEES. Apprentices may receive reimbursement for approved expenses or have their KEES sent

Senior Planner Let your high school counselor know which school you’re going to so the school can send in final grades, class rank and proof of graduation.

Send in any deposits that are required.

Send thank-you notes to counselors, teachers and others who helped you through the process.

Prepare a budget for the coming school year.

Co-op courses to count more toward KEES requirements High school students enrolled in career and technical education programs are getting a boost in how cooperative education coursework counts toward the KEES curriculum requirement.

Effective with the 2018–2019 school year, each cooperative education course approved by the Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE) will count toward the annual KEES curriculum requirement.

Before this change, cooperative education coursework could be counted only as one of five courses toward the KEES curriculum, regardless of the number of co-op courses or credits a student completed.

The below chart provides examples with a comparison to illustrate the change.

Current

*NEW* Effective 2018–2019

Student enrolled in 3 credits of CTEapproved co-op coursework

Counts as 1 Counts as course for KEES 3 courses curriculum for KEES curriculum

Student enrolled in 3 credits of non-CTE co-op coursework

Counts as 1 Counts as 1 course for KEES course for KEES curriculum curriculum

Personnel Cabinet poster contest ends March 30 Students ages 6-16 are invited to participate in the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet’s 2018 Public Service Recognition Poster Contest, which is intended to increase awareness of the achievements and contributions of state employees in the workplace and their communities.

The theme is “Great People Doing Great Jobs.”

Entries will be judged in three age divisions; the top three finalists in each division will receive cash prizes and an invitation to a recognition ceremony at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort in April.

The entry deadline is March 30. Visit the Personnel Cabinet’s website for more information.

For more information about the KEES program, visit www.kheaa.com. Questions may be directed to 800-928-8926, ext. 67401, or kees@kheaa.com.

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8 Which college basketball team are you rooting for?

24% Kentucky 20% Butler 16% Cincinnati

February Poll Results ACT National Test Dates Test Date

Registration Deadline

Late Registration Deadline (Late Fee Required)

June 9, 2018

May 4, 2018

May 18, 2018

July 14, 2018

June 15, 2018

June 22, 2018

SAT National Test Dates Test Date

Registration Deadline

Late Registration Deadline (Late Fee Required) Mail

Phone/Online

May 5, 2018

April 6, 2018

April 17, 2018

April 25, 2018

June 2, 2018

May 3, 2018

May 15, 2018

May 23, 2018

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