Understanding Financial Aid Award Letters

Free download: Help students understand award letters

With deadlines to accept financial packages looming, are your students confused about award letters?  Here are some tips and a free handout to walk students through their letters: 

Make sure students check the deadline. Most colleges and universities require a response by May 1.

Explain the differences between these kinds of financial aid:

• Grants and scholarships
• Loans
• Work study

Help students understand next steps: In addition to a signed copy of the award letter, is the school asking for other paperwork?

Free handout: Download our “Understanding Award Letters” handout, including a sample award letter, here.

One piece of information missing in this resource is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans. You may also want to share the above link with parents to help them understand the difference.

Summary Individual Career and Academic Plan

This is a Summary of the Individual Career and Academic Plan that went into effect on July 1, 2016 under Chapter 49. This is not new information, but rather a reminder to review your ICAP district team and plan (plan template).

Here is the ruling:

281—49.1(279) Purpose. For the school year beginning July 1, 2016, and each succeeding school year, the board of directors of each school district shall ensure each student in grade eight develops and, in each succeeding year until graduation, reviews and revises an individualized career and academic plan. The code is further defined here.

Overview and Initial Guidance on ICAP: This overview does a nice job of outlining the Individual Career and Academic Planning (ICAP).

Selecting a career information system:
The state designated career information system is KUDER Navigator per Ryan Wise’s memo. Districts may choose to select and use a different career information system from the state-approved list.

Establishing a team and a plan:

All districts should have established an ICAP district team and completed the District Plan for 2017-2018 (template here).​ District plan long form and short form options. The District Plan is a living/dynamic document.  The district can make changes to the plan throughout the year as needed.

Reporting on ICAP:

Each school district will report annually on or before September 15.  The reporting occurs within the CASA and CSIP  assurances and data reporting.

FAFSA Dashboard Now Available To All Iowa High Schools

College and Career Readiness Update-- 

In the coming month, all school contacts designated by their building administration will be receiving data regarding FAFSA completion status of all high school seniors in your building. It is part of the Iowa College Aid FAFSA Completion Initiative. Keep an eye on your inbox for an email from me. It will contain all the info you need to follow-up with students in their FAFSA filing.