Massachusetts Education & Career Opportunities, Inc.

Are you thinking of starting a Small Business? Join the Office of Economic Empowerment, Massachusetts State Treasury for this 4-part webinar series. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5ns3zA_wQ_q0hZT4mCMGow #/registration

We are proud to announce that our own advisor - Rachelle Lappinen is the current Community Ambassador for the City of Worcester, Massachusetts from the Office of Economic Empowerment, Massachusetts State Treasury - To contact her to set up a workshop on financial literacy please follow the link below:

Today’s Community Ambassador spotlight is Rachelle Lappinen! Rachelle serves Worcester and is passionate about empowering others and making a positive impact on people’s economic well-being.

Learn more about all of our Ambassadors: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/community-ambassadors-directory

Easily compare financial aid offers and see which is the most affordable…. https://www.massedco.org/fact. PLEASE SHARE!

Financial Aid Comparison Tool (FACT) Compare your financial aid offers with the MassEdCO’s new Financial Aid Comparison Tool (FACT).

Proposed new, simplified FAFSA should make it easier to complete starting in December.

If you or someone you know has an income-based repayment plan for their federal student loans, check out the important changes coming soon. https://tinyurl.com/msb8bcd2 PLEASE SHARE!!!

Still owe a lot on student loans? A federal forgiveness program may offer relief The Income-Driven Repayment plan is separate from President Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness plan that's currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. See if you qualify.

Congrats to Worcester North boys basketball team for winning the D1 state championship tonight at Tsongas Arena!! Go Polar Bears!!!

US Supreme Court to take up President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program this week.

https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-case-explained-8c62622e87c4ebff995f971263d932fc

Supreme Court student loan case: The arguments explained WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan , which impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced.

"And The Common App says college applications are up for fall, 2023. Way up. According to their January 2023 update, “distinct first-year applicants” are up 20% for 2023."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2023/01/18/the-common-app-reports-college-applications-are-upway-up/?sh=147dcb1c2d54

The Common App Reports College Applications Are Up - Way Up Largely overlooked, The Common App, our largest and best source of data on college applications, is reporting an application surge for 2023.

"Students who work while enrolled in college are about 20% less likely to complete their degrees than similar peers who don’t work, a large and meaningful decrease in predicted graduation rates. Among those who do graduate, working students take an average 0.6 of a semester longer to finish. This is mainly because students who work large amounts – over 15 hours a week – take fewer college credits per semester."

https://fortune.com/2023/01/11/college-students-with-jobs-20-percent-less-likely-to-graduate-than-privileged-peers-study-side-hustle/

College students who have jobs are much less likely to graduate than their privileged peers, shocking study finds It's a lot harder to put yourself through college than it used to be. Even if you do, you'll probably graduate later.

Are you interested in learning more about closing the racial wealth gap and providing assets for future generations?

You are invited to our Baby Bonds virtual event on December 12th! The Massachusetts Baby Bonds Task Force will provide an overview of its report detailing its recommendations on establishing an at-birth Baby Bonds program in Massachusetts. Treasurer Goldberg will offer opening remarks before our panelists dive into the highlights of the report.

Event: Baby Bonds Task Force Report Release
Date and time: Monday, December 12th | 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

https://mailchi.mp/tre/report-release-k12-financial-education-6118389?e=c639805a23

Register Today! Baby Bonds Event on December 12th

Happy Thanksgiving

"A growing chorus of critics is questioning how the media and other groups rank the nation's colleges, arguing that such lists help neither students nor their families and may obscure better ways of judging the quality of higher education."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-rankings-the-value-of-a-college-degree/

College rankings are under fire. Is there a better way to rate the value of a degree? Enrollment at U.S. colleges is declining amid growing skepticism about price and value of higher education.

"The location of a college can influence many aspects of your college experience, including how often you can travel home for breaks, how much time you spend getting to class, your extracurricular activities, internship opportunities, and more. Here are some questions to ask yourself when creating your college list:"

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/college-setting-and-location-matter?utm_source=dotdigital&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=setting-location-matter&dm_i=50NV,IPQJ,2HLRII,2208M,1

College Setting and Location Matter Leaping into a new environment without much thought is risky. So think about what surroundings and whereabouts fit your needs and make you feel at home.

"The system is not about lining people up from best to worst and taking the top ones. It’s more like a lottery"

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/10/supreme-court-affirmative-action-harvard-unc-case-natasha-warikoo-book/671921/

The College-Admissions Merit Myth The system is not about lining people up from best to worst and taking the top ones. It’s more like a lottery, says the sociologist Natasha Warikoo.

"The average turnaround time for an admissions decision for schools with rolling admissions is four to six weeks, though in some cases students might have to wait longer. For regular decision candidates, the wait is more like eight to 12 weeks.

Students handle that waiting period differently, experts say. Some students allow the uncertainty to get the better of them, constantly checking their admissions portal and contacting admissions offices for updates."

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/what-to-do-while-waiting-for-college-admission-decisions

What to Do While Waiting for College Admission Decisions Stay productive and exhibit patience, experts say.

FINANCING A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FROM START TO FINISH (webinar)

Registration is now available for the MassEdCO/MEFA webinar:
Financing a Postsecondary Education from Start to Finish.
Thursday, December 15, 9am-10:30am

Panelists will examine all the barriers and challenges low-income, first-generation students encounter from middle school through college completion, all through a financial lens.

Webinar attendees should walk away with a better understanding and working knowledge of how to guide students to more affordable postsecondary education options, public or private.

https://mefa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IH5Osk-_T2CPGjLnKwFS3g

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: MEFA Webinars: MassEdCO Fall Forum - Financing a Postsecondary Education from Start to Finish. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. We all know that college is a significant expense for students and their families. But there are so many action steps that students can take, starting as early as middle school, to help them reduce their postsecondary costs and make the best financial decision for themselves and their family. Within...

"A lot of the stress behind college essays for my students comes from the fact that it’s an unfamiliar assignment. Over the years, they’ve been told that their English papers need to have one introduction paragraph and one conclusion paragraph, to write formally (which can include avoiding contractions), and to stay away from using first-person language. None of that is required for a college admission essay. Instead, admissions officers encourage students to be themselves and use a conversational tone. What does that mean, though?"

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/getting-in/dos-and-donts-for-college-essays?utm_source=dotdigital&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=dos-donts-college-essays&dm_i=50NV,ILBK,2HLRII,21EGA,1

Do’s and Don’ts for College Essays Get college essay help and college essay tips from a private counselor on CollegeData.

"The vast majority of students who attend community college do so with the intention of transferring to a four-year degree program–but only 13% of students who start community college go on to complete a bachelor’s degree within six years. Clearly, the four-year college degree is not working for the vast majority of Americans: 39 million adults have started four-year programs but have not earned a credential."
https://fortune.com/2022/10/31/gen-z-worth-getting-degree-fix-roi-college-careers-education-aaron-rasmussen/

Gen Zers don’t see the point in getting a degree. Here’s how to fix the ROI of college Nearly half of Gen Z students believe postsecondary education should be two years or less. They're right, says Outlier.org CEO Aaron Rasmussen.

"Race-conscious admission programs, twice upheld by highest court, now under scrutiny by skeptical conservative supermajority"

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/oct/31/us-supreme-court-affirmative-action-universities

Affirmative action appears in jeopardy after US supreme court hearing Race-conscious admission programs, twice upheld by highest court, now under scrutiny by skeptical conservative supermajority

12 FAFSA Mistakes that Can Reduce or Delay Your Financial Aid

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/pay-your-way/common-fafsa-mistakes?utm_source=dotdigital&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=fafsa-mistakes&dm_i=50NV,IKGM,2HLRII,21AHL,1

Common FAFSA Mistakes Know that sinking feeling when you discover (too late) that you made a big mistake? When it comes to your FAFSA, do everything you can to prevent this.

"Without SAT and ACT scores, he explained, the job of admitting students had become more subjective and more time-consuming. “I feel like everyone who reviews applications has their own perspective or opinion,” he said."

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60002/colleges-that-ditched-test-scores-for-admissions-still-struggle-with-bias

Colleges that ditched test scores for admissions still struggle with bias - MindShift Interviews with college admissions officers find that bias still finds a way to influence who gets into college, even without SATs.

"Have you or someone you know revived a suspicious call or voicemail about student loans lately? Scams have been rampant since President Biden announced his plan for federal student loan forgiveness.

This week, student loan scams got the attention of the White House. They’re upping efforts to crack down on the scammers. "

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126904167/student-loan-forgiveness-application-scams?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20221010&utm_term=7361026&utm_campaign=ed&utm_id=31590089&orgid=&utm_att1=

Biden administration steps up protection against student loan forgiveness scams The Biden administration is increasing efforts to protect borrowers from student loan forgiveness scams, while still not offering further details about the application itself.

TURN TO THE RANKING THAT COUNTS THE MOST—YOURS!
Rankings can be helpful, especially at the beginning of your college search. Just make sure you understand what the rankings are based on. And remember that the most meaningful college ranking can be the one you create for yourself, based on the qualities that are most important to you.

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/explore-your-options/get-smart-about-college-rankings?utm_source=dotdigital&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=college-rankings&dm_i=50NV,IC8J,2HLRII,205YH,1

Get Smart About College Rankings It's easy to assume that a highly ranked college is a good choice. But is a

90 Seconds with MEFA Creating an FSA ID

https://youtu.be/lUP46HGXZkE

90 Seconds with MEFA: Creating an FSA ID The FAFSA is the single most important application a family can file to be considered for financial aid, and in order to submit it, you'll need to create an ...

opens on October 1st, here is what you need:

Golden Door Scholars is an organization that provides large college , career and fellowship support, mentorship, and community-building opportunities for . The Golden Door Scholarship is open for students attending college in the Fall 2023 semester.

https://www.goldendoorscholars.org/apply-now

Apply-now — Scholarship for Undocumented Students - Golden Door Scholars Golden Door Scholars is an organization that provides large college scholarships, career and fellowship support, mentorship, and community-building opportunities for undocumented students. The Golden Door Scholarship is open for students attending college in the Fall 2023 semester.