Diligence, speed will help secure 2009 college aid

http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/38334099.html

By Associated Press

Here are eight basics that parents of college-bound students who may not be doing all their financial aid homework should know as a 2009 aid season fraught with economic concerns begins:

1. Apply ASAP: Parents with high school seniors or returning college students should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid now to have the best chance of receiving aid. This 102-question document is used to determine eligibility for federal aid, state aid and scholarships, and this year there are likely to be more applicants vying for less grant money.

"It's always a good idea to apply for aid early, but especially this year," said Lynn O'Shaughnessy, a personal finance journalist and author of "The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price." "The feed trough's going to be a lot more crowded, and schools may run out of money sooner."

Don't wait until your 2008 tax return to file; you can submit an online FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov using estimated tax information to speed the process.

2. Don't rule out pricey schools: A high sticker price doesn't necessarily mean a higher out-of-pocket cost, especially at schools where significant merit aid might be available.

"Don't just apply to the local community college because you think it's all you can afford," said Lauren Asher of the Institute for College Access and Success.

3. Don't forget the profile: Remember to also fill out the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, used by many private colleges and universities to determine aid eligibility. The form and more information are at the Web site of the College Board, www.collegeboard.com.

4. Look at less selective schools: While you're shooting high, make sure you are applying to less selective schools than you might have otherwise to add to your margin of financial safety. Your student might qualify for a merit scholarship or get a good need-based package. Or it may just make more financial sense.

"In a boom economy we allowed our children to apply wherever they wanted and we said, 'If you get in, we'll make it happen,"' said Rod Bugarin, financial aid adviser for college consulting firm IvyWise and a former financial aid officer at Brown University and Columbia University. "Now families are saying 'Maybe you should think about other schools, other opportunities."'

5. Loss of home equity value won't help: Newcomers to the aid process may assume or hope that a big decrease in their home value will put them in line for more financial aid. That's not likely. Household income counts by far the most in the aid equation that also considers non-retirement assets, number of family members in the household, number of kids in college, and taxes.

6. Look for scholarships online: Private scholarships offered regionally and locally may help you fill the financing gap even if your student isn't brilliant. Some of the best-known scholarship search sites include Fast Web, Scholarships.com and the College Board's Scholarship Search (http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch-ss/welcome.jsp). Also check with your high school guidance office.

7. Call aid offices: Don't hesitate to call the financial aid offices of schools your student is considering, for information on available aid or for assistance. A better financial aid offer from a similar school could also be valuable fodder to take back to the first-choice school this spring.

8. Be wary of taking on too much debt: Federal loan limits have been increased, and parents may be able to find money to finance their child's dream college even in the midst of the worst economic crisis in decades. But think carefully about the consequences of over-borrowing before taking on a huge debt burden just because you can.

Seattle: YES to Viaduct! NO to Tunnel!

http://www.yesviaduct.com/

Washington's governor, King County's executive, and Seattle's mayor recently announced they were in favor of replacing the viaduct, a 6-lane, elevated roadway, used by 100,000+ daily commuters, with a 4-lane tunnel with a capacity of 80,000 daily commuters.

On the face of it, it sounds like a crappy deal, and worse still, when you consider that it completely eliminates access to the areas north of Seattle (e.g., Queen Anne, Magnolia, Ballard).

Thankfully, someone has taken up the challenge and has filed an anti-tunnel initiative with a petition to block the construction of the tunnel.

While I'm not in favor of the petitioner's choice of viaduct replacement (a bridge spanning Elliot Bay), it is preferable to the idea of reduced capacity, reduced access, and the possibility of being stuck in a dangerous tunnel with no views.

The website: http://www.yesviaduct.com/

30 Rock: It just gets better

I recently watch the first two seasons on Netflix. Great writing, great performances, just an all-around great show.

I popped on to MSN.com this morning and they were advertising for a new episode (I'm assuming as much as we don't have TV service), so I clicked the link. I was treated to what is probably the best episode of the show yet. http://beta.video.msn.com/play/?g=f787aece-a7b2-4847-84fb-c064b964aad8&gt1=42003

Enjoy!

Obama: Kicking Ass, Taking Names

So the new man in charge has been in office all of two days. What has he done so far?

1. Frozen wages for those making more than 100 large
2. Signed orders demanding the closures of secret prisons and Gitmo.

He's done more in 2 days than Shrub did in all of 2008.

This is a man possessed and he will be one to contend with.

If he's as good as many hope, he will certainly set the bar for the next President (2016). The American public will accept nothing less than the best, going forward.

Seattle, Paramount Theater, Obama Inauguration: SRO

The Paramount Theater was open for the inauguration this morning. They opened at 7. Sadly, I dilly-dallied around the house a little longer than normal, and on the way there, we dropped off the dogs at day care. There were some folks obviously streaming to the theater, but not nearly as many as I expected. This was a good sign.

I headed into the theater and as I did, someone handed me a couple commemorative cards. I grabbed them, thanked the lady, and headed inside. A big line in front of the bar. People, people, people -- get control of yourselves...

I bypassed those folks and headed straight for the door on the first floor. I heard the usher tell the folks in front of me there were only a few single seats available, but that there may be some seats on the 3rd floor balcony. As they turned to leave, I approached the usher and told her I was looking for a single. She said there might be one or two near the front of the stage. Cool. I headed down the aisle, toward the front of the theater, scanning for a possible empty seat as I made my way down. Nothing. The place was packed. I even made it to the front of the theater. Zilch. Zippo. Nada.

I turned and beat a hasty retreat to the lobby. The crowd was buzzing and every time a shot of the soon-to-be first family (or Biden and spouse) appeared, the place went wild. Wow, what the hell have I gotten myself into?

Also worth noting: when bush or cheney appeared on screen, they got a nice healthy booing. How appropriate that DICK was in a wheel chair. The story is that he hurt his back while packing some boxes. I don't believe this story for a second. The last couple of days, I've seen several stories talking about the fact that the outgoing president and incoming president have teams devoted to unpacking EVERYTHING, putting it all into their respective spaces, and having all the boxes, wrapping, etc. gone by the time the family gets to the new home. Why would it be any different for the V.P.s? I suspect DICK couldn't bring himself to stand for the new president. What a poor sport, but given who I'm talking about, not surprising.

I scooted my way up to the 2nd balcony (why sit on 3, when you can have it on 2?). When I got there, and looked up, all I saw were people in seats. Not a single empty (non-reserved) seat to be found. I walked up the side aisle, scanning desperately for that one lone seat, but there was nothing. I eventually found myself on the 3rd floor balcony, and started making my way up. Whoa, I spotted what appeared to be an empty seat. I asked the gal sitting next to it if it was empty and she said yes! Woohoo! I made my way to it and just as I was about to sit down, the gals sitting in the row in front of this seat said, No, that seat's not empty. I looked at the chick how said it was and she said she was wrong and that it was reserved. Thanks for nothing...

I left the aisle and found myself working my way up to the last rows of seats. Nothing free to be found anywhere. I finally found myself at the very back of the theater, in an aisle behind all the seats. I was truly in SRO-land... This kinda sucked. I looked around, and found an open spot next to a wall. I quickly scooted over to get my place, set my briefcase down, and started peeling down. I had dressed for the eventual walk to school, and the bus ride home. It was in the low 30s this morning, so I was pretty bundled up, and now I was a steamy, sweaty mess...

Tops off, I dug into the camera bag, as I intended to document this historic occasion. I dug out the camera, and started trying to take some pictures. They were a complete disaster, and I didn't take a single one that is worth showing. I hate that camera. I guess I was going to have to record this event in my mind. I'll be lucky if I remember tomorrow that I'd even gone.

The screen they set up for the audience was pretty damn big, and the picture was nice and clear. I was amazed when they show the Washington Mall. A truly astounding number of people gathered there to witness one of the most significant events in American history.

In short order, here's how the event played out (order may be off a little).

• Aretha Franklin came out and sang America The Beautiful. She looks like a house on legs, but the voice is still pretty good.
• Biden was sworn in. Lots of cheering in the theater.
• Warren came in and gave a prayer. A fair amount of booing from the theater audience.
• A musical performance was given by... Hmmm, the only ones I recognized where Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma. The piece was a new composition by John Williams and was very forgettable.
• Obama was then sworn in. Lots of cheering! Bush is out, we have a new president.
• Obama gave his acceptance speech. Very inspirational.
• A woman came out to give a poem.

Time for me to fly.

I suited back up, headed out of the theater, and up the hill to school.

I'm once again a sweaty mess, but am so glad I made it out to witness this event.

Tonight, there will be beer!