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NEWS
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News Release |
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Online tool calculates college costs BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University has launched an online tool that can help families plan for the cost of their
child’s education.
The Student Financial Aid Estimator for New Students was designed to “remove the big question of ‘How much is it going to
cost and what aid is available for me?’” said Craig Cornell, director of Student Financial Aid at Bowling Green.
Working in just two screens, families can get a realistic picture of the costs of a college education, including tuition and
fees, room and board, and personal expenses such as books, travel and other miscellaneous costs, plus all the potential aid
for which they may be eligible.
BGSU’s guaranteed, renewable scholarships, based on ACT scores and grade point averages, are there, in addition to all the
federal, state and other institutional awards available, such as Bowling Green’s Michigan Success program and the Falcon Soars
and Brown and Orange Access scholarships, Cornell said.
The estimator also has a link to the University’s scholarship guide, which lists 907 individual scholarships students may
apply for.
“Studies show that families consistently overestimate the cost and underestimate the aid that’s available to them,” Cornell
said. “The estimator gives them a place to start in terms of planning for higher education and will allow them to begin budgeting
for it.”
At BGSU, 72 percent of all undergraduates receive a financial aid package of approximately $8,000, he pointed out.
Cornell and his staff have been at work on the estimator for about a year, he said, setting up the server and putting staff
in place.
“A big goal for us is to offer more Web-based services for students, and we think this is one of the most important ones,”
he said.
While other institutions also have financial aid estimating tools, BGSU’s is unique in that it only requires two screens to
complete, Cornell said. Users enter some basic personal information, their estimated family contribution (with a built-in
calculator if they have not completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA), their ACT scores and grade
point averages, plus any outside scholarships they may qualify for. They then receive an estimate of cost and aid.
To view the Student Financial Aid Estimator for New Students, visit www.bgsu.edu/offices/sfa.
(Posted September 20, 2005 )
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