You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
Name_____________________
Grade_____________________
School_____________________
Dear Distinguished Fellow,
Did you know that YOU have the ability to achieve success at the nation’s leading colleges and
universities? Factors like money (can I afford this school?) and test scores (do these results reflect my
ability to perform well in college?) are common myths that may stop you from applying to a school. That
is why we, the Elevations Fellows Program, are here to help you understand that it is not these factors
that decide whether you get into a good college or not, but it is your ambition and motivation to do well
in school.
Please select 3 universities (they must be 1 national liberal arts college, 1 national private university, and
1 in-state university) and document the requested information on the boxes below.
Selecting Universities:
Below you will find several ranking systems for the best liberal arts, national private universities, and
national in-state university within every state. Explore the colleges and find three that interest you.
What are National Liberal Arts Colleges:


Emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts
fields of study.
Ranking List: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/nationalliberal-arts-colleges
What are National Private Universities:


Offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs. These colleges
also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.
Ranking List: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/nationaluniversities
What are In-State University:


Offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs. These colleges
are funded by the state.
Ranking List: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings#regionaluniversities
General Information:
A great website to use when exploring universities is https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.
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You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
1. Enter university name in the search box
and press enter.
2. Select the university.
3. Research different aspects
of the university using the
dropdown menus.
4. Use the information to fill in the following table comparing your three selected universities.
University Name
Example: Duke
(State College)
1. In-State College -
Ranking System Used
U.S. News and World Report National Universities Rankings
2. National Private
University -
3. Liberal Arts
College -
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Rank Number
#8
You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
Key Aspects
National In-State
University
National Private
University
Liberal Arts College
Location
Why is location important?
 Where your university is located is part of the decision. If you want to study political science,
consider a school near Washington DC. Computer engineers should consider the Bay area of
California, and business majors should consider schools in Boston or New York.
 Schools near larger cities also provide access to the culture of those cities. Schools in smaller
cities give you a stronger personal connection to a community.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Enrollment Total
Why is enrollment total important?
 Larger enrollment totals lead to larger campus sizes and larger average class sizes.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Average Class
Size
Why is average class size important?
 Like high school, small average class sizes offer a more personal atmosphere that allow you to
interact more frequently your classmates and professors, helping you develop personal
relationships.
 On the other hand, large class sizes provide an opportunity to take more responsibility for
your learning experience as you may have to make an effort to get to know your professor
and classmates outside of class.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://Collegedata.com
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You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
Post-Institutional Success:
Use the college navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ ) and various other online resources to
explore the success of students who graduate from your three selected universities.
Key Considerations
National In-State
National Private
Liberal Arts College
University
Universities
Graduation Rate
Why is graduation rate important?
 Low graduation rates represent students that do not get the academic support they need to
succeed, that they are disappointed by the faculty or staff, or that they find life at the school
unaffordable.
 High graduation rates may be linked to strong academic/institutional support as well as an
environment in which graduating is highly valued and encouraged.
 If you go to a school with a low graduation rate, and you take out loans, you are now in debt
without a degree and a means to pay your loans. However, if you go to a school with a high
graduation rate, but a larger price tag, you’ll have a degree that can help you find a career
that can pay off any loans you have in a short time.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Average Graduate Salary 10
Years After Graduation
Why is the average graduate salary 10 years after graduation important?
 Universities with high average salaries 10 years after graduation often prove that their
institutional/academic programs prepare students for well-paying careers and their degrees
are well regarded to help secure stable and well-paying jobs.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://Collegedata.com
Cohort Loan Default Rate
Why is cohort loan default rate important?
 The loan default rate represents the percentage of students who begin to repay college loans
but are not able to repay their loans within the span of three years.
 The default rate is an important indicator of graduate career success. If the default rate is
low, it indicates that college graduates leaving the selected university make enough income
to repay their loans.
 A high loan default rate indicates that students leaving the university do not have a wellpaying job to make enough in order to pay off their loans.
Tip: You can use this site to help you find this information - https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Total Endowment Size
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You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
Why is total endowment size important?
 Endowment is the amount of money that a school has at its disposal to use on its student
body in the form of scholarships; grants; and for school improvements.
 Not every school has an equal amount of endowment, which is why some schools are
able to offer more aid to students than others.
Tip: You can directly Google the endowment size of a school.
One Distinguished Alumni
Submission Guidelines:
Once completed, upload document to http://www.elevationfellows.com/ no later than 1/9/17. If you
have any questions, you may send an email to [email protected].
Affordability Using Net Price Calculator for Selected Universities:
What is the Net Price Calculator?
1. The Net Price Calculator looks at the full cost of attendance, which includes tuition, room and
board, books and supplies.
2. The calculator will ask for your
financial information in
determine the amount of
money you will need to pay
for college.
3. The Net Price Calculator will
evaluate your eligibility for
financial aid at specific
colleges by matching your
financial and personal
characteristics to the criteria
that schools use to distribute
financial aid (need-based
grants).
The Step by Step Process
Go to https://youtu.be/5LUlc6RxOtE to view a video on how to fill out the information on the net price
calculator. The information on the calculator does not match every student, so you could use your
parent’s information if you would like. In addition, if you choose to use the net price calculator for
another school, you might notice that the net price calculator in the video is different from the one you
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You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
might be looking at. If you need any help with different net price calculators, you can contact us through
email at [email protected]
Example:
Price Estimates
State College
National Private
University
Liberal Arts College
Tuition and Fees
What does this mean?
 Tuition is the price you are charged for the classes you take. Fees include charges every
student is asked to pay for various costs of campus life.
Estimated Total Cost of
Attendance
What does this mean?
 Estimated cost of attendance is the full price to attend the university not taking into account
financial aid, grants, scholarships and student employment.
Estimated Total Grant/Gift Aid
What does this mean?
 Grant aid is the “free money” that you do not have to work to borrow. Grant aid comes from a
variety of sources, including federal and state governments and the college you attend.
Estimated Net Price
What does this mean?
 Your net price is the cost of attendance you will have after your estimated grants/
scholarships (your free money) have been deducted from the cost of attendance.
Estimated Total Self Help
(Student Employment and/or
Student loans)
What does this mean?
 Self-help is money you earn or you borrow in order to help pay your college costs. It comes in
two forms: student loans and work study.
 Student loans are available from the federal government and have to be paid back, usually
after you finish college.
 Work study is a job that is part of every financial aid award and is money you earn from
working a part time job during the academic year.
Estimated Remaining Cost
(Expected Family
Contribution)
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You Can Afford to Dream
Due Date: 1/9/17
What does this mean?
 Your estimated remaining cost is what is left after your total financial award is subtracted
from the cost of attendance.
 This is the estimated amount you will need to pay towards your cost of attendance. However,
account other scholarships you are eligible for, income from other jobs, or potential loans that
are not affiliated with the university.
Submission Guidelines:
Once completed, upload document to http://www.elevationfellows.com/ no later than 1/9/17. If you
have any questions, you may send an email to [email protected]
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