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The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, May 25,2022, Page 5C LCHS Announces AP Diploma and Certificate Recipients Special to the Ledger Lee County High School proudly an nounces the Class of Steps, from page 2C challenge,” says Angela Colatriano, chief market ing officer of College Ave Student Loans. “Just be patient and take the time to understand each offer.” In a recent College Ave Student Loans parent sur vey conducted by Barnes & Noble College Insights, 42% of parents who re ceived an aid offer letter found aspects of it con fusing, and 68% agreed that terms and layout of these letters varied from school to school, making it hard to compare them. To make better sense of financial aid award let ters, follow these steps: 1. Look for free money: The award letter will list whether your student is eligible for scholarships and grants (sometimes called Merit or Gift Aid). This is money you typically don’t need to pay back. Some merit aid is tied to how your child performed in high school. They worked hard for this recognition; congrats! 2. Look for Federal Work-Study: Your child might be eligible for Federal Work-Study jobs. While jobs aren’t guaran teed, they can be a good opportunity to help cover educational expenses. 3. Spot the loans: Schools will list any federal loans your child is eligible to receive. Helpful hint: They may be grouped with schol arship and grants. You should also take note of whether a Federal loan is subsidized or unsubsi dized. Subsidized loans are more desirable, as they don’t accrue interest while your student is still enrolled, or during defer ment periods. 4. Calculate your net cost: To get an ap- ples-to-apples look at the offers, determine the net direct cost of each particular school. This is calculated by subtracting offered scholarships and grants from the cost of attendance (the total cost of tuition, room, board, textbooks and fees). If ap plicable, you can subtract work-study aid too. It’s important to do this math, as the biggest scholarship doesn’t always amount to the lowest out-of-pocket cost. 5. Play the field: Some parents have found success in appealing the financial aid package offered, especially if their financial circumstances have changed. Contact your top schools of inter est and share the awards your student has been offered. Some schools will match other schools’ award packages or will offer additional funds. You should also ask about additional scholarships or grants that might be available. 6. Consider other factors: Check if awards being offered are for all 2022 AP Capstone Di ploma and AP Seminar & Research Certificate recipients. AP Capstone four years and understand what your child will need to do to continue being eligible for them, year-to- year. You should also fac tor in expected increases in tuition, room, board and other fees. 7. Fill the gaps: If after doing the math, you find you have a financial gap to cover, you may also consider a private student loan or parent loan. Look for a lender with great rates, flexible repayment terms, and the oppor tunity to customize the loan to fit your family’s budget. For example, Col lege Ave Student Loans offers tools and resources to help you along your financial road to college, along with a pre-quali fication tool that offers quick answers without affecting your credit score. To learn more, visit CollegeAve.com. While awaiting finan cial aid award letters and deciphering them can be confusing and stressful, the good news is that once these letters are in-hand, your family will have the tools needed to move ahead. is a diploma program based on two year-long AP courses: AP Semi nar and AP Research. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Re search and on four addi tional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Special to the Ledger Georgia’s Own Credit Union, the third largest credit union in Georgia, announced the 2022 winners of its annual college scholarship programs. The 2022 Jump Start Scholarship awarded $1,000 to 20 high school seniors in Southwest Georgia to use for the 2022/2023 Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certifi cate. AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA RECIPIENTS academic year. “We take incredible pride in providing schol arships to deserving and dedicated students,” said Barry Heape, Southwest regional president for Georgia’s Own Cred it Union. “We had an outstanding group of candidates this year and are proud of each of their accomplishments. Jessica Argueta Rosemarie Goodman Hunter Hammond Kelly Kennedy Carolyne McLean Morgan Millsaps Khushi Mody Chimdinma Ohama- dike Arya Patel Dev Patel We wish these students the best of luck as they start this monumental chapter in their lives.” To apply for the Jump Start scholarship, Georgia’s Own student members had to submit a short essay detailing their career goals, cur rent endeavors and what they plan to achieve in the future. In addition, Emily Rosenfeld Haley Senn Bradyn Suber Ally Thomspon Mikayla Wentzell Cole Zelman AP SEMINAR AND RESEARCH CERTIF ICATE RECIPIENT Jacob Montgomery students had to submit transcripts and demon strate good financial habits, a commitment to their community and a commendable academic record. Lee County High School students awared- ed scholarships are: Vic toria Chester, Landon Conley, Anzley Jarrett, Andrew Lowry. Anzley Jarrett Landon Conley Andrew Lowry Victorias Chester Georgia’s Own Awards 20 Scholarships to Students in Southwest Georgia fa [=§§ f | ; J v 1 1) $ " 1 * ». . Ml' 7* . i ■ 1 k . * " 11 r» f l l 21 ss*-: # i *1 A-v ilia * I Georgia’s Own congratulates all recent high school graduates. You’re just getting started on your journey toward financial independence and an i[check] account from Georgia’s Own is a great place to start. It includes a free Visa® debit card for purchases and ATM withdrawals - it also works with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. You have online and mobile banking with mobile deposit. The best part? There’s no monthly fee. Now is the best time to start taking care of your future. BANKING ON PURPOSE NCUA U.S. Government Agency FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE NCUA GEORGIA’S OWN CREDIT UNION georgiasown.org