New Jersey college-bound students in households with adjusted gross incomes of $65,000 or less will have many options, starting this fall, to receive their higher education tuition free.
Rutgers, New Jersey City, Saint Peter’s and Stockton universities have all pledged to cover tuition and fees for students with family incomes below $65,000 or $60,000. These universities are providing new options to the “Community College Opportunity Grant Program,” which was signed into law just weeks ago, offering free tuition at all of New Jersey’s two-year community colleges for up to five semesters. This program, as well, is open to families with adjusted gross incomes of $65,000 or less. Full time undergraduates receive grants to cover 100% of their tuition and fees after other scholarships and federal and state grants are applied.
Of course, students still have to gain admittance in order to benefit from these programs. While none of these four year universities currently require SAT scores, they are considered, if submitted, for admission. The mid-range SAT scores of accepted students at Rutgers – New Brunswick is 1210-1430. The range at Stockton is 1020-1210, while St. Peter’s reports a range of 930-1100 and New Jersey City posts 860-1080.In order to be eligible for free tuition, students must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application, which is designed for undocumented students.
Critics say these programs may be misleading as the education is not truly “free.” Students are responsible for paying for their room and board, if they live on campus, as well as for books, transportation, and other costs that could total more than $10,000 a year. For example, room and board at Rutgers – New Brunswick for the current academic year is $13,075 while the cost at Stockton is $12,824. For students who live within an easy drive of college, commuting from home might be a cost-effective option.
Students who do not meet the income requirement for free tuition are still eligible for both need-based financial aid and merit scholarships. At Rutgers, 72% of its students received financial aid with an average award of $14,494 a year. With so many options, students should carefully research all of their opportunities before making a decision that will impact their financial well-being for years to come.
Students eyeing the most competitive colleges and universities, until now, had to post impressive scores on two SAT II exams as well as on the crucial SAT. But College Board’s recent announcement that SAT II exams will no longer be offered has shifted the focus to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the culminating exams.
There are currently 38 AP courses in the Arts, English, History & Social Science, Math & Computer Science, Science, and World Languages & Cultures, although not all are offered at every high school. The curriculum for each of these courses is written by The College Board – the same folks who bring you the SAT – and there is an exam for each course in May. Students who score 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) are offered college credits at many of the nation’s colleges and universities. The popularity of AP exams has steadily increased from 2010, when 3.2 million tests were administered, to 2019, when 5.1 million tests were taken. (The number decreased slightly in 2020, to 4.8 million tests, as Covid moved the exam online, in a condensed version, throughout most of the country.)
Parents and students often ask, “Are AP courses really necessary?” The answer is both yes and no – depending on the student’s ambitions and college goals. When students apply to college, they are basically in competition with their peers. Most colleges want a geographically well-rounded student body. So college admissions officers will compare all of their applicants from the same high school and favor those with the most impressive academic record based on SAT scores, competitive course loads, and GPAs. Since weighted GPAs work in favor of those taking AP courses, it would be virtually impossible for students taking eight AP courses during their high school years, for example, to have a higher GPA than their peers who are taking twelve AP courses.
According to a report by NJ Spotlight, 28 percent of New Jersey high school seniors pass (with a score of 3 or higher) one or more AP exam by the time they graduate. But locally, the numbers tend to be much higher. At Montgomery High School, 66% of students took at least one AP exam and enjoyed a 94% exam pass rate. Bridgewater-Raritan High School had 46% of their students participate in AP testing with a 95% pass rate, and Hillsborough High School had 38% of their students testing with an 89% exam pass rate.
Students who participate in the AP program take, on average, three courses during their high school years. The most popular are English Language & Composition, U.S. History, English Literature & Composition, U.S. Government & Politics, World History, Psychology, and Calculus AB. Of course, there are some students who take ten or more exams, sometimes allowing them to complete a year of college before ever stepping foot on campus. These students are definitely raising the bar for their classmates, making AP courses increasingly popular with the college-bound crowd.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
No comments:
Post a Comment