UB Chronicle

The Upward Bound Programs at Morehead State University

December 2023 Volume 3 Issue 4

Differences between Colleges and Universities

Taken from learn.org

Colleges

The key difference between a college and a university is that colleges only offer undergraduate programs, mostly in the form of 2-year associate's degrees. These degrees can often be used to transfer to a 4-year school.

For example, a student interested in astronomy might attend a community college to pursue an associate's degree in general science and learn basic concepts, then transfer to a university to receive more concentrated instruction through courses specifically devoted to astronomy.

A 4-year college might offer certificate, associate, and/or bachelor's degree programs, while community and technical colleges typically offer programs focused on specific trades.

Community colleges generally offer certificates and associate degrees and, occasionally, bachelor's degrees. Technical colleges usually offer only certificates and/or associate degrees. Generally, colleges are much smaller than universities, although the size of an institution does not necessarily determine its status. Northern Virginia Community College, for example, has over 75,000 students across several locations.

Universities

Universities, meanwhile, offer students graduate degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. Two-year undergraduate degrees are very rare at universities; some programs can be completed in two years, but these are usually at the graduate level. Larger universities are often divided into colleges and departments based on academic subject.

For example, you might attend the University of Michigan, and be enrolled as a student of the engineering college.

Professors at universities are often involved in research, since many universities make scientific and/or scholarly research a point of focus. Some universities house medical research facilities where students and professors work to solve real-world medical issues.

For more information about Colleges and Universities you maybe interested in, please visit https://myfuture.com/college where you can find information about tuition, popular majors, school size, acceptance rates, and the type of school.

Know someone who could benefit from Upward Bound or Upward Bound Math Science? Have them scan the QR Code below to get more information or to submit an application.

Gratitude (for Teens)

Taken from: kidshealth.org

What Is Gratitude?

Gratitude is when you feel thankful for the good things in your life. This could be stuff people often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, and family. Gratitude is taking a moment to reflect on how lucky you are when something good happens, whether it's small or big.

You can use lots of words to describe feelings of gratitude: thankful, fortunate, humbled, appreciative, and blessed.

Here's why gratitude is important — and some ideas for how to be more grateful.

Why Does Gratitude Matter?

Being grateful feels nice, and making a habit of it is good for you. Like other positive emotions, feeling grateful on a regular basis can have a big effect on your life.

Gratitude can:

Boost your ability to learn and make smart decisions.
Balance out negative emotions. People who often feel grateful are happier, less stressed, and less depressed. Rather than focusing on what you don't have, notice what you do have.
Lead to caring actions. When you’re grateful for someone's kindness, you may be more likely to be nice in return. Your gratitude can also have a positive effect on someone else's actions. Thanking people can make it more likely they'll do something thoughtful again.
Help you build better relationships. When you feel and express heartfelt gratitude and respect to people in your life, it creates loving bonds. It also builds trust and helps you feel closer.

When you make gratitude a habit, you become more aware of good things as they happen.

How Can I Make Gratitude a Habit?

Sometimes feelings of gratitude happen without you expecting them. But you can also create them by looking for things you appreciate. Each day, pay attention to stuff you're glad to have in your life so it becomes a habit. Slow down and notice what's around you. For example: "Wow, the sunset is beautiful today. What an incredible world I live in," or, "There's Sara. It was so nice of her to help me yesterday."

You might not always feel positive and want to practice gratitude. But if you're feeling down, that's exactly when you should do it for a lift.

Here are some ways to make gratitude part of your life:

Say thank-you often. Look for reasons to thank people and then do it. This helps you be more grateful and makes them feel good too.
Start a positive journal. Write about stuff you’re grateful for — the entries can be brief. You can do this at bedtime each day. Try to find at least three good things that happened to you. Soon you’ll start to notice more positive things about the people in your life and yourself.
Make a gratitude jar. To help remind you to be more thankful, decorate a jar (or box) and put it where you can see it. Each day, write what you’re grateful for on slips of paper and add them to the jar.
Write a letter. Writing a letter to someone you value can help you practice gratitude in your relationships. You can give it to that person or not. Either way, the letter helps you appreciate the important people in your life.
Find a gratitude buddy. It can help to start a healthy habit with another person, so have someone join you in being thankful. Tell a family member or friend three things you’re grateful for, then ask them to do the same.

Practicing gratitude is easier than you think. Check out the provided link for some simple ways you could practice showing gratitude.

Better FAFSA: What You Need To Know

Taken from: forbes.com

Each year, millions of students fill out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) to get help to pay for college. This help comes from federal and institutional aid, such as grants, scholarships and loans.

For the 2024-25 award year, the FAFSA is getting a facelift that includes a redesign and fewer questions. Plus, formulas determining aid eligibility have been modified with the goal of expanding financial assistance for low-income families.

When preparing to submit the FAFSA for next school year, these are six topics to be aware of:

1. The FAFSA Application Opens Later

The FAFSA for the 2024-25 school year is tentatively set to launch on December 31st, 2023 then return to the October 1st launch date each year after.

It is better to submit the FAFSA sooner rather than later as some needs-based aid may be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and could increase your chances of qualifying for funding while it’s available.

2. New Methodology Calculates Aid

FAFSA’s new Student Aid Index (SAI) replaces the expected family contribution (EFC) metric to calculate aid eligibility.

In general, the SAI and EFC work similarly. Each number represents an amount that estimates what families can pay for a student’s education costs, and it considers factors like household income and assets.

Your eligibility for need-based financial aid is determined by subtracting your SAI (previously EFC) and other financial assistance from the cost of attending school. Here’s the equation:

Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) – Other Financial Assistance (OFA) = Financial need

The calculation for the SAI considers the income and assets of the student and others financially contributing to their household, like parents and spouses. Below are some key ways the SAI differs from the EFC:

Fewer questions asked to determine financial standing. The new FAFSA application requires that financial information be pulled directly from IRS data when possible, so there’s less information to enter manually. The old FAFSA had over 100 questions, while the new one has less than 50.
You can have a minimum SAI of -$1,500. The old EFC metric allowed a minimum estimated family contribution of zero after considering income, assets and other factors. With the SAI, you can have a contribution below zero.
Families don’t get a break for having multiple students in college. The new methodology no longer considers the number of family members attending college to determine aid. This means families with multiple college students could receive less aid for the 2024-25 school year. However, schools can adjust offers at their discretion, considering the financial burden of having many students in school.
Students must report the income of the parent who provides the most support. Instead of reporting the income of the parent they live with for most of the year, dependent students of divorced or separated parents now need to report the income of the parent who provides the most financial support.
Some income isn’t considered in aid calculation. You may no longer have to include some untaxed income to your FAFSA application, such as money received from extended family members, like grandparents. Other untaxed income—such as housing and living allowances paid to service members—may also be excluded from the aid analysis.

3. Students May Automatically Qualify for the Maximum Pell Grant

Pell Grant eligibility is tied to how household income and family size compares to poverty guidelines. Pell Grants are a type of aid that doesn’t have to be repaid; grants are awarded to students with an “exceptional” financial need.

Independent and dependent students below the poverty threshold may automatically qualify for the maximum Pell Grant. For example, students in single-parent households may be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant if their adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than or equal to 225% of the poverty guideline for their family size.

Students from a two-parent home (and independent students without dependents) may qualify for the maximum grant amount if their AGI is less than 175% of the poverty line.

In addition, access to Pell Grants is now open to confined or incarcerated students and students who were defrauded by a school or who attended a now-closed school.

4. Everyone Needs an FSA ID To Complete the FAFSA Application

For the 2024-25 school year, anyone required to fill out part of a student’s FAFSA—including a spouse, parent or step-parent—must create their own FSA ID and password.

The FSA ID provides a digital signature on your application for security reasons. Application contributors can set up an FSA ID on the StudentAid.gov website by providing their birth date, Social Security number and full name.

5. Consent Is Required for Tax Data Transfers

You can digitally transfer much of the information required for the FAFSA from the IRS, but the transfer requires consent from each application contributor. So, if a spouse or parent needs to fill out part of your FAFSA, they must agree to provide their tax details.

Application contributors should get a FAFSA notification requesting their consent. If they don’t agree to have the IRS information transferred, students can still apply for aid, but may not qualify without consent.

6. Students Can List Up to 20 Schools on the Digital Application

Students can now list up to 20 schools on the online FAFSA application. This allows you to put many different school options on your list. However, if you fill out the PDF version of the FAFSA, you’re limited to 10 schools.

How To Prepare for Your FAFSA Application

The launch date of the new FAFSA for the 2024-25 school year is still several months away, but taking the steps below could help students and parents prepare before it opens.

Locate your Social Security card. If you’re a high school student, you may not have your Social Security number committed to memory yet. Consider tracking down your Social Security card so you have it ready for the application. If it’s misplaced, you have time to request a copy from the Social Security Administration.
Set up an FSA ID. Students and application contributors can set up FSA IDs before the FAFSA opens, so that’s one less task to worry about when it’s time to apply.
Figure out your dependency status. Students answer questions during the FAFSA application to determine if they’re an independent or dependent student, but you can answer preliminary questions on the StudentAid.gov website to anticipate what the dependency status might be. This way, students can give parents and other application contributors a heads-up if they’ll need to fill out parts of the FAFSA.
Mark your calendar for a December launch date. Make a note to yourself to everything prepared by December 31st so you can start the application as soon as it opens.

Community Resource Highlight: Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC)

What is the Kentucky Housing Corporation?

Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) invests in affordable housing solutions by offering programs and services designed to develop, preserve, and sustain affordable housing throughout the state.

Kentucky Housing Corporation's (KHC) housing programs meet the unique needs of many Kentuckians who are unable to acquire housing easily, including low-income, homeless, special needs, and other populations. KHC works to ensure these programs serve Kentuckians in the most effective ways possible.

What services do Community Action agencies provide?

KHC receives funding for administering federal programs, including rental assistance that makes quality housing available to more than 27,500 low-income Kentuckians. Other programs offered by KHC include rental housing financing, including administering Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, homeownership education/counseling, housing rehabilitation, homeless programs, home energy and repair initiatives, as well as loan servicing.

KHC Contact Information
Kentucky Housing Corporation
1231 Louisville Road
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-6191

502-564-7630
502-564-7630 x561 - Español
Toll-free in Kentucky: 800-633-8896; TTY 711

KHC Programs include:

Kentucky Balance of State Continuum of Care

The KY BoS CoC is a consortium of housing organizations work together to address the homeless needs in Kentucky, including emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing, rental assistance and supportive services.

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)

ESG identifies sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons, as well as those at risk of homelessness, and provides the services necessary to help them regain stability in permanent housing.

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

HOPWA provides housing and services to persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or related diseases and their families.

Olmstead Housing Initiative (OHI)

OHI is a program administered by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to meet the housing needs of people with severe mental illness who are in institutions or who are at-risk of institutionalization.

Recovery Kentucky

Recovery Kentucky offers addiction recovery and housing to those suffering from chemical dependency, domestic violence, and mental illness, the root causes of chronic homelessness.

Scholar House

Scholar House is a housing and education initiative that enables the head-of-household to receive housing and assistance as they earn a degree and obtain self-sufficiency so they can successfully transition into permanent housing.

For more information about KHC programming and services please visit the KY Housing Corporation website.

Gary Adkins, Upward Bound Alum

US Army Major, Attorney, and Volunteer

What is your name and occupation?

Gary Adkins, US Army Major, Attorney, Volunteer

What degree/ degrees did you get for that position?

B.A. from Morehead State University 1974 (Major – Geography, Minor – Military Science); J.D from University of Louisville 1989

What are some key things you would share with others interested in pursuing this pathway?

The military needs individuals who are leaders, who like challenges, and can think through problems. Have stamina and be physically fit. Law schools look for a diversity of individuals who like challenges and can think through problems. Lots of reading is required. I had completed a speed reading course while in the Army and that greatly helped. The law is an opportunity to individuals from any type of bachelor’s degree. The key is getting into law school. If you have good university grades and score well on the Law School Admission test, you should succeed in law school.

Did you find your job easily/ what do you think the future for your career is?

There are lots of opportunities for career advancement in the US military. Cyber security, robotics, aviation, space force, are key areas that are expanding. A legal career can expand to many different areas, depending upon your interest. State or Federal government legal opportunities are available. Private attorneys work in business, intellectual, housing, criminal, personal injury, domestic, contract, etc.

What advice would you give high school students about college and pursuing a career?

Prepare by studying, make good grades, set big bodacious goals, monitor your milestones and don’t give up on your goals. Hang with friends who are a positive influence on you and have similar goals. Don’t use controlled substances.

Share a bit of your perspective that correlates to being an Upward Bound alumni and how it helped with college/ career?

Upward Bound was key to my being able to attend Morehead State University. My school’s guidance counselor was not interested in me or many others. Her attention was focused on the students whose parents were professionals. UB showed me how to get the funds to go to MSU and that I would be able to survive college. It served as a support system while I was at MSU. I met many friends and made lots of connections with faculty and staff (UB, MSU, military, law school, and legal). Those friends and connections have continued over the years. It is called networking. Networking helps with any career.

Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math & Science are 100% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by Morehead State University.

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