Some question advice offered by a woman with a shaky legal past

» Reliable information can be found for free

She was advertised as “one of the nation’s leading experts on paying for college,” and her recent presentations at local libraries were polished.

But it turns out that Nichole Buendia, 28, has no work experience in the field of college financial aid. The former mortgage solicitor may be more familiar with Hawaii’s court system, having been sued 10 times for alleged financial misdealing.

With college tuition costs soaring, families are desperate for help in paying for their children’s education - but they need to be wary of sharing their personal financial information with strangers.

“In the college counseling profession, it is always a red flag when you hear about people paying for help getting financial aid,” said Derrick Kang, director of college counseling at Mid-Pacific Institute. “Because all that is available free.”

Like many parents of high school students, Grace Sato is concerned about how she’s going to pay for college for her son, a freshman at Kailua High.

So when she received a glossy card in the mail inviting her to a free presentation on the subject at a local library, she went.

The perky, attractive woman leading the workshop, Nichole Buendia, described applying for financial aid as a maze. She urged people to bring in their bank statements and tax returns for one-on-one consultations.

COURTESY PHOTO Nichole Buendia, 28, has been soliciting customers for her “expert” advice on getting financial aid for college but has no formal background in that field and has been sued numerous times for financial misdealing. She was also convicted of perjury last year.

“It seemed OK,” Sato said, and she signed up.

What Sato didn’t know was that Buendia has never worked as a college financial aid counselor, despite publicity materials touting her as “one of the nation’s leading experts on paying for college.” And Buendia’s life experience hardly qualifies her to offer anyone advice about money.

A former mortgage solicitor, the 28-year-old Buendia has been sued 10 times in Hawaii courts for alleged financial misdealing, according to a Star-Bulletin review of court files. In October she was ordered to repay $19,471 to Bank of Hawaii after fraudulently taking out a loan using a client’s name, birth certificate and Social Security number.

Two other financial institutions won judgments against her this year for failing to repay her debts. She is being sued in federal court over “truth in lending” allegations. Last year, in a separate case, she was convicted of four counts of perjury, a felony, and is still on probation for it. Previously, the state found her liable for collecting unemployment benefits she didn’t deserve.

As families scramble for ways to pay for the soaring cost of college, they may become more vulnerable to questionable sales pitches. Professionals in the field of college counseling warn students and parents to be wary of independent operators who offer to help students get financial aid for college, for a fee.

“You need to be very careful with anyone who’s charging,” said Frank Green, longtime board member of the Pacific Financial Aid Association, who coordinates free financial aid nights at high schools statewide. “All of this information is available free … It’s natural that people open up companies to try to help people and do this for them, but it really is preying on the unsuspecting, I’m afraid.”

Some parents said the presentations had an air of legitimacy because they were being held at public libraries. But anyone can rent a library meeting room, noted Holly Kwok, head librarian at Aina Haina Public Library. “People might get the impression that we’re supporting this group, but it’s actually not the case,” she said. “They’re just using our facility.”

Buendia was the featured speaker for a series of workshops last month held by College Planning Specialists Hawaii LLC, a for-profit company formed last year by Shane Sarae. He said he met Buendia when they both worked for Charter Funding of Hawaii, a mortgage company that shut down last year. He wasn’t aware of the extent of her court history and told the Star-Bulletin he finds it “disturbing.”

Sarae, 44, insists that his company wants to provide a legitimate service by helping families get more financial aid and steering their teens to colleges with the best track records of awarding grants. The company offers a money-back guarantee, he said.

“There’s rules to this game and if you know them, you can play the game better,” he said. “My passion is to be a coach or a mentor to a student. It’s to help someone not make the same mistakes I did.”

Sarae said he spent 6-1/2 years getting a degree in economics at the University of Hawaii and then went back for accounting classes, only to discover that he disliked the field.

While he hasn’t worked as a college planner before, his company is using a program created by Ron Caruthers, head of College Planning Specialists Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif., and has hired Caruthers as its coach and consultant on its cases. They met at a seminar Caruthers gave on “multiple streams of income.”

Sarae’s firm made its first marketing push this summer, sending out 4,000 brochures to families of high school students on Oahu. The workshops promised to highlight “little-known ways of getting money for college” and “how to double or triple your eligibility for free grant money.”

The presentations gave few specifics, but offered to help families qualify for more financial aid on the federal application form by repositioning their assets so they appeared less well off. Sarae and Buendia handed out gift certificates for a free one-hour consultation “valued at $475.” Asked what their fees would be after that, Buendia said “a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars.”

At one point during the Aug. 16 workshop in Kalihi, Buendia suggested that parents need not list second homes as assets on the form: “They don’t count your primary residence, but if you have a second home out there, and you list the value in that, it doesn’t say you have to list it. But if you go ahead and list it, then you’re ineligible for financial aid,” she said.

The federal form, however, clearly states that families must list their real estate other than the family home. It warns that “if you purposely give false or misleading information you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both.”

Asked about that discrepancy, as well as her billing as a “national expert” on a press release, Buendia said she was simply parroting Caruthers’ scripted package.

“They give us the press releases, they give us education,” she said. “They tell you exactly what to say, word for word, line by line. The training they give us is to state that you’re an expert in your field.”

She said if her background raises questions about the company, she would step aside because “I don’t want to ruin it for Shane.”

Asked for comment, Caruthers said Buendia’s statement about second homes was wrong. Such assets must be listed and, depending on their equity value, may not preclude receiving financial aid. He said the Hawaii company should have adjusted his press release to their situation.

Caruthers expressed surprise at Buendia’s court history. Although he has been a college planner for 16 years, he said, he began training others to start their own businesses just a couple of years ago.

“We did a thorough background check on Shane,” he said. “We vet the principals. … My procedure manual is getting rewritten right away.”

The press release also described Caruthers as author of “How to Get Your Child a 4-year College Education Without Going Broke.” That title resembles a comprehensive 350-page guide put out annually by Princeton Review/Random House called “Paying for College Without Going Broke.”

But Caruthers’ booklet is quite different. An Internet search reveals that at least 20 other people, scattered across the United States, all claim to be its author. Most cite it as a credential in trying to build their own college planning businesses. The title is not available in bookstores or local libraries and doesn’t show up at booksinprint.com. Caruthers said he had self-published it, then shared it, but things got out of hand and so he stopped.

Sally Nhomi Mennella, scholars program manager for Gear Up Hawaii, a federal program to help low-income students go to college, attended one of last month’s workshops and was dismayed.

“A lot of the information they were giving was available for free, and some of what they were saying was misleading and inaccurate,” Mennella said. “I was so upset because every year we hear horror stories of families, after the fact, telling us they paid thousands of dollars in college prep help that turned out not to be helpful or in some cases harmful.”

Grace Sato’s free individual consultation with Sarae’s company hasn’t been scheduled yet, but she was taken aback at the “$475 value.”

“That’s like way out of my league,” Sato said. “I even talked to my girlfriend about it and she said, ‘Go to the one-hour thing, get the information, but don’t sign up for anything, don’t give them anything.’”

Connecting to college help

Here are some sources of information to help prepare and pay for college.

Federal Student Aid Information Center

(800) 4-FED-AID or (800) 433-3243

www.studentaid.ed.gov

www.fafsa.ed.gov

Official Web sites on applying for college and student financial aid.

Gear Up Hawaii

www.gearup.hawaii.edu

956-3879, toll-free (866) 808-4327

A federally funded project to help more of Hawaii’s teenagers get ready for college.

The College Board

www.collegeboard.com/parents

Includes information on applying and paying for college.

Hawaii Association for College Admissions Counseling

www.hawaiiacac.org

This professional association sponsors college planning workshops.

Hawaii Community Foundation

hawaiicommunityfoundation.org

The foundation has more than 150 different scholarship funds for Hawaii residents.

Pacific Financial Aid Association

www.pacfaa.org

Contact Frank Green, 591-2708

This professional association sponsors financial aid programs for students and families statewide.

Western Undergraduate Exchange

wue.wiche.edu

Hawaii residents may attend these colleges and universities in the western United States at reduced tuition.

Workshops

First Hawaiian Bank and the Hawaii Association for College Admission Counseling will hold free workshops for students in grades 9-12 and their families on preparing for, choosing and paying for college. Families may attend any presentation and will receive a workbook, “College Planning: A Family Affair.”

» Moanalua High School, 7 p.m., Oct. 15

» Hawaii Preparatory Academy, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 28

» Hilo High School, 6 p.m., Oct. 29

» Campbell High School, 7 p.m., Nov. 20

» Castle High School, 7 p.m., Jan. 21

» Mililani High School, 7 p.m., Jan. 29

» Waipahu High School, 7 p.m., Feb. 4

» Kalani High School, 7 p.m., Feb. 26

(Workshops will be held on Kauai and Maui at times and dates to be announced.)

The Pacific Financial Aid Association

will hold financial aid workshops at high schools statewide. Here is a preliminary schedule, with more campuses to be added. Call Frank Green, 591-2708, for more information. Students and their families may attend any workshop.

» Le Jardin Academy, 6 p.m., Nov. 13

» Sacred Hearts Academy, 6:30 p.m., Nov. 18

» Damien Memorial High School, 6 p.m., Nov. 18

» Mid-Pacific Institute, 6 p.m., Nov. 19

» Kealakehe High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 3,

» St. Francis School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 3,

» Pacific Buddhist Academy, 6 p.m., Dec. 3

» Radford High School, 7 p.m., Dec. 3

» Waianae High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 3

» Kaiser High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 4

» Farrington High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 4

» Hawaii Baptist Academy, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 8

» Waipahu High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 10

» Nanakuli High School, 6 p.m., Dec. 10

» Castle High School, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 10

» Maryknoll School, 6 p.m., Dec. 11

» Pearl City High School, 7 p.m., Dec. 17

» Kaimuki High School, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 14

» Mililani High School, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 15

» Kalaheo High School, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 15

» Kahuku High School, 6 p.m., Jan. 15

» Kapolei High School, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 21

» Kalani High School, 7 p.m., Jan. 29

By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

Kahuku High & Intermediate School senior Tiffany Polk appears well on the way to fulfilling her dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon thanks to a four-year scholarship to Yale University.

“It’s the most amazing feeling like you could ever have,” said the 17-year-old Hauula girl. “Just knowing that your life has changed forever is just beautiful.”

Polk, daughter of Jesse Polk and Rachel Dunkley, has attended Kahuku since the second half of her sophomore year.

Polk moved to Hauula from the small town of Irmo, S.C., in January 2006 at age 15, with her mother; brother, 15; sister, 8; and grandmother Linda Haville.

“My mom has always had to work a lot to help support us, being a single mom, and she always has had to take care of my grandmother,” Polk said.

She said her mother has encouraged her by telling her, “If you want to do it, you can go ahead and try.”

The National College Match, an admissions program involving 20 top American colleges, awarded the four-year scholarship worth more than $160,000, which will cover tuition, room and board.

Yale will pay for the scholarship.

Polk was selected from 3,800 students nationwide by QuestBridge, a Palo Alto, Calif., foundation that administers the National College Match.

“Tiffany embodied the ideals of a College Match student,” said Tim Brady, QuestBridge’s CEO. “She’s passionate. She’s public-service minded. She will do great things at Yale University.”

Polk plans to pursue medicine and the sciences at Yale, and is interested particularly in neurology and infectious diseases and immunology.

“I’ve always wanted to have a career in medicine and help people, basically,” she said.

She recalls watching surgery shows on TV at age 5. At 6, for Dress for Success Day at school, she wore scrubs.

“I wanted to be a neurosurgeon.”

From Chapin High School, in Irmo outside Columbia, to Kahuku was definitely a change, she said. She felt out of place at first, thinking her fellow Kahuku students were mostly surfers who wanted to go to the beach all day.

But she discovered there were “tons of kids that wanted to do just as much as I do,” she said.

She attended advanced-placement classes and joined the speech and debate team, the show choir, swim team and the National Honor Society.

“I love it,” she said. “It grows on you.”

Polk works two jobs — at Subway and the International House of Pancakes — to pay for her extracurricular activities.

She said the teachers at Kahuku are great and have been helpful and supportive.

Polk will be on her way to Yale, in New Haven, Conn., in April for Bulldog Day to tour the campus with other incoming freshmen.

Tutoring for grades 9-12. Students from all grades 7-12, may see Mrs. Yamagata for help with math.

M,T,TH 2:30-3:30 pm
English - Y201 Nishimura
Wed 1:30-2:30 pm
History Y202 Ishihara
Math Y301 Yamagata
Science Y302 Esera

Some days may be canceled due to meetings.

Intermediate Study Hall After School:
If students in grades 7 and 8 need extra help on their class work they can drop by study hall, daily from 2:30-3:30 except Wednesdays, in A103. The teachers helping with this program are Annie Gardenkranz and Josie Slayton.

Testing Information:

Fee waivers are available from Mrs. Fonoimoana in the College & Career Center room T5 The KHIS school code is 120-135. PSAT Testing: TBA The PSAT will be administered to all juniors and sophomores on campus in designated testing rooms. There are NO testing fees. Additional information will be provided soon.

Mark your calendars Announcements: Iolani PSAT/SAT I Fall Prep Course The cost of the SAT I Prep Course is $200 and includes handouts and practice tests. For more information and/or registration, log on to www.iolani.org or call the Iolani School Special Programs Office at 943-2262.

Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship and Conference Program
In order to apply, you must fill out the application, provide all the required materials and mail the completed forms and materials in one package by the deadline.

American math exam
Various contests and exams for different grade levels are given. Registration dates vary from October, November and December.

National essay contest
Write a 750 to 1,000 word essay on a specific topic and win up to $2,500. March 1st is the deadline.

Arts Recognition and Talent Search
ARTS Week is a national art/performing art competition with top the top award worth $10,000. Categories are Dance, Film and Video, Jazz, Music, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing. The final deadline to register is October 1st.

Center for Talented Youth
The center identifies middle school students who are exceptional in science, math and reasoning abilities. It is possible to win a scholarship to attend the center located in Baltimore, Maryland at Johns Hopkins University.

Coca Cola scholars foundation
Scholarship for high school seniors, deadline is October 31st.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Awards Programs
Offers awards to schools for outstanding newspapers and yearbooks as well as awards to individual students for outstanding articles and photographs in various categories. Open to middle and high school students.

Congressional Arts Competition
High school students submit work through their high schools – one winner is chosen in each congressional district.

DAR Scholarship programs
DAR sponsors several scholarship and essay contests

DECA scholarships
Scholarships are available for students interested in careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship

National Technical Honor Society
Scholarships are offered in a variety of categories

Discover Card Tribute Award
This award is only available for juniors.

Discovery Channel Young Scientist Competition
Open to students in grades 5-8 who are nominated through a local or regional International Science and Engineering affiliated science fair.

Electron Marathon
Click on Generation e Teams of high school students compete in an electric car race to represent Hawaii in a national competition.

Elks Foundation Scholarships
Various scholarship programs are available, with The Most Valuable Student competition the most popular.

For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology
Scholarship are awarded involving the annual robotics competition.

Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge
Various awards and scholarships that focus on American history are available.

National Geographic Geography Bee
Schools must register to enter the contest – six students is the minimum number for a team. Students must be in grades 4 through 8.

Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists
Several contests are available for high school students to enter.

Girl Scout Awards
Two achievement awards are open to current girl scouts

Hawaii Speech League
Students compete in many different categories to represent Hawaii in the national competition. History Day competition http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/ Competition is designed to spark interest in
American History.

Horatio Alger Scholarship
The foundation sponsors one national scholarship.

Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation
One sophomore from each high school in the country can attend the annual leadership seminar. Typically, the high schools pay the registration fee and the seminars are held in each state.

Intel Science Talent Search
Annual science competition for high school students

Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair
Annual competition open to high schools in Hawaii

International Chemistry Olympiad
Please refer to the web site for more information

International Schools CyberFair
The CyberFair encourages youth to connect the knowledge they learn in school to real world applications. Projects are researched, enacted then published on the internet.

International Student Media Festival
Annual event designed to recognize student media projects.

Youth for Understanding
Many programs are available for overseas study and travel.

Journalism Education Association Awards
State representatives of the high school student journalist of the year and several write-off competitions are sponsored.

Jostens Yearbook Photo Contest
Exciting yearbook pictures are rated and prizes are awarded for top photos.

Kid Witness News – New Vision Awards
Schools must register to be part of the competition. For students in grades 5 – 8. Students submit videos in several categories.

Mathcounts competition
For students in grades 7 and 8 – schools must register for students to enter the competition.

Minority introduction to engineering, entrepreneurship and science
http://web.mit.edu/mites/www/ Six week summer program for juniors at MIT. Participants only pay for travel to and from Boston.

NASA student involvement program
Competitions are available for students in grade 7-12.

National Foundation for Women Legislators
An essay contest is open to female seniors.

National Mock Trial Competition
High schools send teams to the national trial and compete against teams from around the country.

National Shakespeare Competition
Schools can enter the competition after following strict guidelines.

National Youth Leadership Forum
Seminars in Washington DC prepare students for future careers in leadership.

National Youth Science Camp
Annual summer camp for students in the summer after graduation. Two students from each state are selected to attend at no cost to the students.

Presidential Scholars Program
Open to US citizens who are graduating seniors. Not a monetary award but winners get to go to Washington DC. Deadline typically is October.

Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards
Middle school and high school students are eligible to participate in this program. State winners win $1,000 and go to Washington DC. Volunteerism and community involvement are rewarded. Deadline is in October.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Art and writing awards are open to students in grades 7-12. Many different categories are available. Students must first register then send in their projects in January.

Sudler Cup
To identify, recognize and honor junior high school and middle school concert band programs that have demonstrated particularly significant high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years.

ThinkQuest
Students in grades 7-12 submit proposals for web site design. Competition begins in August and all web site designs must be completed by March. Must form teams of three to six students. No monetary prizes, just recognition.

Toyota Community Scholars Program
Applications must be submitted by December. Each school may nominate one student who exemplifies outstanding academic excellence, leadership and most importantly - commitment to community service.

Academic Decathlon
A team of nine students in grades 9-12 compete on specially prepared tests. A teacher must sponsor you and the registration fee is $500.

US Senate Youth Program
Program materials come to the school each year. Participants must take a test at school then move on to an interview selection process. Two students from Hawaii are chosen to represent the state.

Voice of Democracy
Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, students submit audio essays designed to foster patriotism. This year’s themes is “How I demonstrate my freedom”

Art Competition (School, State, National)
KHIS Contact: Desda Kane
Phone/Room: 293-8950 ext. 311, room D4
eMail: desda_kane@notes.k12.hi.us
Website: house.gov/abercrombie/art_competition.shtml

Con-Con (School)
KHIS Contact: Barbara Harrison
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 300, room Y104
eMail: barbara_harrison@notes.k12.hi.us

Geography Competition (School, State, National)
KHIS Contact: Barbara Harrison
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 300, room Y104
eMail: barbara_harrison@notes.k12.hi.us

History Day Competition (School, District, State and National)
KHIS Contact: Barbara Harrison
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 300, room Y104
eMail: barbara_harrison@notes.k12.hi.us
State Website: www.nhd.org/Hawaii.htm
National Website: nhd.org

Language/Media Competition (School)
KHIS Contact: Jan Harney
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 334, room A205
eMail: jan_harney@notes.k12.hi.us

Math Competition (School, State, National)
KHIS Contact: Mary Jane Esera
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 297, room Y302
eMail: mary_jane_esera@notes.k12.hi.us
Website: mathcounts.org

Science Fair Competition (School, District, State and National/International)
KHIS Contact: Amy Swiderski
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 286, room W204
eMail: amy_swiderski@notes.k12.hi.us
State Website: hawaii.edu/acadsci/3_statefair.html

Speech and Debate Competition (State, National)
KHIS Contact: Winifred Graham
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 325, room A101
eMail: winifred_graham@notes.k12.hi.us
State Website: hawaiispeechleague.org/tournamentschedule.html

Spelling Bee Competition (School, State, National)
KHIS Contact: Jan Harney
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 334, room A205
eMail: jan_harney@notes.k12.hi.us

We the People (State and National)
KHIS Contact: Barbara Harrison
Phone: 293-8950 ext. 300, room Y104
eMail: barbara_harrison@notes.k12.hi.us
State Website: civiced.org/index.php?page=state_programs&&p=101&&st=hi

National Peace Essay
Website: www.usip.org/ed/npec/

Please check our upcoming events calendar at the top right of the website for Guest Speaker forums where individuals from various occupational backgrounds come to our school and share with us valuable information about their careers and how you can get started too.

College Toolkit talked with school counselors to help unravel the mystery of winning a scholarship. While there may be no “magic formula,” we did uncover some useful advice for making yourself a great scholarship (and college) candidate.

Tip #1: Get involved in something you are passionate about

Every school counselor we interviewed had this piece of advice: “Be yourself.”

Do not think of this process as trying to fit into some “scholarship winner’s” mold. Pursue activities that you enjoy doing and participate in organizations that are passionate about. You are much more likely to stick with an activity if you enjoy doing it.

There are thousands of organizations out there looking to give money to high-achieving students, whatever the activity may be. Not every scholarship requires that you participate in a sport, that you be on the school newspaper, or that you play an instrument. Being the National Yo-Yo Champion will likely impress many scholarship committees.

Tip #2: Quality Over Quantity

Pick a handful of activities and do them well. Most scholarship committees are not interested in seeing that you participated in dozens of activities for 5 minutes each, but would rather know that you dedicated considerable chunks of time to a few activities.

Scholarship committees want candidates who have made significant progress towards a goal or who have achieved something meaningful. By really immersing yourself in an activity, you demonstrate that you are a committed and responsible person.

Tip #3: Don’t Just Participate, LEAD!

Scholarship committees want people with initiative. They want students who will squeeze all they can out of the opportunity that a college education offers.

Therefore, once you’ve selected the activities in which you are interested, it is important to display as much leadership and initiative as possible. Don’t just join the environmental club, start a recycling program. If you are in the Spanish club, run for treasurer.

Tip #4: Make Yourself Known

Don’t be a stranger to teachers and school counselors. They can be great sources of information on college, scholarships, and other opportunities in your school and your community.

Also, lots of scholarships require letters of recommendation. If you have built a strong relationship with a handful of teachers and counselors, they are better equipped to write effective recommendations. This could just be the difference between being a finalist and winning a scholarship.

Tip #5: Keep Track of Your Accomplishments

Don’t just throw away your “A” papers or your 1st Place ribbons. Start a file where you can save all these important documents and awards. They will come in handy down the line when you are preparing your scholarship and college applications.

An outstanding English paper could give you a great idea for a scholarship essay. A collection of your Speech Team ribbons could help you as you create a list of all of your high school achievements.

Tip #6: Be Confident

Don’t sell yourself short. Most students have a story to tell about their high school accomplishments. The easiest way to be eliminated is by not applying at all.

President, College Admissions Services, Inc. Deciding where to apply can be a daunting task considering that the U.S. boasts about 3,000 colleges. The key to narrowing down your options is to pick an initial pool of 20 to 25 colleges that interest you and to focus your research efforts on these schools. Selecting a large pool of colleges upfront gives you the flexibility to eliminate colleges that you decide do not suit you, still leaving you with a range of colleges to which you can apply.

The key to finding a group of colleges that best match your preferences is to start early, identify the factors that are most important to you, cast a wide net, and continue to narrow down your choices based on additional information that you gather. Below are 10 factors that will help you select colleges that meet your needs. Try not to be too rigid in your preferences as they may change as you learn more about the colleges during the search process.

1. Geographic Location

Some students decide that they want to go to college in a different region of the country from where they grew up. Others want to stay near their hometown or within driving distance from mom and dad. A strict adherence to a specific location can severely limit your college choices. It can be a good idea to consider some colleges outside the location that you currently prefer. Once you start learning about the colleges, your preferences may change, so it is best to keep an open mind. You may also find other factors that will take on greater importance than geography, so you do not want to eliminate a college before you consider whether it has some of the other attributes you are seeking.

2. Enrollment

The undergraduate enrollment at a college can range from as little as 700 students to as many as 35,000 students. When determining what size school you wish to attend, consider a range of school sizes around what you believe is the ideal size. For example, if you think that you want to attend an intimate college of fewer than 1,000 students where you know nearly everyone in your class, then your initial pool should probably consist of colleges with up to 5,000 students. Yet, you should also consider a few colleges in the 5,000 to 15,000 student range. Even if you are considering a large university with more class offerings and resources, you still might want to visit a few smaller colleges to confirm your decision. Upon visiting colleges and learning more about them, you may discover that you actually prefer a larger or smaller college than you previously thought.

• Find out what admissions officers and other experts have to say about enrollment size. Learn more about what small schools and large schools have to offer.

• In addition to size, student body composition can play an important role in a student’s experience. Learn more about what historically black colleges and universities have to offer.

3. Campus Setting

Campus environment is another factor that is important for many students. On one side of the spectrum is a college like Dartmouth in a remote setting in New Hampshire, surrounded by forests and mountains on the bank of a river. On the other side of the spectrum, is New York University in the center of New York City with a campus indistinguishable from businesses and with many bustling streets weaving between college buildings and dormitories. Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to help you decide upon the campus setting that you prefer.

• Find out what admissions officers and other experts have to say about campus setting. Learn more about what urban schools, suburban schools, and rural schools have to offer.

4. Campus Safety

The best way to find out about campus safety and what a college does to ensure the safety and security of its students is to talk to current students or recent alumni. You may also want to inquire about the presence of campus security officers, dorm entrance security, the availability of transportation around campus, escort services at night, the presence of outdoor lighting and emergency phones, and the crime rates on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods.

5. Public vs. Private

U.S. colleges are either privately or publicly funded. Since public colleges are supported and operated by individual states and partially funded by state tax dollars, they generally cost less than private colleges. Yet, attending a state college outside your home state will likely cost more than tuition at the school in your home state. In addition, enrollments and class sizes at state schools tend to be higher than those at private institutions.

Private colleges, on the other hand, are funded by tuition, fees, private gifts, corporate contributions, and endowments. Typically, this means that private colleges are more expensive than public colleges, though private colleges tend to offer more scholarships and grants. Enrollment and class sizes at private colleges tend to be smaller than those at public colleges.

6. Religious vs. Non-Denominational

Although most private and all public colleges are secular, some colleges are operated by a religious organization and require religious activities and courses. Other colleges may be associated with a particular religion, yet students of varying religions attend the college and practice their own religions. Secularity can be gauged by the number of lay (non-clergy) faculty and the percentage of students of other faiths attending the college.

• Find out what admissions officers and other experts have to say about religious affiliation. Learn more about what religiously-focused schools have to offer.

7. Single-sex vs. Coed

The vast majority of U.S. colleges are coeducational. Although most women choose to attend coed colleges, there are eighty-two women’s colleges. Research shows that women who attend women’s colleges have advantages that lead them to be more fulfilled and successful in life than their female counterparts at coed colleges. On the other hand, advocates of coed colleges argue that women’s colleges isolate women from the “real world” and the intellectual and social diversity that men provide.

Aside from seminaries and rabbinical colleges, only a handful of men’s colleges exist today: Hampden-Sydney, Morehouse, Wabash, Deep Springs, and St. John’s University.

• Find out what admissions officers and other experts have to say about the single-sex college experience. Learn more about what all-women’s colleges have to offer.

8. Academic Focus

A good way to assess the academic focus of a college is to consider the most popular majors and the percentages of students in those majors. A college where most of the students major in engineering obviously has a different strength and focus than a college where most of the students major in the arts or humanities. With that said, do not eliminate a college simply because your intended major is not one of the top three as long as you understand what the college’s most popular subjects are.

9. Structured vs. Free Environment

Each college has its own curriculum and course requirements for each major. Some colleges have strict requirements that allow for few electives. Other colleges have few requirements and allow students the freedom to select courses and do not require a formal major. Students who feel they need more structure and guidance may favor a college with stricter requirements; conversely, students with a defined academic and career plan may favor a college that offers flexibility. Choose the environment that you feel most comfortable in.

• Find out what admissions officers and other experts have to say about academic philosophy. Learn more about what liberal arts colleges have to offer.

10. Extracurricular Activities

Thinking about what you want to do outside of classes should also play a factor in your decision. For example, if you are a high school athlete who would like to play a varsity sport in college, you need to make a realistic evaluation of your chances of playing at the Division I, II or III level and choose colleges based on the competitiveness of the sports teams. If you are interested in participating in Greek life, make sure the colleges you are looking at have fraternity and sorority houses; or, if you want nothing to do with toga parties, then look for a school where Greek life is not prevalent. Do not downplay the importance of participating in extracurricular activities in college; getting involved on campus will lead to a more fulfilling collegiate experience and will be viewed positively when you look for your first job out of school.

About the Author

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INDIANAPOLIS, July 31 /PRNewswire/ — USA Funds(R), the nation’s leading education-loan guarantor, announces the award of $489,750 in scholarships to help 329 low-to-moderate-income Hawaii residents pursue higher education. USA Funds awarded $180,000 in scholarships to 120 Hawaii residents who are first-time recipients of USA Funds Access to Education Scholarshipsfor the 2007-2008 academic year. In addition, USA Funds awarded $309,750 in renewal scholarships to 209 Hawaii residents who previously had received awards under the program. “Consistent with USA Funds’ nonprofit mission to enhance higher-education preparedness, access and success, we are pleased to help these students pay for postsecondary education,” said Henry L. Fernandez, USA Funds executive director, access and outreach. “During the past six years, USA Funds’ national scholarship program has awarded more than $42 million in scholarships to more than 13,000 students nationwide.” To qualify for the scholarships, students must come from households with annual incomes of $35,000 or less. Full-time and half-time undergraduate students, as well as full-time graduate and professional students, are eligible for $1,500 scholarships.

If a scholarship recipient maintains a grade-point average of at least 2.5, the scholarship may be renewed annually until the student receives a degree or certificate, or the total amount awarded reaches $6,000, whichever comes first. For a list of first-time USA Funds Access to Education Scholarship recipients for 2007-2008, visit http://www.usafunds.org/scholarship.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. During the year ending Sept. 30, 2006, USA Funds guaranteed education loans totaling $27.3 billion for students and parents throughout the nation. USA Funds serves as the designated guarantor of federal education loans in eight states: Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming. USA Funds also invests more than $16 million annually in scholarships and outreach programs that advance its mission of support to higher education. For more information about USA Funds, visit http://www.usafunds.org.