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3 Ways to Adjust to College as a Freshman Commuter

By U.S. News & World Report

Living on campus as an undergraduate means more than just having a place to sleep that’s near the library.

Residence halls offer opportunities to make new friends. On-campus students may also be more plugged in than commuters about what’s happening, simply because they live among the same people attending and organizing parties, volunteer opportunities and football tailgates. And meeting up before or after class to study with friends or attend a professor’s office hours is usually easy to arrange.

First-year college students who commute, however, may have to take a different route to find their niche and make friends. They may save money by not having to pay for room and board, but the distance between home and school can be difficult for some commuters to manage.

“Class group/team projects can provide a challenge for commuter students on a primarily residential campus. Residential students may not realize that meeting late in the evenings is not convenient for their peers who commute to campus,” Heather Simpson, assistant director of the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success at Michigan Technological University, said in an email.

[Budget for college commuting costs.]

The actual commute can also weigh a student down at times.

“Michigan Tech is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where we have an average snowfall of over 200 inches per year. Winter driving, snowstorms and shoveling out their cars to drive to campus can be a big challenge to our commuter students,” Simpson wrote.

But there are several ways freshman commuters can make a smooth adjustment to campus life. College experts recommend these three.

1. Attend orientation: Colleges and universities often introduce programs and resources for commuter students during orientation activities.

“During new student orientation, we not only talk with commuting students about their many options of how to get involved, but we also talk with their family members,” says Dawn Thompson, vice president for student life at the University of Delaware.

Freshmen are required to live on campus unless they meet the criteria for commuting, which usually involves living within a certain distance from campus; typically about 5 percent of freshmen commute, says Thompson.

During orientation, University of Delaware leaders tell families, “this is going to be a transition for your student, and here are ways you can support your student as well as make the transition yourself as a parent or guardian,” Thompson says.

[Learn how to make campus feel like home.]

2. Go to work: “Get a job on campus,” says Carrie Ingoldsby, director of campus life and student involvement at Mercer University in Georgia. “That’s another great way to connect as a commuter.” Out of roughly 900 incoming freshmen, around 110 will commute at Mercer, she says.

Commuters who earn a wage on campus may end up working with other students, which can expand their social circle. A campus job — in the school’s admissions office, for example — may also help commuter students learn more about the campus, Ingoldsby says.

3. Hang out at school: “Plan to come to campus to do more than only attend classes,” wrote Simpson from Michigan Technological University. Students can get involved with a student organization or participate in intramural sports, she wrote. “Avoid going home between classes; use this time to work on assignments and class preparations, visit faculty office hours, or attend a learning center appointment,” Simpson said in an email.

Commuters can also spend extra time on campus asking for help if they’re having a tough time making friends. It’s important not to isolate themselves if finding their niche doesn’t come easy, says Thompson.

University of Delaware students who live off of campus, for example, can come to the dean of students’ office and meet with one of the deans who can help them get connected, she says. “We don’t want them to feel that they have to then do it all on their own,” she says.

[Find out which campuses have the most commuters.]

Prospective college students who want a commuter-friendly school should ask admissions offices what resources are available to commuter students and what percentage of students commute, Thompson says.

They should also consider what’s involved in traveling, Simpson wrote, such as, “the distance of the commute and commute time to campus, times classes are offered based on their other commitments, the quality of dedicated space to stay on campus between classes.”

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3 Ways to Adjust to College as a Freshman Commuter originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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