Links for Parents
A special note about Internet privacy issues: Many of the sites listed require the user to
register. We highly recommend that you read the privacy policy of each site and determine
if it meets your individual standards. By listing the site here, we are not endorsing
or condoning any privacy policy. Registration at a site must be an individual decision.
Parent Resources--Higher Education
The list of all Maryland Colleges and Universities
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/higherEd/colleges_universities/index.asp
Trends in College Pricing (2003-2004
College Costs)
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost03/cb_trends_pricing_2003.pdf
College is Possible
http://www.collegeispossible.org/
With the right planning and choices, College is for
everyone is the motto of this web site.
The site has four main categories, Preparing for College, Choosing
the Right College, Paying for College, and Adults.
The site links to several guides and valuable information helpful to
parents, students and counselors. Many
of the guides are also available in Spanish language versions.
Student Guide to Higher Education and Financial Aid in Maryland
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/publications/StudentOutreachKit/MHECGUID.PDF
A comprehensive guide to facts about higher education
in Maryland produced by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
This document contains information about universities and colleges.
In addition, the document includes information about scholarships and
other programs offered by Maryland. It
is downloadable in Adobe format.
FAFSA
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
This
U.S. Department of Education site explains everything you need to fill out
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It explains how to
get started, lets students complete a FAFSA electronically and check the
status of an application, and even lets students save incomplete
applications for future completion.
MarylandMentor
http://www.marylandmentor.org
Maryland Mentor is an "online resource to help students and their
families select a college, apply for admission, and plan to finance higher
education."
Black Excel
http://www.BlackExcel.org/
Black Excel is a resource specifically targeted to African-American and
first-generation college students. The site is highly rated by Snap and other Internet
ratings and has many valuable characteristics. A feature of the site is a scholarship gateway and specific help with admissions.
If you are seeking information on historically black colleges and
universities, this is a one-stop place for all the information.
Internet Public Library for Higher Education Resources
http://www.ipl.org/ref/RR/static/edu50.00.00.html
The Internet Public Library is a collection of links to other sites. The site provides
pathways to many sites in areas such as financial aid, campus tours, college catalogs, and
college and university rankings.
Fast Web Scholarships, Colleges and Job Search
http://www.fastweb.com/index.ptml
The Fast Web site contains information about financial aid and the college application
process. One especially helpful feature is a specific site for parents discussing tax
credits. There are also several "success stories" about students who have
received financial assistance. The essential feature is the "free" college
scholarship search engine. However, you must register with Fast Web before you can use the
"free" search engine. We tried it and the scholarship search worked very well
with no problems.
FindTuition
http://www.FindTuition.com
The FindTuition Site is powered
by CareerBuilder in the Baltimore Sun. The "site enables
students to quickly locate, apply, to and track financial aid options in a
trusted environment.
FinAid! The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
http://www.finaid.org/
The FinAid! Site has several features such as a college cost projector
and financial aid
estimator along with a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section. The site also
contains information about scholarship frauds and demystifying the financial aid process.
You can also request personalized help from the "Ask the Aid Advisor". The
student financial aid checklist helps to track progress and makes sure that you will not
forget much. The specific link for parents is: http://www.finaid.org/parents/
Nationally Coveted Scholarships and Awards
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/
A list of highly nationally coveted highly competitive and prestigious scholarships.
IPEDS College Opportunities On-line
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/Search.asp
A
search engine to help locate a college or university that meets your choice
of up to 9 different criteria.
Sallie Mae
http://www.salliemae.com/parents/index.html
For
more than a quarter-century, Sallie Mae has been helping students achieve their
dreams of higher education by providing funds for educational loans, primarily
federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education
Loan Program. The company currently owns or manages student loans for more than
seven million borrowers and is the nation's leading provider of education loans.
Sallie Mae plays an
integral role in educating parents, students and educators about the financial
aid process. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also
provides an array of consumer credit loans, including those for life-long
learning and K-12 education, and business and technical outsourcing services for
colleges and universities nationwide.
Scholarship
Myths
http://www.petersons.com/finaid/fa-myths.asp
A great article dispelling
most of the myths about scholarships. For
instance, did you know that many people think if you apply for a loan then that
will hurt your chances of getting scholarships. Click on the link above to find out more about the myths
concerning scholarships.
Scholarship Scam Alert
http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/content/focus/story/40.ptml?ID
In case you missed it,
fastweb.com has a site on scholarship scams. The sad truth is that there are scammers out there—posing
as scholarship providers or scholarship matching services—who take your money
and leave you with nothing. The good news is, you can protect yourself
from scholarship scams by reading this article and
following the good advice
Getting Ready for College Early
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/GettingReadyCollegeEarly/
A handbook for parents of
middle school students on early preparation for success in college.
General Resources for Parents
The Family Works
http://www.thefamilyworks.org/
Maryland's Parent information
resource center. By delivering a variety of direct
services and consultation and technical assistance services, The Family
Works focuses on children’s learning success.
Family Education.Com
http://familyeducation.com/home/
The Learning Network Channel's site has information about parent resources, idea
exchanges and school resources.
Parenting of Adolescents
http://parentingteens.about.com/parenting/parentingteens/mbody.htm
A comprehensive site from About.com on parenting. This site includes links and
information about preparations for college and much, much more.
CNN's Health/Parenting
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/parenting/archive/
A diverse set of links to stories from CNN on topics such as teen driving, eating
disorders and other teen health issues.
Positive Parenting of Teens from the University of Minnesota Extension Service
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/familydevelopment/components/DE7309a.html
An easy to read online article about parenting with multiple links to other resources.
Super Kids Educational Software Review
http://www.superkids.com/
Choosing educational software is often difficult. This site helps you to make informed
choices with the Best of 2000 Software Awards.
HowtoStudy.org
http://www.howtostudy.org/
This website from Chemeketa
Community College in Oregon provides lots of useful information about
study skills.
Helpful Homework Links
http://www.geocities.com/bhlibrary/homework.html
A large number of helpful homework links for parents and students.
Below is an interesting
article about parent-teacher conferences
Value of parent-teacher meetings
increases at high school level
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20031201/5720250s.htm
Teacher Patrick Welsh gives a
teacher's perspective on parent-teacher meetings and encourages parents to
maintain contact with teachers in this USA Today editorial.
