Save Money on Textbooks: Art School Edition

Yes, yes, I know, you’re getting ready to attend an art school in the fall, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to buy textbooks for some of your classes. Lots of professors of HS classes and even some of your core classes will require you to have a “textbook” of some kind.

We don’t have a bookstore, so that’s not an option - though it wouldn’t be a good money saving option anyway. So you have no choice but to look elsewhere. Depending on the class, and the book you’re looking for, you’ve got some options below for you to pick from.

First, check your syllabus. Hopefully you're starting to get emails or information from your instructors that include a syllabus and information about the classes you've signed up for. Take a look at the syllabus and see what books are required for you to have.

Borrow or buy from someone. If you know of or can find someone who already has the book from taking the class in the past. If they don’t want to sell the book, ask them if you can borrow it for the semester. You can even offer them some money for the “rental” to make it more enticing for them.

Check Facebook. Every year there’s usually a group that’s made for the incoming class on Facebook. This is a great resource for lots of things, one being finding your books! A lot of upperclassmen will join the group and post things about things they’re selling or old books they want to get rid of. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, make a post! It also wouldn’t hurt to try and make a post in a different classes group to see if anybody has the book & would be willing to sell it to you or let you borrow it.

Head to the library. You won’t be able to keep the book for the entire semester but knowing that it’s available for use is good. Many professors will put the book on reserve for their class which makes the check out time shorter so it ensures that it will be there when you need it. If your professor is only using a few pages or chapters out of the book you can always make some copies to have on hand.  If our library doesn’t have it, check out some of the local public branches to see if they do! You can also speak to one of the Reference Librarians in our library and they will do whatever they can to help you find what you're looking for - even if that means requesting it from a different library!

Rent. There are lots of sites that offer the opportunity to rent the books you need which will usually be cheaper than buying the book for yourself. Plus you won’t have to figure out what to do with it when you don’t need it anymore! Check out these links for a few rental options and see if your book is available:

• Amazon
• Chegg
• Valore
• Barnes & Noble

Buy used. If none of the options work for you so far, consider going on the hunt for used versions of the book you need.

• Check out some local bookshops. There are a good number of students who decide to sell their old books locally to shops who are willing to buy them. Look at some shops on Capitol Hill (Twice Sold Tales), in Lower Queen Anne, etc. - places where you know a good number of students live off campus or shops that are near campus. You might get lucky and find exactly what you’re looking for!
• Check out these sites. These are just a few examples of some places to look online for good deals on used books.
• Slugbooks
• Amazon
• AbeBooks
• Half.com or Chegg

Buying new. If you’ve exhausted all of the other options or simply have to buy the book brand new, check out these ideas.

Buy an older edition. Contact your professor to see if purchasing a different edition of the book (assuming it has them) will work for the class. In most cases, this is just fine, but sometimes the professor is very specific about which edition they want you to work from.

Split the cost. If you know someone else who is going to be in the same class as you, reach out to them and see if they would be interested in sharing and splitting the cost of the book for the semester.

Buy it as an e-book. Ebooks are usually less expensive than purchasing a physical copy, plus you don’t have to lug it around with you. You’ll want to check with your professor, however, sometimes they’re not okay with the use of electronic devices in their classroom - even if it’s just for the book.

Sell your books at the end of the Semester. Provided that you didn't buy an e-book or rent a textbook, you're going to be faced with a decision. Do I need to keep this text book, or not? Will this help with my future courses or with my career? If you decide you won't need the books, there are a variety of places that you can try to sell them back for some of your money. The quickest and easiest is usually going to a local bookshop (Twice Sold Tales, Mercer Street Books, etc.) and seeing if they will buy your book(s) for cash or in-store credit. Other options for selling your books include Amazon, Craigslist, or even posting them on the Facebook page to see if anyone else is in need of the book.

You can also check out this awesome resource from The City University of New York for a master list of some great places to find some of the books you need.  

Good luck out there!

Save Money on College Essentials

Create a list of things that you need. This way you know what you’re looking for while you’re out and about or doing online shopping. It should also keep you from getting too overwhelmed because there’s lots of stuff out there and a lot of advertisements for “back to college” items that you don’t really need - especially if you’re trying to save yourself some money.

Figure out what you already have. Before you start any of your school shopping, look around to see what you’ve already got - you may be surprised. This will save you some time and money when you start to shop. Do you already have some cute bed sheets that will work - at least for now? Already have some cleaning supplies on hand? Do your parents need all of their pots and pans? Maybe they’ll let you have some. Cross off the things you already have or don’t need right away. Work from there.

Check out local thrift shops like GoodWill, Value Village and more local based thrift and consignment shops. This is a really good place to start because you never know what you might find and you could end up saving a ton of money on things you thought you were going to have to buy brand new. Keep an eye out for bedding, decorations, lighting, office/school supplies, clothes, storage, etc.

Look at yard sales too! You can find some super great deals and most people are even willing to negotiate! Check out Craigslist, local power polls, and Facebook events, and other resources to find them!

Find the sales. Finding as many “back to school” sales and discounts as you can will be a big help. This is the time when you will find them. If you know you’re going to need lots of art supplies - LOOK FOR DISCOUNTS AND COUPONS. Art supplies are expensive and anything that can lower that price is going to be a huge help.

Look online. Depending on the deals you can find and whether you’re local or not, it’s probably worth looking around online. You can even have things sent right to you once you’re settled into the dorms or your apartment and have the trouble of having to move said things. Also make sure to activate Ebates while you’re shopping to get some money back!

Keep an eye out for our next post on how to save money on textbooks!

Good luck out there!

How Am I Going to Pay for Cornish?

Click here to estimate what you’ll owe to Cornish after your financial aid is applied to your bill. (Do not include work study in your estimation)

Outside Scholarships

There are many outside scholarships available for students to apply for. There is no guarantee of an award, but if awarded, that money can be applied to your tuition for Cornish and other eligible costs for attendance. We have a database of collected outside scholarships that Cornish students may be eligible for on Compass under the Financial Aid tab.

5 (or 4) Month Interest-Free Payment Plan

Cornish offers an option to break up the semesters bill into five (or four) equal monthly payments, July (or August) to November. Families pay a one-time fee to begin this option and pay no interest on the balance. For more information, please contact student accounts at 206.726.5025. The payment plan is also an option for the Spring semester.

Parent PLUS Loans

The PLUS loan is a federal loan taken out by a parent for the student’s education, and is available to biological parents and any step-parent on the FAFSA. PLUS loans require a credit check and in some instances an eligible co-signer. Repayment of a PLUS loan begins following the final disbursement of the loan, although borrowers can request payment deferment until six months after the student graduates or no longer attends at least half time. If the PLUS loan is denied for credit reasons, an additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loan will become available to the student.

Private Student Loans

Private loans are non-federal loans issued by a lender such as a bank or credit union. These loans require a credit check of the student borrower and co-signer. They are a viable option to cover direct costs but should be considered very carefully. These loans are not available through the financial aid office, but lenders our students have used in the past are available on Compass under the “other resources” section of Financial Aid.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if your FAFSA does not reflect your current financial situation due to exceptional circumstances such as the loss of a job or the death of a parent, please contact our office at finaid@cornish.edu or 206.726.5014

Understanding Your Financial Aid Award

Your award is based on a number of factors. Assuming you’ve completed the FAFSA for this year, your EFC, number of credits, your eligibility for state and institutional aid, and your year in school, are all taken into account.

Your EFC represents how much money the federal government has determined you can contribute towards your education based on the results of the FAFSA. The cost of attendance (COA) is calculated by the school and is based on tuition, fees, books, supplies and living expenses. It is an estimated cost, and is not meant to indicate an amount due to Cornish.

Financial aid is calculated by subtracting your EFC from the COA here at Cornish. This leaves us with your financial need - this number can’t exceed your COA. Need based aid includes things like grants, work study and subsidized/unsubsidized loans.

Keep in mind that work study doesn’t apply directly to tuition. This is a need based award that is treated more like an actual part time job, where you apply, interview, and get paid on a monthly bases.

Institutional merit scholarships are awarded to new and transfer students based on their audition or portfolio review. Your department scholarship is renewable for four years if you begin at Cornish as a freshman and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a 67% pace of progression annually.

If you are receiving any outside scholarships, notify us at the financial aid office and be sure that the organization you are receiving the scholarship from has the school’s information so that the check can be mailed to us and applied to your financial aid award.

In subsequent years of attendance, a Cornish student may qualify for a merit-based or endowed scholarship based on donor criteria and department requirements for demonstrated artistic and academic excellence.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if your FAFSA doesn’t reflect your current financial situation due to exceptional circumstances such as the loss of a job or the death of a parent, please contact our office at finaid@cornish.edu or 206.726.5014

Welcome Back! Some Quick Reminders for the Start of the Year

Hello!

We are so excited to kick off the 2017-2018 school year! At the Financial Aid office, there has been a lot of hustle and bustle to finish up everyone in a timely manner. For all of those who still have questions about their financial aid, you can find a lot of answers to your questions on Compass. We have our own tab! You can find out what your award is, any missing documents that you may have, find outside resources, and scholarships all in one stop!!!

Use this as your first defense when checking your account for completeness. There is also contact information if you do need to get a hold of us.

Cheers!

Financial Aid

Tips from Jasmine: Surviving Freshman Year

You’ve done all the prep work — you’ve gotten good grades in high school, scored well on a standardized test, and been accepted into the college you want to attend — so enjoy all your hard work while laying the groundwork for a successful college career. Don’t be a statistic; be determined to make it through your freshman year — and beyond. Take advantage of your network of new friends and professors, have fun while learning as much as you can, and get the most out of your college experience. Here are some bits of advice that can get you started on the right foot!

Go to all orientations. Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour? Yes. The faster you learn your way around campus — and around all the red tape — the more at ease you’ll feel and the better prepared you’ll be when issues arise.

Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall. The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net — not only this year but for all your years. You may change roommates after the first semester or you may stay roommates for all four years — just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students.

Get Organized. In high school, the teachers tended to lead you through all the homework and due dates. In college, the professors post the assignments — often for the entire semester — and expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, use an app, or get a big wall calendar — whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due.

Find the ideal place for you to study. It may be your dorm room or a cozy corner of the library, but find a place that works best for you to get your work done — while avoiding as many distractions as possible.

Go to class. Obvious, right? Maybe, but sleeping in and skipping that 8 am class will be tempting at times. Avoid the temptation. Besides learning the material by attending classes, you’ll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.

Become an expert on course requirements and due dates. Professors spend hours and hours preparing course syllabi and calendars so that you will know exactly what is expected of you — and when. One of the lamest excuses a student can give a professor: “I didn’t know it was due today.”

Meet with your professors. Speaking as a current student, I can assure you there are only upsides to getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students — take advantage of that time.

Get to know your academic adviser. This is the person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future semesters, deciding on majors and minors. This person is a key resource for you — and should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts. And don’t be afraid of requesting another adviser if you don’t click with the one first assigned to you.

Seek a balance. College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don’t tip the balance too far in either direction. Study hard so you can play hard.

Get involved on campus. A big problem for a lot of new students is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not quite belonging. A solution? Consider joining a select group — and be careful not to go overboard — of student organizations, clubs, ensembles, etc.You’ll make new friends, learn new skills, and feel more connected to your school.

Strive for good grades. Another obvious one here, right? Remember the words of the opening paragraph; while good grades could have come naturally to you in high school, you will have to earn them in college — and that means setting some goals for yourself and then making sure you work as hard as you can to achieve them.

Take advantage of the study resources on campus. Here at Cornish, we have a fantastic Writing Center and Tutors available. Another idea: form study groups.

Make time for you. Be sure you set aside some time and activities that help you relax and take the stress out of your day or week. Whether it’s enlisting yoga techniques, watching your favorite television shows, or writing in a journal, be good to yourself. SELF CARE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!

Don’t feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or a major. It doesn’t matter if it seems as though everyone else seems to know what they’re doing with their lives — believe me, they don’t — college is the time for you to really discover who you are, what you enjoy doing, what you’re good at, and what you want to be. It’s not a race; take your time and enjoy exploring your options.

Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Don’t look to place the blame on others for your mistakes; own up to them and move on. Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you.

Make connections with students in your classes. A great technique in the first week of classes is to make a goal to meet at least one new person in each of your classes. It will expand your network of friends — and that is always crucial resource at times when you miss a class, or a rehearsal even.

Find the Career Services Office. Regardless of whether you are entering college as undeclared or have your entire future mapped out, seek out the wonderful professionals in your college’s career services office and get started on planning, preparing, and acting on your future.  Cornish is currently preparing an office just for you, more information to follow!

Don’t procrastinate; prioritize your life. It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment and still get a good grade, but that kind of stuff will not work for you in college. Give yourself deadlines — and stick to them.

Stay healthy/Eat Right. A lot of problems first-year students face can be traced back to an illness that kept them away from classes for an extended period of time that led to a downward spiraling effect. Get enough sleep, take your vitamins, and eat right. If you haven’t heard the jokes about college food, you soon will. And without mom or dad there to serve you a balanced meal, you may be tempted to go for those extra fries or cookies. Stay healthy and avoid the dreaded extra “Freshman 15” pounds by sticking to a balanced diet.

Learn to cope with homesickness. It’s only natural that there will be times when you miss your family, even if you were one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get away. Find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home.

Stay on campus as much as possible. Whether it’s homesickness, a job, or a boyfriend or girlfriend from home, try not to leave campus too soon or too often. The more time you spend on getting to know the campus and your new friends, the more you’ll feel at home at school. And why not take advantage of all the cultural and social events that happen on campus?

Seek professional help when you need it. If you’re sick or feeling isolated or depressed, please take advantage of the many services these offices provide students. You don’t have to face these issues by yourself. Cornish as wonderful resources to help you with this!

Keep track of your money. If you’ve never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so. Find ways to stretch your money – and as best you can avoid all those credit card solicitations you’ll soon be receiving. The average credit card debt of college grads is staggering.

Don’t cut corners. College is all about learning. If you procrastinate and cram, you may still do well on tests, but you’ll learn very little. Even worse, don’t cheat on term papers or tests.

Be prepared to feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot going in your life right now. Expect to have moments where it seems a bit too much. As I have learned here at Cornish, be prepared to feel completely unprepared. The trick is knowing that you’re not the only one feeling that way.

Student Discounts: Computers & Tech

Tip #1 : While you’re a student, always ask if places have student discounts! It never hurts to ask and could save you some money! You won’t have this opportunity for long, so take advantage of it!

We’ve gone ahead and gathered a few resources to find discounted computers, tablets, software and accessories for all of your school needs!

You can sign up for UNiDAYS and find tons of different discounts through them just for being a student! You just have to confirm your school email and you’re good to go to start saving.

Here are some other options as well:

Academic Superstore

Adobe

Amazon. - Software for Students

Apple - Check out their Refurbished store for good discounts too!

Best Buy

Dell

GovConnection

HP

JourneyEd

Microsoft

On the hub

Studica

Think EDU

These are just a few of many places that offer student discounts, so do some of your own research to find more! Don’t forget to look at other resources too! Check out your class Facebook page, look on Ebay, etc. Find the best deals you can!

Good luck!