INTERESTING "STUFF" FOR YOU

Has This Happened To You? 
As reported by our official “News” Detective, Tanya White, ODU

I personally have had to deal with some students that were charged up to $100 for them to file their FAFSA on-line on this bogus for profit site FAFSA.com.  The students are really getting a raw deal.  http://www.NASFAA.org/publications/2003/awfafsacom061703.html

SOME COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID WEB SITES CHARGE FOR SERVICES  (NBC 10) 
http://www.NASFAA.org/publications/2003/awfafsacom061703.html

"What's in a name? When it comes to a college financial aid web site, similar names are causing a lot of confusion," according to NBC 10 (Philadelphia, PA). The report addresses the confusion that families may face should they mistakenly enter the Web address FAFSA.com (a for-profit site) rather than ED's FAFSA.ed.gov.

Potential Interview Questions gathered by Laurie Radford
as reported on Finaid-L

Questions for a Student Financial Aid Advisor
      1. Tell us what piqued your interest in this position?
      2. What things in your present position give you a sense of
          accomplishment?
      3. Tell us about a time when you became upset, frustrated, or impatient
          with a co-worker.  What did you do?
      4. What things do you do in your present position to establish and maintain
          good relations with co-workers and students?
      5. Discuss how you provide customer service in your present position.
      6. Tell us about a time when you were under a great deal of pressure.  How
         did you deal with it?
      7. Give an example of a complex assignment or project you have completed.
      8. What challenges you most about your present position?
      9. What are your strengths?
      10. After reading the list of tasks involved in this position, which would you
           enjoy most?  Which would you enjoy least?
      11. Discuss the type of supervision that best motivates you.
      12. What would you need from your co-workers to support your satisfaction
           with your job?
      13. Why would you be a good choice to fill this position

Questions for graduate student counselor interviews
      1. Why do you have an interest in working in the OSFA/OSS?
      2. How do you handle high-stress and busy situations?
      3. Do you enjoy working in a group setting?
      4. How many years do you plan on being at WSU?
      5. What is your counseling experience?
      6. How do you handle difficult or emotional (angry, crying) clients?
      7. How would you describe your ability to interpret regulation/rules?
      8. Would you characterize yourself as a self-starter?
      9. What motivates you?
      10. Have you received financial aid before?  What has been your experience
           with the financial aid office in general?
      11. When would you be able to start working?
      12. Best job ever and why?
      13. Worst job ever and why?

Suggested Interview Questions for the Position of Financial Aid Counselor
      1.  What is your perception of students who seek financial aid to go to
          college?
      2. Describe how you would deal with a student who:
         a. Will not accept the answer you have given him/her.
         b. Is at the front speaking in a loud voice and in a derogatory manner to
            the receptionist.
         c. Wants to argue about their failure to meet Satisfactory Academic
             Progress standards.
         d. Threatens physical harm if he/ she doesn't get what they want.
      3. What prompted you to apply for this position?
      4. Why do you want to work in an academic environment?
      5. What do you think of "group hugs"?
      6. What qualities do you bring to the position?
      7. What factor "pulls" your chain?
      8. What is your strongest positive qualification for the job?
      9. What is one thing about you that you feel you need improvement?
      10. Why should we hire you over the other applicants for the position? (I
           always ask this one as the closing question)

Laurie V. Radford, Director of Financial Aid, National College of Naturopathic Medicine

FUN "STUFF" FOR YOU
 

A POEM FOR COMPUTER USERS OVER 50

A Computer was something on TV; from a science fiction show of note
A Window was something you hated to clean; And Ram was the father of a goat.
Meg was the name of my girlfriend; And Gig was a job for the nights
Now they all mean different things; And that really Bytes.
An Application was for employment; A Program was a TV show
A Cursor used profanity; A Keyboard was a piano
A Memory was something that you lost with age; A CD was a bank account
And if you had a 3-inch floppy; you hoped nobody found out.
Compress was something you did to the garbage, not something you did to a file
And if you unzipped anything in public; you’d be in jail for a while.
Log On was adding wood to the fire; Hard Drive was a long trip on the road
A Mouse pad was where a mouse lived; and a Backup happened to your commode.
Cut's what you did with a pocket knife; Paste you did with glue
A Web was a spider's home; and a Virus was the flu.
I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper; And the Memory in my head.
I hear nobody's been killed in a Computer crash; but when it happens they wish they were dead.