This content was published: November 13, 1998. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC Joins National "College is Possible" Campaign
Photos and story by Mark Evertz
Portland Community College, Oregon’s largest institution of higher education, recently joined with more than 1,200 colleges and universities across the United States to promote the economic realities of attending college.
The "College is Possible" National Public Awareness Campaign, launched by the American Council on Education (ACE) at the end of October, amasses publicity through representatives from two- and four-year colleges and universities, the U.S. Department of Education and several other education-related agencies to counter a popular misconception that college isn’t affordable.
A survey conducted in May of this year by ACE found that many parents and students who were contacted over-estimated the cost of attending college some by as much as 200 percent. Even more disturbing to ACE officials was the fact that many who considered attending college had no idea of the resources available to help them pay for college. As an example, annually there is approximately $60 billion available in financial aid.
The College is Possible Campaign seeks to bring that information directly to the college-minded students who want it. In addition to the campaign’s expansive web site on the financial services and other resources available (http://www.collegeispossible.org), colleges such as PCC have financial aid and admissions offices that can provide potential students with the necessary information to make college a reality.
"I think for a lot of students, they think college is just not possible," said Phil Hess, financial aid coordinator for PCC. "I like to stress the fact that if you come out of a situation thinking a college education is not reachable, I’m here to tell you it is. Based on need, people can get the money."
According to figures from the Oregon Office of Community College Services, the estimated cost of educating a PCC student for a two-year degree is $4,412. Those community college graduates, from data compiled by the 1995 U.S. Census Bureau, go on to earn $650 more per month on average than high school graduates.
Hess adds that another misnomer is that you have to be destitute to get financial aid.
"The common misconception is that only students who are of a low income can get federal money," said Hess. "That’s simply not true anymore. There are low-interest loans available to anyone."
One looming date Hess said prospective college students and their parents should mark on their calendars is Jan. 1, 1999, the earliest date to pick up and file a federal financial aid application for the 1999-2000 school year.
"The earlier the application gets in, the better shot you have at better money," he said.
On the topic of "better money," the kind you don’t have to pay back, PCC is having two free workshops on "How to Search for Scholarships" on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the Rock Creek Campus. On Nov. 17, the workshop will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., in the Student Resource Center, Building 5. The Nov. 18 workshop is from 12 to 12:50 p.m. at the same location.
The Rock Creek Campus is located at 17705 N.W. Springville Road. Contact Kim Crabtree at 614-7437 for more information on these workshops.
For more information on financial aid programs and resources, contact the PCC financial aid office at 977-4934. For information on the College is Possible Campaign, call toll-free (800) 433-3243.