Free help with federal financial aid application

College Goal event hosted by Daytona State Feb. 28

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2015) – Returning and first-time-in-college students will find a clear path to applying for federal tuition assistance during a free statewide event, hosted locally by Daytona State College, designed to help anyone planning to pursue higher education.

College Goal (Saturday) Sunday or CGS!Florida, part of the national CGS project, takes place locally on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Daytona Beach and DeLand campuses. Financial aid administrators will provide any college-bound students and their families with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA helps students access billions in federal funds available for higher education. In addition, information about other financial aid resources such as state government, grants, scholarships and loans will be on hand.

“Completing the FAFSA can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Dick Pastor, DSC’s interim vice president for student development. “When college-bound students and their families attend the College Goal event, we can help them overcome barriers to applying for funds they need to pursue a college education.”

The event at DSC follows a CGS!Florida day hosted by Flagler Palm Coast High School on Sunday, Feb. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., which includes DSC financial aid administrators who volunteered to help.

Filling out the FAFSA does not obligate the student to anything; it opens access to federal tuition support, whether students are pursuing a one-year certificate, two-year associate degree or four-year bachelor’s degree at colleges or universities around the region and the country.

The event, which is open to anyone interested in qualifying for federal financial aid to attend college, takes place on the Daytona Beach Campus, in the Baker Academic Support Center/computer lab, at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., and on the DeLand Campus, Bert Fish Hall/Academic Support Center, room 213, at 1155 County Road 4139.

Students who attend may also be eligible for a drawing for a $250 scholarship to a Florida college, provided by CGS!Florida.

Supporters of the CGS!Florida program include: Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (FASFAA), Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA/FLDOE) and USA Funds.

Important Message for Students and Families from CGS!Florida:

•        The FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first and most important step to applying for college financial aid. It should be completed now if you plan to attend college in 2015-16.
•        Use the proper website to complete the FAFSA: www.fafsa.gov – do not use other sites that charge money – the application is FREE.
•        The U.S. Department of Education offers free assistance at 1-800-4-FED-AID and www.fafsa.gov.
For more information, visit www.DaytonaState.edu/FinAid or call (386) 506-3015.

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This week at DSC; classes start, WISE, women's basketball, and museum opening reception and artist talk

Wisdom In Senior Education (W.I.S.E.) is a program offered by the Daytona State College Foundation to promote and share the academic college resources with our senior community, providing learning opportunities in an enjoyable format. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, hear from Marian Blessing, Odyssey Travel, who has been involved in the travel industry for more than 25 years and is a Certified Travel Advisor, and a Specialist in Australian and Caribbean Destinations, and honeymoons, just to name a few. Free to WISE members.

Daytona Beach Campus, Hosseini Center (Bldg. 1200)
1200 W. Int'l. Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
For more information, visit www.DaytonaState.edu/foundation, email Foundation@DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 506-4425.

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Daytona State announces auditions for resident modern dance company, Jan. 28

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 15, 2015) - Daytona State College’s resident modern dance company, Dance Theatre, under the artistic direction of Kevin Veiga, will hold auditions for the

coming season on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. Auditions will take place in the Dance Studio at the News-Journal Center located at 221 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach.

The audition will consist of ballet barre and center, modern movement across the floor and learning excerpts from recent repertory. Interested students should come prepared in proper dance attire or comfortable movement-oriented clothing, dance shoes (ballet and jazz) and/or bare feet.

The Dance Theatre is primarily a modern dance company, but members should be able to perform ballet, jazz and other dance forms as called for by the choreography. An informal performance in the fall and a main stage performance in the spring will highlight the year, along with other campus and community performances scheduled as requested or needed.

Auditions are open to the community and members need not be students. Dance Theater members receive college credit if enrolled in DAA2640. Tuition assistance may be available. Rehearsals are scheduled Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. starting Monday, Feb. 2. Additional rehearsals also may be scheduled as needed. In addition, each member is encouraged to register for a technique class through the dance course offerings.

Degree-seeking students (both non-dance and dance majors) taking a full course load, who are interested in taking at least one dance technique class during the spring semester, are eligible to apply for a needs-based tuition scholarship. To apply, stop by the Daytona Beach Campus and speak with Kevin Veiga in room 116, Goddard Performance Hall,  Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2 to 4 p.m., or Wednesday, Jan. 21, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Scholarships range from three or more credit hours toward the cost of tuition per academic year. Additional scholarship awards available for participants in the DSC Dance Theatre.

For additional information, email veigak@DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 506-3183.

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DSC students take top honors in fishing, surfing competitions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 15, 2015) - In both fresh and salt water, Daytona State College students kicked off 2015 with big wins in their respective sports.

Rainy, choppy conditions set the scene at the New Smyrna Beach Inlet on Jan. 11; however, the DSC Surf Club scored enough points in both the men’s and women’s divisions to take home first-place team honors in a regional contest sponsored by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA). It is the third consecutive time Daytona State has taken home the gold in a regional contest.

Team captain Jacob Kotchpowell took second place against competitors from the University of Florida, University of North Florida and other Florida colleges and universities in the Southeast/North Conference of NSSA. Cory Anderson took fourth place in the final heat and Blake Bordis took fifth place.

In the women’s division, Amanda Buemi took first place and Amber Jeckovich took third.

The team has two more regional contests before facing a larger field of competitors in the NSSA East Coast Championships April 9-12 in New Smyrna Beach.

In another water sport, brothers Thomas and James Oltorik won the 2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional fishing tournament on the St. Johns River Jan. 3-5, competing against nearly 130 collegiate teams from throughout the Southeastern United States.

In what were at times windy and chilly conditions during the three-day tournament, which spanned the St. Johns from Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach, the brothers Oltorik’s total tournament catch of 42 pounds, 6 ounces bested Clemson University’s Baylor Ronemus’ and Cole Tinsley’s total by 1 lb.

The tournament was the first of the 2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, which culminates with a national championship tournament slated this summer.

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This week at DSC; CPT Training, men's and women's basketball games

Among hundreds of colleges and universities in the nation offering bachelor degree programs online, Daytona State College has again ranked in the top 10, coming in at No. 2, according to rankings released Jan. 7 by U.S. News & World Report, continuing its prestigious placement in the category.

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2015 - Daytona State ranks among Best U.S. Online Bachelor’s Programs

3rd year running, DSC places in top 10 among prestigious national universities

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2015) - Among hundreds of colleges and universities in the nation offering bachelor degree programs online, Daytona State College has again ranked in the top 10, coming in at No. 2, according to rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report, continuing its prestigious placement in the category.

In the 2015 Top Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings, Daytona State stood among the best based on criteria such as the quality and experience of its faculty and instructional delivery. DSC entered its fully online bachelor’s degrees, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management (BAS), Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), for the rankings consideration.

“This third year of Top-10 placement for Daytona State reaffirms our success with delivery of high-quality online bachelor’s programs, as well as our commitment to continuous improvement,” said President Carol W. Eaton. “This can only be accomplished through the shared vision and hard work of our innovative faculty, student-support teams and technical staff.”

Daytona State began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2006 in response to a statewide need to increase Florida’s college-educated workforce. The college now offers 11 bachelor’s programs: the BAS, BSET, BSIT, seven BS in Education degrees and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Nearly 1,600 baccalaureate students have enrolled in DSC online courses so far this school year, which ends in May. Overall, 11,500 students took online DSC classes during the 2013-2014 academic year.

“Our goal is simple: leverage digital platforms to give our online students the best learning experience possible,” said Dr. Meghan Griffin, head of DSC’s School of Management, which implemented the first bachelor’s program, the BAS. “Because we serve returning adult and working students, our students have as much to learn from one another as they do from faculty. So we’ve made our online classrooms highly interactive and team-oriented, where you’re part of a network of professionals located across the globe. You’re in a low-cost, engaging and dynamic online learning environment in a program that teaches applied learning skills immediately useful in the workplace.”

Dr. Ron Eaglin, head of DSC’s College of Technology, credited his faculty and the student-support services available to online BSET students for the program’s success. “Our support services are second to none and our faculty understand that teaching online as opposed to in the classroom requires a change in pedagogy,” he said. “Being successful online requires an understanding of the different working parts necessary to develop a course and everyone working together. While we’re pleased with our ranking, there’s the old saying that it’s the company you keep that’s really important and, judging by the other schools who made the top rankings, I think we’re in great company.”

For more information on the rankings, see U.S. News & World Report 2015 Best Online Education Programs rankings. For more information on Daytona State bachelor’s degree programs, click here.

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This week at DSC; Enrollment SaturDay - Jan. 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

With the spring semester looming large, it's time for returning students and those new to a college career to lock in their schedule. Daytona State College offers an easy-access no-cost session this week to make registration a simple one-stop process.
 
Enrollment Day on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the college's Daytona Beach Campus provides an opportunity for students to complete everything from admission to registration.

Find out what's happening this week at DSC...