Kaskaskia College

The Kaskaskia College Financial Aid Office will host a FAFSA Friday Workshop from 1-3 p.m. this Friday in room L-102 on the KC main campus.
The purpose of this event is to help college-bound students who need to complete and submit the 2013-14 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Completing the FAFSA accurately and on time is the first and most-important step to obtaining state and federal financial aid.
By completing the FAFSA, students will be able to meet deadlines at the colleges they are considering. FAFSA information is critical for colleges to package financial aid awards for students.
Students and parents can receive free, individual assistance completing the FAFSA in room L-102 on the KC main campus. Financial aid professionals will be on hand to review the FAFSA form and to answer any questions you may have.
Students are asked to provide the following information for the session: calculator; 2012 tax information (parents and student’s 1040, 1040A and/or 1040 EZ Federal Tax applications and W-2 forms); student’s driver’s license and Social Security card; records of untaxed income (welfare, social security, AFDC or ADC, veterans’ benefits, etc.); and information regarding net worth of family and student assets including investments and businesses.
For more information on the workshop, contact the Kaskaskia College Office of Financial Aid at 545-3080 or toll-free at 1-800-642-0859, ext. 3080.

New Student Orientation
Kaskaskia College invites new students to attend New Student Orientation. The free program is designed to introduce students to information and contacts important for a successful start of their college experience.
Information about services, activities and classroom success strategies will be included. Students will be given resources they will be able to use throughout their time at KC.
Students who attend this program traditionally perform better in college than those who do not attend.
Main campus dates include March 11, 12, 13, 14, 22 and 28.
A tour of the main Centralia campus is included in these dates.
Reservations are requested for all those who will attend including guests.
Individuals can register online at www.Kaskaskia.edu/nso.
For information, contact the New Student Orientation office by phone, 545-3063, or e-mail, kcnso@kaskaskia.edu.

QuickBooks Pro sessions
The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Kaskaskia College will offer two series of QuickBooks® Pro computer software training this spring.
The training consists of four, four-hour sessions of QuickBooks Pro Software demonstration.
The first session will be held at the Crisp Technology Center located at 2005 E. McCord in Centralia.
Sessions will be held from 4-8 p.m. on March 11, 13, 18, and 20.  
The second session is scheduled to be held at the Vandalia Campus on April 15, 17, 22 and 24 , from noon-4 p.m.
Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $80.
Potential participants should call or e-mail for a registration form that must be returned with the appropriate fee one week prior to the beginning of the class. For more information or to register, call 545-3429 or e-mail fsmith@kaskaskia.edu.
The Illinois Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is funded in part through an agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Kaskaskia College.
All SBA programs are offered on a non-discriminatory basis.

ACT prep workshops
Kaskaskia College will be holding an ACT exam prep workshop on March 9, 16, and 23, with an optional, but recommended, pre-test on Feb. 26, at 9 a.m. at the Workforce Center located at 325 S. Poplar in Centralia.
Next spring, all local area high school juniors will be taking the Prairie State Exam and the national dates for ACT exam.
The pre-test can help students who need an added boost before taking these exams, or those who have test anxiety or need extra help in specific areas such as math, science or reading.
Participation increases students’ chances of success with enrollment in the test preparation workshop.
The workshop is open to high school students in grades 10-12, as well as adults planning to take an upcoming exam for college admission.
Students should take a calculator, pencil and notebook to class. Instructors for this program are Sam Bundy and Cynthia Webber, two educators with more than 20 years of experience with standardized test preparation programming.
The optional pre-test is included in the cost of the course and provides valuable data for both the students and instructors.
This comprehensive report includes student strengths, and growth opportunities based on results of this retired ACT test.
Pre-registration is required for this workshop.
The class designation is COED 5415 CN01W ACT Prep Course, and the cost is $100.
Class dates are March 9, 16 and 23, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., with a one-hour break for lunch. The pre-test is Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. (optional).
For further information, or to register, call the Kaskaskia College Community Education Department at 545-3255.
Space is limited, so early registration is required.

Beauty Bash
The Kaskaskia College Cosmetology Club invites girls ages 5-12 to a Beauty Bash.
Parents may make appointments for a two-hour session of beauty and confidence-building with experienced KC cosmetology students.
Appointments are open on Saturday. Start times are 8:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The cost for the beauty session is $20.
Those attending the Beauty Bash will receive a full manicure with polish, shampoo, hairstyle with décor and an age-appropriate makeup application.
Students will be supervised by a licensed instructor.
The Cosmetology Club is raising money to attend the America’s Beauty Show in Chicago to further advance their education.
To make an appointment, call 545-3321.
Walk-ins will be accepted only if openings exist.
Foundation scholarships
The good news is that through the Kaskaskia College Foundation, more scholarships than ever are available to current and prospective KC students. The bad news is that the deadline for applying is rapidly approaching – March 15.
For the 2013-14 school year, the Kaskaskia College Foundation will be awarding approximately 231 scholarship awards totaling more than $126,000.  This is an increase from the previous year, when 216 scholarships totaling $117,180 were offered.
The requirements vary with each scholarship, so students are encouraged to view the various requirements at www.kaskaskia.edu/scholarships/FoundationScholarships.
Foundation Scholarship books may also be found at area high schools, and at KC campuses and education centers.  After reviewing the scholarships, students may create an account and apply online at https://apps.kaskaskia.edu/.
Award winners will be notified by mail and honored at the Kaskaskia College Foundation Scholarship Awards Reception to be held at Kaskaskia College in the fall.
Awards will be presented and recipients will have an opportunity to meet and personally thank donors and those on the Kaskaskia College Foundation who have worked on behalf of students to make these scholarships possible.
The Kaskaskia College Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established exclusively for the advancement, assistance and support of Kaskaskia College.
The foundation scholarships are among the many approaches that students can pursue to pay for school.
As Kaskaskia College President Dr. Jim Underwood has said many times, “No student should ever be turned away from Kaskaskia College because of financial need.”
For more information, call Lucas Ostendorf in the Financial Aid Office at 545-3084, Suzanne Christ in the Office of Institutional Advancement at 545-3069 or the Financial Aid Office at 545-3080.