BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015
A4 HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Send submissions or story ideas for the Herald Business page to Editor Jessica Keller, jkeller@hermistonherald.com
FAFSA primer:
How to navigate the
college aid maze
I
f you’re worried about
paying for your child’s
college education,
keep this statistic in
mind: During the 2011-
12 school year, the U.S.
Department of Education
reported that 85 percent
of all full-time, four-year
college students were
receiving some form of
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Consider planning
way ahead of time to
develop a college-savings
VWUDWHJ\WKDW¿WVZLWK
\RXU¿QDQFHV,I\RX
need more resources to
cover additional costs,
get to know the Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid, better known
as FAFSA (https://fafsa.
ed.gov).
FAFSA is the universal
application for current
and prospective U.S.
college students to
UHFHLYHFROOHJH¿QDQFLDO
aid. It is the gateway to
grants, student loans and
work-study programs on
the federal and state level.
If you have a child
headed for college, it’s a
good idea to learn about
the FAFSA as early as
possible. The universal
IRUPLVWKH¿UVWVWHSIRU
any current or prospective
student who needs
help paying for higher
education. For the 2014-
15 academic year, the
College Board reported
that annual tuition, room
and board averaged
$18,943 at in-state public
universities, $32,762
for out-of-state students
and $42,419 at private,
QRQSUR¿WVFKRROVKWWS
trends.collegeboard.org).
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FAFSA, but if your child
is a dependent student,
you should gather the
information together.
Dependent students
are generally younger
than 24, unmarried and
not working full-time,
and they will need
\RXU¿QDQFLDOGDWDWR
FRPSOHWHWKH¿OLQJ
Students with special
family circumstances
(including absent parents)
may still qualify for
federal and state aid
under certain conditions
but should check
GLUHFWO\ZLWK¿QDQFLDO
aid representatives at
WDUJHWVFKRROVIRUVSHFL¿F
options.
The process starts
with the student choosing
a personal information
number that gives them
multi-year access to the
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They will follow up
with their own Social
Security, contact and
address information.
Parents will submit
their most recent federal
income tax data and other
proof of income; Alien
Registration Numbers
are required from parents
who are not U.S. citizens.
More detail is available
on the FAFSA site.
)$)6$¿OLQJRSHQV
after Jan. 1 every year,
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deadline. Keep in mind,
though, that a student’s
current or target school
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(https://fafsa.ed.gov/
deadlines.htm) can be
VLJQL¿FDQWO\HDUOLHUEDVHG
on the state in which they
plan to attend college.
Before this process
begins, however, tax and
¿QDQFLDODGYLVHUVVKRXOG
be consulted to discuss
the full range of savings
JASON ALDERMAN
MONEY MATTERS
Visa columnist
and investing options that
can minimize the need for
student borrowing. For
assistance in completing
the FAFSA form,
parents and prospective
students should consider
FRQWDFWLQJ¿QDQFLDO
aid administrators at
prospective schools
or where the student
has been accepted for
admission. Some schools
offer workshops in
¿OOLQJRXWWKHIRUPDQG
organizations like College
Goal Sunday (http://www.
collegegoalsundayusa.
org/) offer that assistance
in 39 states.
Bottom line:
Knowing
as much
Hermiston store offers a
as possible
about college variety of services
financial aid
now can help
Shipping Solutions of Hermiston
RIIHUVDOOWKHVHUYLFHVRIDSRVWRI¿FH
parents and
or a private shipping company with
the feel of a small business.
Dorothy Smith, who owns the
students make business
with her husband, Dave, said
Shipping
Solutions provides autho-
the best plans rized shipping
for FedEx, UPS and
the United States Postal Service and
for covering
offers a variety of other services.
“We do everything that they do ex-
it’s a mom and pop-type of busi-
those expenses. cept
ness,” she said. “It’s a cute little store.”
said the business had been
Whether college in Smith
operation for about 17 years be-
they bought it several years ago
is months or fore
in the Safeway Plaza with a plan to
move it to a more visible location. Af-
years away,
ter purchasing the Talery Plaza across
Fourth Street about a year ago, Smith
they moved the business into its
it’s never too said
new location, 1000 S. Highway 395,
early to start at the beginning of February.
planning and
saving.
Providing shipping solutions
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
Parents and students
should also check their
own networks for help.
Employers, professional
organizations (related
WRWKHVWXGHQW¶V¿HOGRI
study), fraternal societies
and private foundations
are great potential
resources for no-strings
scholarships and grant
money. If a dependent
child works a summer
job at a major company
(fast food, retail and
beyond), he or she can
check if the employer
offers scholarships or
HGXFDWLRQEHQH¿WVWR
part-time workers. It is
also important to keep an
eye on the news for the
latest changes to federal
DQGVWDWH¿QDQFLDODLGDQG
student loan rules.
Bottom line: Knowing
as much as possible about
FROOHJH¿QDQFLDODLGQRZ
can help parents and
students make the best
plans for covering those
expenses. Whether college
is months or years away,
it’s never too early to start
planning and saving.
— Jason Alderman
dLreFWs 9Lsa¶s ¿nanFLal
education programs. To
Follow Jason Alderman
on Twitter: www.twitter.
com/PracticalMoney
HermistonHerald
VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 18
JESSICA KELLER
EDITOR
jkeller@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4533
SEAN HART PHOTO
Shipping Solutions of Hermiston owner Dorothy Smith, right, helps customer Yesenia Rodriguez Monday at the business’s new
location, 1000 S. Highway 395. A grand opening and ribbon cutting will take place at noon March 11.
MAEGAN MURRAY
REPORTER
mmurray@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4532
“It’s a great location,” she said.
“It’s so easy (to get) in and out of
here. The appearance makes it look
like there’s more space. It’s bright.
It’s just got a really nice, clean
look to it. It seems that every-
body that comes in is just kind
A ribbo
of in awe of the store. I’ve had
at Ship n cutting w
ill ta
pin
lots of compliments on it.”
locatio g Solutions o ke place at n
n
Smith said the business of-
,
store is 1000 S. H f Hermiston oon
ighw
’s ne
ope
fers personal mailboxes that
Monda n from 9 a.m ay 395. The w
people can access at any time
ys thro
. to 5:3
ug
0
from 1
with a key to a separate door.
0 a.m. h Fridays an p.m.
to 2 p.
d
The mailbox area is closed off
m
Saturd
ays. . on
from the rest of the store during
non-business hours and also fea-
tures a drop box for mail.
Shipping Solutions has a variety
of shipping supplies, she said, along
with a variety of other services.
copy machines, both color and black
“We also do faxing and emailing, and white, as well as scanners and a
laminating, binding notebooks, nota- machine that can fold documents.
rizing, which is really big,” she said.
Smith said the Hermiston store
“We have a lot of people that come HPSOR\V¿YHSHRSOHDQGVKHDQGKHU
in just to get things notarized. We do husband also own Shipping Solutions
a lot of novelty things like greeting of Pendleton and O So Kleen.
cards. If people want to make busi-
She said she is excited for Ship-
ness cards, we have a company that ping Solutions of Hermiston’s grand
we work with to get them usually opening and ribbon cutting, which
within a week.”
will take place at noon March 11.
The business has self-service
“I think that will get the word out
because a lot of people are still driv-
ing over to the old spot we were be-
fore,” she said. “It will just kind of let
them know, ‘Hey, we moved. We’re
over here.’ ”
Shipping Solutions is open from 9
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Saturdays at the new location, 1000 S.
Highway 395, Hermiston.
Grand
openi
ng
SEAN HART PHOTO
SEAN HART PHOTO
Dorothy Smith, who owns Shipping Solutions of Hermiston with her husband, Dave,
poses inside the new store location in the Talery Plaza, which the Smiths purchased
about a year ago.
Dorothy Smith, who owns Shipping
Solutions of Hermiston with her hus-
band, Dave, shows the back room for
the store’s mailbox section, which is
accessible at all hours.
BUSINESS BITES
Latino Business Network
meeting next week
The Latino Business Network
meeting will take place at 9 a.m.
March 11 at the Employment Depart-
ment/Work Source Oregon, 950 S.E.
Columbia Drive, Suite B, Hermiston.
Featured speakers are Blue Moun-
tain Community College President
Cam Preus and Art Hill with BMCC
Small Business Development.
Donuts and coffee will be served.
The Hermiston Chamber of Com-
merce’s vision is to promote, edu-
cate and support Latino businesses in
the greater Hermiston area through
networking, advocacy and business
community partnership. For more in-
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising
or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our of¿ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: www.hermistonherald.com
SEAN HART
REPORTER
smhart@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4534
SAM BARBEE
SPORTS REPORTER
sbarbee@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4542
formation about the Latino Business
Network, call Debbie Pedro at 541-
567-6151.
Farm Worker and Ag
Employer Expo coming up
People are invited to the second
annual Farm Worker and Ag Em-
ployer Expo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
March 11 at the Hermiston Confer-
ence Center, 415 S. Highway 395,
Hermiston, Oregon.
Guest speakers include Fernan-
do Gutierrez, state monitor advo-
cate for the Oregon Employment
Department; Liz Marvin, Project
College Bound coordinator with
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays and Saturdays
Inside Umatilla/Morrow counties .........................$42.65
Outside Umatilla/Morrow counties ......................$53.90
STEPHANIE BURKENBINE
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
sburkenbine@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4538
the Hermiston School District, who
will provide information on FAF-
SA; Manny Medrano with Oregon
Human Development Corp.; Elvi-
ra Salamanca with CAPECO, who
will share training and education
opportunities available; and a farm
worker attorney. People will also
hear about other training and em-
ployment programs to help build
the workforce and learn more about
the Latino Business Network. Fiesta
Foods will be serving dinner at the
beginning of the event.
For more information, call the
Hermiston Chamber of Commerce
at 541-567-6151 or, for Span-
ish-speakers, Eddie De La Cruz,
541-701-4696.
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JEANNE JEWETT
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
jjewett@
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