Fall Financial Aid Deadlines Approaching

Paying for College: Priority Filing Deadlines

It's important for students to submit all required financial aid documents on or before the Priority Filing Deadline. This includes the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) in addition to other documentation that may be needed to authenticate identity, residency or prior education.

Meeting the Priority Filing Deadline will help qualified students avoid processing delays and ensure that:

• Tuition payments are deferred
• The student will not be dropped for non-payment
• Book Advance funds are available prior to the start of class
• Financial Aid Funds are released in a timely manner

Deadlines for Fall 2013 semester blocks begin July 12. Students will find the Priority Filing Deadline for their chosen semester block by visiting the Priority Filing Deadline Chart.

Accounting Student Resource Guide Available Now

Attention Accounting Students: Your LibGuide is Here!

The Rio Salado College Library is proud to introduce the Accounting (ACC) Student Resource Guide.

This guide provides links to key library resources for accounting students. Students will find subject-specific article databases, books and eBooks, as well as video and image collections. The guide also contains links to relevant web resources. Search tips and tricks, information about tutoring, and “Guide’s Picks” are also included to help you succeed in your accounting classes.

Developed by Kirstin Thomas, Instructional Coordinator for the Library, this subject-specific guide is designed to be a one-stop shop for all of your accounting–related research needs.

Questions/comments about the guide? Contact kirstin.thomas@riosalado.edu.

How To Use Financial Aid at Multiple Colleges

It's not unusual for students to take online classes at Rio Salado College (RSC) while attending another Maricopa County Community College District college, state university or other educational institution.

Students who would like to use financial aid to pay for classes at two colleges during the same semester must complete a consortium agreement. The consortium agreement allows students to receive financial aid based on the combined enrollment at multiple colleges.

Here are some things students should know about consortium agreements

• Students will only receive financial aid from one institution. 
• The college where you receive your financial aid is referred to as the parent school or home institution. 
• If RSC is the home institution, a 6 credit minimum RSC enrollment is required for student loans. 
• The school where you attend classes but do not receive aid is called the participating school or host institution. 
• Students are responsible for making payment arrangements at the participating school. 
• If RSC is the participating school the account balance must be paid by the first day of class. 
• The consortium agreement form can be found in the Financial Aid Forms Center. 
• A consortium agreement typically takes 5-7 business days to process. 
• Not all schools will qualify for a consortium agreement with Rio Salado College. 

Note: Coursework from the participating school that overlaps from one semester to the next at the parent school could cause adjustments or delays to current and future disbursements of student aid funds.

My Military Hero Truck Giveaway This Friday

My Military Hero, sponsored by Sanderson Ford in partnership with Rio Salado College and local radio stations 550 KFYI and 102.5 KNIX, provides the community with a fun way to show appreciation to local servicemen and women.

During the 2012-13 My Military Hero campaign, active duty service members were nominated by friends and family to be recognized by the My Military Hero program. Each month one hero was selected to be featured on social media and a digital billboard courtesy of Clear Channel Outdoor. The selected heroes were also entered for a chance to win a 2012 Ford F-150 SuperCab. The 2012-13 giveaway will take place this Friday at Sanderson Ford in Glendale.

The 2013-14 My Military Hero campaign begins in July and is open to all active military personnel 18 or older who reside in the KFYI Total Survey Area. Selected heroes in the 2013-14 campaign will receive a $500 gift certificate in addition to local recognition and a chance to win a new vehicle.

"This is a great promotion for Rio Salado to be involved in," said Rachelle Clarke, associate dean of student affairs at Rio Salado College. "Rio Salado is uniquely equipped to support military students. Our online format goes where they go and adapts to their sometimes erratic schedule. We value the relationship that has developed with our local military community over the years, and the My Military Hero program lets us show our appreciation for everything they do."

Rio Salado College offers a variety of military outreach initiatives including the East Valley Veteran's Education Center, Troops to Teachers, Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, Military Leadership certificate and degree programs, and military specific advisement and support.

2012-13 My Military Heroes include Aaron Leonard, Joshua Wandell, Mason Steill, Lorenzo Valenzuela, Jeffrey Ruch, Martin Roach, Charles Railing, Steven Merrett, John Lewandowski, James Bates, Samantha Botsko and Chris Swatty.

Visit KFYI.com and enter keyword "Military Hero" to nominate a military hero for the 2013-14 campaign. 

Nominations can also be mailed to:
KFYI My Military Hero
Attn: Tarah Oliver
4686 E. Van Buren St. Suite #300,
Phoenix, AZ 85008

New RSC Dental Clinic Location Now Open

The Rio Salado College Dental Clinic re-opened earlier this week. The clinic is located across the street from RSC Tempe at 2323 W. 14th street. It is a partnership between Rio Salado College, the Arizona Dental Association, and Delta Dental Insurance. Services are provided by students in the RSC Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs.

Call 480-377-4100 to make an appointment.

RSC Northern Temporarily Closed

RSC Northern is temporarily closed while we resolve a building issue at that location. RSC Thomas is the closest alternative.

For Testing or Proctoring needs, consult the Rio Salado College Testing Center locations page. Please contact the Testing Center location directly to see if the testing or proctoring service you need is available at that location.

Visit http://www.riosalado.edu/locations for an interactive map of all of the Rio Salado College locations.

[UPDATE] The RSC Northern location is expected to be unavailable for 3-5 weeks.

Understanding Financial Aid Verification

Financial aid verification ensures that financial aid funds are going to qualified students by discouraging inaccurate or fraudulent FAFSA submissions. The verification process is mandated by federal law and requires students to be randomly selected by the Department of Education. Being selected for verification is not an indication of any wrongdoing. Approximately 30% of students who apply for financial aid will be selected for verification.

Students who have been selected will be notified in their my.maricopa.edu student center. Students should regularly check their student email account and the To Do list in their student center for alerts and reminders.

Starting with the 2013-14 financial aid year, students will submit verification documents through the Verification Management System provided by the Maricopa County Community College District. After logging into VMS, students will find a list of required documentation and any actions that need to be taken. When submitting documents, students should be sure to include the approved cover sheet for EACH form submitted. For additional information on the financial aid verification process, visit my.maricopa.edu.

RSC President Named to American Association of Community Colleges Board

Dr. Bustamante to Help Guide Policy for Higher Education’s Largest Sector

Dr. Chris Bustamante, president of Rio Salado College has been elected to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), a national organization representing the nation’s almost 1,200 two-year colleges and their more than 13 million students.

New board members were certified during AACC’s recent annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif., and will officially take office July 1, serving a three-year term. The 32 member AACC board governs association policy and helps guide strategic direction for national advocacy and other key functions of the Washington, D.C.-based organization.

“I am honored to serve with the members and leadership of the AACC Board,” said Dr. Bustamante. “The challenge today is to provide more students with access to higher education and then see them through to completion. That means that we will have to think differently about how we deliver higher education and create innovative solutions to achieve that goal.”

Dr. Bustamante is the president of the largest of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges located in metropolitan Phoenix and one of the largest public online colleges in the nation. He is a well-known advocate for increasing access to higher education and degree completion, and for forging transformational partnerships with business, government, and other educational providers.

The selection of new board members infuses new energy into the association’s leadership and comes during a key time for community colleges, say its leaders.

“America’s community colleges represent the hope of brighter futures for millions of people today and are keeping the dream of postsecondary education affordable,” said Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, president of AACC. “Our new board members are joining us during a pivotal time, as community colleges are being asked to double the number of students completing degrees and other postsecondary credentials and to train significantly more workers to meet the needs of employers throughout the nation.”

Institutionally elected board members:
Ronnie Booth, president, Tri-County Technical College (Pendleton, S.C.)
E. Ann McGee, president, Seminole State College of Florida (Sanford, Fla.)
Dan Phelan, president, Jackson Community College (Jackson, Mich.)
Cheryl Roberts, president and CEO, Chemeketa Community College (Salem, Ore.)
Carol Spalding, president, Rowan Cabarrus Community College (Salisbury, N.C.)
Lori Sundberg, president, Carl Sandburg Community College (Galesburg, Ill.)

The Institutional At-Large representative is: Eloy Oakley, superintendent/president, Long Beach City College (Long Beach, Calif.)

The Public At-Large representative is: Carrie Billy, executive director of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (Alexandria, Va.)

The Affiliated Council representatives are: Chris Bustamante, president, Rio Salado College (Tempe, Ariz.), and Mary Rittling, president, Davidson County Community College (Lexington, N.C.)

Twenty-four board members are elected by AACC’s institutional membership (18 institutional representatives and six affiliated council representatives). Six are elected by the board itself (three institutional at-large members and three public at-large members) and represent constituencies such as boards of trustees, business or government.

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About AACC
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation’s close to 1,200 community, junior, and technical colleges and their over 13 million students. Community colleges are the largest sector of higher education, enrolling almost half of all U.S. undergraduates. For more information about AACC and community colleges, visit www.aacc.nche.edu.


About Rio Salado College
Rio Salado College was established in 1978 by the Maricopa County Community College District to provide the next step in education for non-traditional students. The college, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, serves more than 67,000 students annually. In addition to providing high-quality instruction for 100+ degree and certificate pathways, Rio Salado is dedicated to providing flexible, affordable access through; adult basic education, collaborative partnerships, early college initiatives and online learning.