Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 4, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 26 January 2012 — Page 4

Advance News • Thursday, Jan. 26,2012

Page A4

Ilie importance of timely filing of the FAFSA form for college financial aid It's that time of year again—What time is that you say? Time for college students, soon-to-be college students, and/or parentsof college students to file the FAFSA for the 2012*2013 school year. You definitely want to do

this before March 10. Remember that date! Just what is this FAFSA? FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and is the form which must be completed each year at this time for students planning to attend college

during the next academic year, (2012-13 which typically will be begin anytime after July 1,2012). When a FAFSA is completed, die student has automatically applied for Federal Grants (Pell, SEOG, TEACH) and Indiana State Grants (HEA Higher Education Award, FOC Freedom of Choice Award, partial requirement for 21st Century Scholars), and individual college grants and scholarships. While many individual scholarships may have additional application requirements, almost all start with the requirement that the FAFSA be completed. The FAFSA application also begins your application process for Federal Stafford and Perkins Loans and PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) or PLUS for Graduate/Professional Students loans. Most of the numbers you'll need to complete the FAFSA come from your IRS 1040 federal income tax return. While that isn't due to the IRS until April 15, the FAFSA application deadline for the state of Indiana is more than one month earlier; March 10,2012. This is very important. The FAFSA must be received by the Central Processor on or before March 10, 2012, in order to be considered for grants from the state of Indiana. If you are otherwise eligible for Indiana grants based on your income and other factors, but miss the March 10 date, you will receive SO. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you meet the March 10 application deadline, but the application has errors or missing information according to Indiana requirements, you will receive an "edit notification" from SSAQ (State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana), and must correct these errors by the May 15, 2012 Edit Deadline for Indiana Grants. Just like with the March 10 application deadline, if you miss the May 15 edit correction date, you will receive $0 even if you were otherwise eligible for an award. No exceptions to this rqle. Many colleges/universities have what is called a Priority Consideration Date for early coMlderation of available funds. Some colleges in Indiana have a Priority Date of March 1 (even earlier than the March 10 date for Indiana grants). Be sure to check with your college/ university or on their website to be sure your FAFSA is filed on time for maximum award consideration. Heed the deadlines listed! Completing the FAFSA might seem intimidating but it isn't as complicated as it seems. You'll need these documents: student and parent's social security cards or numbers, student and parent's federal tax return, student and parent's W 2 forms, student driver's license, information on untaxed income if any, current bank statements, information on business or farm investments, and alien registration or permanent resident card if you are not a U.S. citizen. The "FAFSA on the Web Worksheet" can help you get organized before you start completing the application. More detailed information on this can be found at www.fafsa.gov. PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) allow a student and a parent to sign the FAFSA online, sign loan promissory notes online, check the progress of the FAFSA after it is submitted, make corrections and/or school changes, and enter tax/income information after it is completed. Apply for a student PIN and a separate parent PIN at: www.pin.ed.gov. The best way to file your FAFSA is online at wwwiafsa. gov. A paper FAFSA can be printed at www.fafsa.gov or you can request one by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 319-337-5665. If you file online, you'll be able to track receipt of the application (before March 10), and online applications never get lost or delayed in the mail. These are your important dates to remember File FAFSA before March 10,2012 (State of Indiana Application Deadline) Complete FAFSA edits, if any, by May 15,2012 (Edit Deadline for Indiana Grants) Priority Date of March 1 for many colleges/universities Scholarship Deadlines Check the applications What can you do if the 1040 tax returns aren't completed by March 10? That's a great question. If the student's or parents' Federal Income Tax returns are not complete by the FAFSA filing deadline for Indiana, a FAFSA should be filed before March 10 using ESTIMATED tax information. You then have until the May 15, 2012 edit deadline to make corrections to match die actual tax return. Free opportunities are available to you if you need assistance filing the FAFSA. First is College Goal Sunday - Feb. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Plymouth High School. Ancilla College staff and others will be there to help you with your application, regardless of which college you're planning to attend. Also, Ancilla College Financial Aid and Admissions staff provide free FAFSA Workshops at Ancilla College and area high schools. Locations, dates, and times available at www4mcilla.edu; dick on the RED BAR BEAT THE INDIANA FAFSA DEADLINE

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Community

Pesticide permit exams set

We have a number of people in the county who need to obtain a private pesticide applicator permit, or tne new Category 14 fertilizer manure applicator permit Over the next few months, there will several opportunities to take those exams at regional testing sites around Indiana. The two sites closest to Elkhart County are Feb. 27 at the Pinney Purdue Ag Research Center near Wanatah and March 12 at Noble County Fairgrounds in KendaUville. Exam time for all of the locations is 4 to 7 p.m. local time. Other testing sites in Indiana can be found at www.ppp.purdue.edu/ /PARP/examscheduleJitml. These are testing only sites, meaning there will be no classroom instruction before die exams are given. For that reason, when you register for die program, be sure to ask about study materials. Advance registration is required to assure adequate seating. Call 765-496-7499 or email cjanssenopurdue. edu.’ Everyone taking an exam at any of the locations must show a government issued photo ID. Contact the Office of Indiana State Chemist for alternative identification based on religious beliefs. There is no fee to take the pes-

Some soup-making tips

As I write this column it is definitely soup weather, but by the time you read this the weather may be warmer. For me though, it will still be soup eating time. January is definitely soup weather! There is just something about the cold temperature that makes good hot soup taste extra good! Last week I shared with you basic information about soup as well as some of the advantages. This week I have more good information about soup! Stock is the most important part of the soup, and is made by cooking meat and or bone together with seasonings. For really good stock simmer meat and bones for a long time. Meat adds flavor to soup but using meat in soup allows you to make the meat go further. Cracking the bones allows more flavor to get into the stock. It then can be cooled, skimmed of fat and used in a recipe of your choice. Much good stock doesn't go through all of this process, maybe just the defatting. If this method seems wo time consuming for your lifestyle, there are other ways to make stock or broth. You may use commercial canned broth or bouillon cubes or powder with water to make the broth. Many of these are high in sodium, but there are lowsodium alternatives. ,

Better to the editor NEFF A 'MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR' TO NORTHWOOD ATHLETICS Dear Editor, Guys like Steve Neff don't come around that often. North Wood has been blessed by a number of fine coaches, but in the opinion of this writer, no one has contributed more to his school and his community than Steve Neff. I consider it a privilege to have made his acquaintance, as have most of those whose lives he's touched in his 35 years at the helm of one of the best girls basketball programs in Indiana. Come on out to a game and enjoy the opportunity to witness the excitement and skill that is Black Swish basketball all because Steve Neff did a favor to an AD back in 1976. You'll be glad you did. - Steve Sittler Nappanee Advance Correspondent

Continuous Publication Since 1879 Advance News Published Weekly • (USPS 370-960) Periodical postage paid in Nappanee, IN 46550 POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to P.O. Box 220, Plymouth. IN 46563 Accounting Manager Jerry Bingle Managing Editor Maggie Nixon _ . trH° r Angel Perkins James Neil Costello ProductkxJr Advertising Sales Hildebrand Angi Rodriguez CLASSIFIED 00,1 1-800-9330356 Monday through Friday, 8 am. to 5 pm. ADS M dassffisds must be pre-paid. Deadline: Monday at 11:30 a.m. ADVERTISING 081 Rodn 9 ljez 31 1-000933-0356 for rate information or to place an ad. Deadline: Thursday at 5 p.m. I pftAi Deadline: Wednesday at 5 p.m. NOTICES ~ JBSCRIPTIONS Annual sitoecrtption price (52 issues) to s2l In-stale and $26 out-of-ette. lb renew or start a new suCectipSon, or to sotoe deivery problems, cal the - , Circulation Department at 1-8009300356

Knowledge to go

By Jeff Burbrink Extension Educate

tidde exam or the category 14 exam. The State Chemist office will grade the exams. Those who pass the exam will be sent a private applicator permit form and a bill for S2O. After receiving the completed form and fee, the State Chemist will issue the private applicator permit. If you already have one of the permits, there is no fee at all. The second permit is just added to your current permit. As a review, the private applicator pesticide exam is required of first-time private pestidde applicators and those who have let their permit lapse. Private pestidde applicators can purchase ad apply restricted usepestiddes on land they own or rent. Tne pestidde exam has 90 multiple choice questions taken from the pestidde applicator core manual. The exam takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes. An exam outline is available to assist with studying for

By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross Extension Educator, Consumer Family Science Condensed broth is also available and can be diluted as the label directs with either water or other liquids in the recipe. If you want an easy way to serve soup to your family check out the canned and frozen soups in the grocery store. There are usually plenty of seasoning and way too much salt, so think about using the commercial soup as a base and then adding lots of frozen or fresh vegetables to it, and often times more meat. Here are some soup making tips that you might want to try! To help improve die flavor, let your soup simmer for a while, not boil. Your erode pot is a great way to simmer soup. You can put more fiber in your healthy eating plan through soups by adding whole grains suen as lentils, wheat bulgur, brown rice, whole wheat pasta or barley. Soups are a great way to reduce

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the exam. The category 14 Manure Applicator exam is needed by any person applying manure from a Confined Feeding Operation (CFO) on property they own or manage. This includes manure from CFO-size facilities from out-of-state. An exception is made for people that apply less than 10 cubic yards or 4,000 gallons of manure in a year. Fanners mat apply commercial fertilizer to their own acres are not required to be certified. The category 14 exam consists of 70 multiple choice questions taken from the Category 14 Agricultural Fertilizer Materials study manual. A person is allotted 90 minutes to complete the exam. If you cannot attend one of these meetings, exam-only sessions are held monthly at the State Chemist Office at Purdue University West Lafayette campus. Once a person has obtained a private applicator permit (either for manure or for pestiddes), they can attend recertification meetings to keep their license up to date. Such meetings, known as PARP dasses, are offered by the Purdue Extension Offices throughout the state.

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Elkhart County

Menus, from pg. 2 Choose two: Macaroni and cheese, cucumbers w/dip, tossed salad, cottage cheese, pineapple, pears, fresh fruit Friday, Jan. 27 Choose one: Southwest pizza or Hot ham and cheese sandwich or BLT wrap or Salad bar or Yogurt Choose two: Com, raw vegetables w/dip, salad, peaches, strawberry cups, fresh fruit Monday, Jan. 30 Choose one: Sausage and gravy w/biscuits or French dip sandwich or Cold turkey sandwich or Grilled chicken or Salad bar or Yogurt Choose two: Peas and carrots, tossed salad, mandarin oranges, pineapple, fresh fruit Tuesday, Jan. 31 Choose one: White chicken chili or Pork barbecue sandwich or Salad bar or Yogurt Choose two: Cauliflower w/cheese, tossed salad, peaches, apricots, fresh fruit, hot pretzels Wednesday, Feb. 1 Choose one: Taco bar or Cold turkey sandwich or Yogurt Choose two: Raspberry Jell-O, fresh fruit

calories, stretch your food dollars and make the most of your time! Keep a freezer bag or container in the freezer for left over vegetables, pasta or meat to store them instead of tossing. Remember, you can use all kinds of leftovers in soup. This way you will have a great start for vegetable soup. When you are cooking vegetables you are sautdng them in broth verses fat or oil so you are saving calories. You can save time if you are using frozen or canned vegetables. Also using canned tomato or a vegetable blend soup can save you time. Just remember that many of these products are high in salt so you probably don't need to add salt. There are many ways you can thicken soup. A tasty way is with cream but then you have the extra calories. You can save calories by using fresh milk or no fat powered milk. Soup can also be thickened using cornstarch, potato flakes, leftover stuffing and other foods. To complete the meal 1 think about adding a great green salad, *>me whole grain bread and maybe some tasty cheese spread for the bread. I know you have no problems coming up with desert ideas. Bottom line is to plan some time to make soup and then enjoy!