Depending on which source you consult, an individual with a college degree, over a lifetime, will make somewhere between $800,000 and $1,200,000 more than someone who doesn’t complete education beyond high school. That’s a lot of dog treats!
Think you’ll never go to college? Here’s a fact my counselor shared with me: 17% of college students are 35 or older. Pretty impactful–of people who have been out working, more than 1/3 of them choose to go back for more education. OK . . . I get it, education matters.
But, if you are a senior right now, or even someone who has graduated from high school and you want to go to college next fall, where do you begin to figure out how to pay for college?
Start with the paperwork.
And know not only which documents are required by your college choices, but also the deadlines for submitting them. Here’s a newsflash for you–financial aid is available for four-year schools, two-year schools, and trade schools. There are basically two main types of aid for school funding–need-based and merit-based. There are three main routes to need-based aid: the FAFSA (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/complete001.htm), the CSS PROFILE (https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp), and any college or school-specific aid form. Some colleges require the submission of these forms even if you are applying for merit money (scholarships). Remember too that there are many organizations that provide scholarship funds that can require totally separate applications. These frequently require extra paperwork. Making It Count is a good example–they offer a Winning Characteristics scholarship. If your school hosts Making College and Career Count, then you are eligible to apply for this scholarship. (http://makingitcount.com/scholarship/
Here’s my #1 rule about applying for aid/scholarships:
Do It!!
Here’s my #2 rule about applying for aid/scholarships:
Do it on time and accurately!!
Here are some helpful sites:
Fafsa.gov (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/)
fafsa4ecaster ( http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/index.jsf)
Fastweb (http://www.fastweb.com/)
Never ever pay to fill out the FAFSA. It should be submitted as soon as possible after January 1 of your senior year. The CSS PROFILE does cost, but there are fee waivers. See your counselor if you think you might qualify for one. Watch out for scams. (http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams)
In case you haven’t gotten my motto about filing for financial aid/scholarships, here’s a reminder . . .
More later,
Clyde
