|
GOING TO COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID CHECKLIST
One year before the student will start school. Ask the school(s) the student is interested in attending to send any information they have about financial aid programs, including scholarships.
FALL
September
Explore your financial aid options and pay close attention to deadlines. Research military and veterans benefits, college fee waivers, special tuition payment plans, part-time work, private grants, and federal tax credits. Look through scholarship and grant directories at your library and surf the Web.
Research scholarship opportunities offered by organizations and civic groups in your local community like the Rotary Club, American Legion, YMCA, 4-H Club, Elks, Kiwanis, Jaycees, and the Girl or Boy Scouts. Many companies, as well as labor unions, have programs to help pay the cost of postsecondary education for employees, members, or their children. Check foundations, religious organizations, fraternities or sororities, and town or city clubs.
Meet with your high school counselor to discuss your college plans and financial aid needs. Check out http://mapping-your-future.org/ for a guide to career and college planning.
Request college catalogs and admissions packets, and meet with college representatives visiting your school. Check out college sites on the Web and start filling out applications and writing essays.
Look into the financial aid programs offered by the colleges you're applying to, along with their requirements and deadlines.
Make a list of important deadlines for college admission and financial aid applications. Are the deadlines the postmarked date or the received date?
Note which colleges require financial aid applications in addition to the FAFSA and request them from the college.
Sign up to take the SAT or ACT. You should take these exams at least six weeks before your earliest deadline for college admission or financial aid.
Apply for a Social Security number, if you don't already have one.
October
Ask your teachers, counselors, and employers for any letters of recommendation required for your admissions or financial aid applications. Make sure your letters of recommendation come from individuals who really know you.
Attend your school's college fair and financial aid workshop.
Visit your top college choices, if possible, or take a virtual tour of the campuses. Talk with students who attend the colleges where you are making application for admissions.
November
- Pick up a copy of the 2002-2003 FAFSA at your high school, college's financial aid office, or library, even if you plan to file online, to get an early start.
- Register for the College Board's CSS PROFILE" application if you're applying to a private university that requires one for its financial aid programs.
Send your admissions applications.
December
Collect your financial records and those of your family for the year 2001. You'll need records of earnings, Social Security and veterans payments, current bank statements, investment information, and business or farm records.
WINTER
January
Don't disqualify yourself, apply for financial aid. Each state may have specific deadlines for applying for state sponsored aid. Check with the Financial Aid Administrator for questions.
Complete the FAFSA. Give yourself plenty of time. Use estimates of your financial information if your parents haven't completed their tax returns.
File the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1, but not before! Be sure you and your parents, if required, sign it.
Meet all deadlines. If mailing your FAFSA or other financial aid applications, get a certificate of mailing as evidence they were sent on time.
Keep photocopies of everything you submit.
Remind your parents to complete their tax returns early, if they haven't done so already. That way, you'll have their final financial records when you receive your Student Aid Report.
February
Watch for important mail from the school's financial aid office.
Review your Student Aid Report, or SAR, for accuracy. The SAR lists the amount your family could be expected to contribute to your college costs.
Immediately make any necessary corrections to your SAR and return it.
Call the financial aid office with questions.
Look into Advanced Placement exams for college credit at your high school. Not all high schools offer them. This is an excellent way to reduce the cost of your college education - having to take fewer credits.
SPRING
March
Watch the mail for college admission letters and financial aid offers. Admission letters may be sent first, with financial aid eligibility letters following later.
Respond promptly to any requests for additional information.
NEXT
|
