I Can’t Pay For College!
Sunday, May 11th, 2008I Can’t Pay For College!
All too often, high school students from low income families do not consider even applying for college because they say they cannot pay for the education and expenses. This is simply untrue. The problem is not that they can not secure enough funding; it is that they are not given enough assistance finding the options available. If you or someone you know is in this situation, please keep reading – and share these tips with anyone that could use them.
Before you decide on a single choice of university to attend, consider this option. Attending a community college for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree will be a significant savings opportunity. You can fulfill most of the general education requirements, and then transfer to the college of your choice to have the final degree program completed. This not only allows you to save money on the standard general education courses, but also lets you have your degree issued from a college with higher status.
Planning to pay for college must begin with filing a FAFSA form. This is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and all high school seniors should be filling one out this year. Submitting forms as close to January 1st of the year you plan to begin will allow sufficient time for funding to be located on the your behalf.
The form itself can be daunting, but if you are persistent in asking for assistance, you will do well. Information collected on the form is important to the future money offered, so be sure to answer all the required questions.
Once the FAFSA has been submitted, start searching for scholarships. This can come from the internet resources, or the counseling department at your high school. Sometimes, even the financial aid advisors for the college you would like to attend will offer options for their specific scholarship programs.
Apply for any and all scholarships you possibly qualify to receive. These are available for a myriad of reasons, and they are not going to need paid back. The different offerings can be for such ridiculous qualifiers as being 1/8 of a certain descent. Requirements to be awarded the money can be as simple as writing a short essay about what a college education could do for you and your family.
When the estimated family contribution is calculated by the FAFSA, you have the option to appeal the decision. Discuss the options with the financial aid advisors at the school of choice, and they can help you submit information that contributes to the expenses of the family that would not be listed in the original application’s calculations. This could be as unique as having an elderly relative need nursing expenses paid, or as simple as struggling to meet daily living expenses as they are presently.
As the dust settles from all the above searching and applying, take a look at the financial aid offering. Accept all that is offered – as long as you truly need it. Do not take the maximum amount of the loan because you would like to buy a new television or living room suit for your mother. Take what you need, so that later when you have to pay it back, it doesn’t take over your ability to support yourself in your chosen career.
The bottom line is that there are many options available for students from any income level to progress to higher education. Sometimes the best graduation gift you could give to that high school senior is the gift of helping them find all the information they need to make it through a college degree.