During the last semester of high school. Prepare your child. Have them go online while you guide them through the Federal Aid application. They need to know how to do this every year. Yes, mom and dad, EVERY YEAR. The
reason for applying for Federal Aid or FAFSA, as the department calls it, is to have the parents or students report their annual income, because income varies every year and the Federal Aid guidelines have a ceiling for household income. Make a nice notebook for them to log their User ID and Pin number for this. FAFSA will generate a Student Aid Report that will let you know what Grants or low interest Educational loans your child qualifies for. Save your Student Aid Report. This is good for your child's portfolio as well.
About the same time, have your child look for the college of their preference that would suit their Major course of study. Make sure that the college is accredited and that you log the contact numbers for the Financial Aid office and the Academic Advisor. They will be your allies when it comes to planning for your child's educational needs. Questions that you may be asked are: Is your child going to be staying on campus or off campus? What are their SAT scores? What are their goals?
Look for Grants. The more activities your child participates in during high school, the more chances they have in qualifying for grants, which is FREE money. You don't have to pay this back. The most popular grant, depending on your household income, is the PELL GRANT. This falls under the guidelines of the FAFSA application and more than likely your child may qualify for this if your household income level falls under the federal guidelines for qualification. There are other Grants, however, that your child might qualify for, like any musical talent, sports, being a minority in a class majority, or even coming from an indigenous country, but you need to help your child apply for each of them. The process may be tedious, but it is worth it in the end, when they win the award.
About the same time, have your child look for the college of their preference that would suit their Major course of study. Make sure that the college is accredited and that you log the contact numbers for the Financial Aid office and the Academic Advisor. They will be your allies when it comes to planning for your child's educational needs. Questions that you may be asked are: Is your child going to be staying on campus or off campus? What are their SAT scores? What are their goals?
Look for Grants. The more activities your child participates in during high school, the more chances they have in qualifying for grants, which is FREE money. You don't have to pay this back. The most popular grant, depending on your household income, is the PELL GRANT. This falls under the guidelines of the FAFSA application and more than likely your child may qualify for this if your household income level falls under the federal guidelines for qualification. There are other Grants, however, that your child might qualify for, like any musical talent, sports, being a minority in a class majority, or even coming from an indigenous country, but you need to help your child apply for each of them. The process may be tedious, but it is worth it in the end, when they win the award.
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I wish I had more of this type of information 4 years ago. Every parent of a college bound child should read this for tips and help.
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