College Application Process – Is There a Secret to Applying for Financial Assistance?
Knowing how to get the financial assistance you need doesn’t have to be a big secret.
Parents worry about being able to afford their children’s higher education. When parents both work and earn a good income, they often feel they are always stuck in the “unhappy in-between” – too well-off to qualify for assistance, but not well-off enough to afford a good higher education for their children. Parents often ask, can’t colleges do more so that those in-between Americans can afford to send their children to college? Is there any chance that despite your parents’ income you can qualify for student aid?
The good news is that colleges can and do help, and you can get financial aid. There are many student aid programs that you may qualify for, and they’re not secret or exclusive. The following serves as a guide to dispel the mystery surrounding these programs.
Not many families can easily afford to pay the full cost of tuition, fees, room and board, textbooks and spending money. If, like most families, you and your parents would struggle to come up with the necessary funds then you should apply for financial aid immediately. There are lots of scholarships available. Investigate them all and apply to every one that you might be eligible for.
There is a lot of need-based aid, but there is also a great deal of merit aid out there that is not dependent upon your family income. Always apply for aid if you need help paying for your college expenses. You never know if you will get financial aid, or how much you might qualify for if you are eligible. Fill out all of the required financial aid forms.
Definitely start with the FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. (Explain FAFSA) Then complete the application forms for institutional funds from private colleges and universities. That usually means completing the CSS Profile and the forms required by each individual college you apply to. Don’t assume you won’t get financial aid.
Next, you need to apply for institutional funds from private colleges and universities. Normally, you will need to complete the CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Financial Aid) forms as required by each college’s program. Don’t miss out on what you might gain from filling out this application. All you have to lose is the application fee, and you could gain a lot of financial support.
Even if you think you won’t qualify for much, you should fill out every application you can. You might be surprised at how much you do qualify for. The cost of higher education has risen so much that many people who wouldn’t have qualified before are now eligible for financial assistance. That includes two-income families. The economy has caused more families to struggle to pay for their children’s education. Therefore schools, in particular some of the best colleges and universities, are giving out more financial assistance than ever. Colleges and universities are trying to hold down their costs so that they don’t price people out of the higher education market with tuition and fee increases.
There are so many components to the aid picture. Some factors are: number of children in college, number of dependents, extenuating circumstance, equity in your (parent’s) home, other assets, savings, institutional aid, and financial aid generosity.
Look for colleges and universities that do not overly burden you with student loans: they are more likely to approve grant aid for a higher percentage of your expenses. Private universities and colleges will often cover more of your costs than cash-strapped, state-run schools. If you are industrious and leave no financial aid stone unturned, you will find there is a lot of help available for the student willing to deal with the paperwork.
Princeton University was the first university to establish such a policy, and most of the Ivy league institutions and Ivy-caliber institutions have followed their lead. Of course, these institutions are extremely difficult to get accepted into, but excellent grades and SAT scores and the right college-admissions strategy spearheaded by the right college admissions consultant can get you there.
If you’re still in high school and are reading this, then you are already preparing for your college admissions experience. The effort you put into your high school academic performance, your activities within the community and your personal development will help you get into the college or university of your choice. By making yourself an outstanding candidate, you ensure that colleges and universities will go out of their way to help you afford their cost. They know that the quality of their students determines the quality of their university. If you apply yourself now and excel, you might be rewarded with a full scholarship from an excellent school.
Angela Arnold, a university consultant who has helped many students get into college, has prepared 7 free videos about the university application process Download yours today.
