Financial
aid is generally viewed from two different perspectives: the
merit award perspective and the need-based perspective. The merit award
perspective focuses on what assistance you might receive to pay for
your college based upon your merits as a student, an athlete, an
artist, a leader, or some other personal characteristics. The
need-based perspective focuses on what assistance you might receive to
pay for your college based upon your family’s financial situation.
There is a good deal of
information about both processes on the
internet. For particularly helpful sites, please see either
www.finaid.org or the Useful Resources page for more sites.
The bad news
is that a year at most colleges, especially if living
costs are included, ranges from a minimum of $8000 and can exceed
$50,000. The good news is that if you need financial help to pay for
college help is available. There are no guarantees but there are
several ways to gather information about scholarships and other forms
of financial assistance.
The general rule of
thumb is the more time and energy you put in to
finding scholarships the more luck you will have. There are several
ways that you can look for scholarships.
• Consult the specific
college or university that you are planning on
attending.
• Consult the
scholarship list in the College & Career Center
• Consult internet
search services
• Consult the public
library
Most colleges and universities have their own scholarship programs. These scholarships can be awarded for a wide range of reasons including academics, athletics, leadership, major, alumni affiliations, talent, etc. The only way to get the information about these scholarship programs is to consult with each college and university you are applying to for admission. You should make certain that you get updated information during your senior year.
I keep updated applications for many national and
local (for El Molino
students only) scholarships in our center. New ones come in throughout
the year particularly after January 1. You should check the bulletin
board regularly (weekly) during second semester. To see a list of the
scholarships that are sent directly to El Molino click on Scholarship
page.
There are also scholarship guide books available in the College and
Career Center which you may check-out.
There
are several websites that allow you to do scholarship searches
for scholarships that may be taken to any college or university you may
choose to attend. A complete listing of recommended sites is on the
Useful Resources.
The most comprehensive search service is: www.fastweb.com. They have
over 600,000 scholarships listed on their site. Fastweb allows you to
enter a profile of yourself and then emails you a list of scholarships
you may be eligible to apply for. It is generally best to do this
search in early September of your senior year. Fastweb will continue to
update you on new listings as they become available.
The other website that I have found particularly useful is www.collegenet.com. This search engine allows you to put in one
criteria at a time and then gives you a list of potential scholarships.
The public libraries as well as major book stores also keep guide books for scholarship searches.
You do need to be aware of scholarship scams. Generally speaking, if a scholarship requires a fee to apply you should be very leery of that scholarship. Also, be leery of "guaranteed results" for paid services. Also, watch out for financial aid seminars put on by private companies. All financial aid information and scholarship information is available for free. You do not need to pay anyone to help you find scholarship or financial aid resources. If you are suspicious or uncertain about a scholarship or service, you can check on www.finaid.org/finaid/scams.html for information.
The
Federal Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) and the
2008/2009 Student Guide published by the U.S. Department of Education
are in. Seniors be sure to check out the array of financial aid
material available in the Career Center. Seniors you are strongly
encouraged to file the FAFSA electronically, but first apply for your
PIN through the FAFSA website www.fafsa.ed.gov. This can be done
through the College & Career Center, at your local library or from
your home
computer. All seniors planning to go to college should complete a FAFSA
to determine possible eligibility for financial aid. NOTE!!! The Cal
Grant deadline is March 2nd of each year to have your FAFSA filed and
to apply for State Scholarships and Grants.
The FAFSA is the basic form used to apply for all types of financial
assistance. This includes the Cal Grant as well as Federal financial
aid and college-based grants and scholarships. The FAFSA asks for your
family's financial information including information from your parents'
2007 Federal income tax return. If you or your parents will not have
your tax returns done before March 2nd, do not wait. You can and should estimate your answers or use
last year's figures on the
FAFSA and correct them later. Filing a FAFSA after March 2nd can
negatively affect your ability to receive assistance.
Seniors
also NOTE: In addition to the FAFSA federal
form some colleges and universities require the CSS/Financial Aid
Profile. There is a nonrefundable $5.00 online registration fee that
covers the cost of customizing your PROFILE application. You are then
charged an $18.00 per school fee. If you still need this form go to
www.collegeboard.com in the search box type in CSS/Profile to start the
process.
Increasingly students are finding that web-based scholarship sites
provide the easiest and most comprehensive approach to search for
scholarships to help offset the increasing burden of paying for
post-secondary education.
Interested in the Military and scholarship
opportunities they offer?
Then check out theses facts. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
scholarships are offered at hundreds of colleges and universities
across the nation; they are awarded on a competitive basis to entering
freshmen. Application packets, eligibility information can be found:
ARMYROTC Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) college
scholarship program targets students pursuing technical degrees, such
as certain engineering and science programs. AFROTC scholarships are
awarded on the basis of individual merit, not financial aid. For more
information go to: AFROTC
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program offers young men
and women an opportunity to qualify for commissions in the Navy and
Marine Corps while attending college. This four-year scholarship is
available to recent high school graduates and is awarded annually on
the basis of high school class standings, college entrance test scores,
extracurricular activities, and leadership skills. For additional
information go to: NROTC
A variety of helpful handouts and financial aid guides are available
for your use in the College & Career Center. Parents and students
are strongly encouraged to use these and other resources for additional
help in their quest to make college affordable.
You are located at: Financial Aid Pages > Financing Your Education