Whether your teenager is applying to community college, a four-year university, or technical college, you may be wanting to find out more about financial aid. College is only getting more expensive and we all know how important education can be for our future generations. Read on to find out more about the process, applications, and who qualifies.
Qualifying for Financial Aid
The good news is that everybody can apply for financial aid! As long as your teen is a student and plans to attend a school, they can start the process. It is always a good idea to start applying and securing some form of financial aid before your child is accepted into a school, as this can help show trustworthiness and responsibility to their future school. And most financial aid covers books and tuition, but there are some secondary financial aid institutions out there that may help with other college costs, such as food, dorm costs and other living essentials.
Applying
You can apply online or through a paper form, whichever is the most convenient for you. If you are applying through the FAFSA program, it can take up to 4-6 weeks to process your application, and this is technically the first step in the college admission stages. Depending on how narrowed down your teen’s college choices are, you can even go visit the college or university’s financial aid offices directly. Here you can talk to them and explain what type of assistance you may need, and this can greatly assist you on the financial aid journey. The application will require a copy or transcript of your last tax return to determine how much money you make to compare it to the amount you are requesting.
And remember to only use direct websites and applications if you do apply online. No financial aid institution or FAFSA will require money upfront for the application or anywhere during the process. Be wary of any suspicious websites or aid that asks for money first.
Grants and Scholarships
Don’t forget too that there are a huge variety of grants and scholarships available for almost any subject or major. Depending on what your teen is thinking about studying, they can also look into scholarships and grants as a means of paying for school too. The application process can be a little more thorough and they will be looking at academics, but if your child is already doing really well in school this can be a good route to take as long.
Katie Kyzivat