Free College Counseling: Financial Aid: What to know...

Kelley,

There?s no top secret file to getting the best financial aid package for college. You just need to make sure you have exhausted all of your options.

I suggest working very closely with a financial aid rep from the college you decide on. They will be able to walk you and your family through the steps and motions to making sure college is affordable.

Also, make sure you?re keeping a lookout for possible scholarships. It?s a myth that parents make too much money, or you have to have a 4.0?. there are scholarships available for everyone; you just need to get out there and look for them.

Guidance counselors are great people to help you with your scholarship search; they have information that will really put you on the right track.

As for your potential roommate situation, that can often be a tough call. It really depends on your personality, whether or not you?re going to be comfortable living with someone new, or if you?d feel better living with a friend. There are benefits and downfalls to each side, and that?s what you?re going to have to consider before making your decision.

Hope this helps,
Julia Y.
The College Prowler Counselor

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William,

I?m not quite sure what you mean by the best loan, but as for financial aid and scholarships, there are scholarships available for anyone. I suggest that your son speak one on one with his guidance counselor, they will be able to get your student on the right track for finding scholarships.

Financial Aid will also be available from the universities, but that?s something you need to discuss with their office on a personal basis with either The University of South Carolina or Northeastern.

Your son definitely has the academic standing for possible scholarships, but scholarships are based on other factors as well. For example, if he?s involved in any clubs, or school activities, if he has done volunteer work outside of school, etc. All of these elements integrate to determine whether or not your son will receive a scholarship from the college or university he is interested in.

Don?t forget to look other places as well. Outside scholarships help just as much, and you might even be able to find a few of them. If your son has no financial need, I would suggest looking for scholarships and grants, which in most cases you do not pay back, instead of student and parent loans, which do get paid back.

I hope this helps?
Joey Rahimi
The College Prowler Counselor

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Dear Peter,

First, congratulations to your daughter on her acceptance, I?m sure everyone is excited for her.

Although sometimes securing scholarships takes special effort, there?s no secret to finding them, but oftentimes they won?t find you. It may seem exhaustive, but in the end it will all be worthwhile.

You first need to make sure you have explored all of your options: whether that means researching your local library for previous scholarships earned and granted, attending some type of financial aid meeting that focuses on finding money for school, or simply keeping an ear and an eye out for opportunities.

I suggest that you and your daughter work very closely with a financial aid rep from Johns Hopkins. Even though you might not qualify for financial aid, there are still scholarships and grants available. They will be able to walk you and your family through the steps and motions to making sure your daughter can attend college, affordably.

It?s a total myth that parents make too much money, or you have to have a 4.0 to receive scholarships. There are scholarships available for anyone; you just need to get out there and look for them.

High school guidance counselors are great people to help your daughter with an extensive scholarship search; they have information that will really get her options focused and narrowed down.

Scholarships are available through companies local and nationwide, through churches and religious organizations and affiliations, and sometimes from places you would least expect.

I know it can be very challenging and sometimes it may seem useless, but like I said, they can be find in places you wouldn?t ordinarily think of.

I hope this helps,
Good Luck?

Julia Y.
The College Prowler Counselor

Dear Alison,

I?m a little confused by your question: if you mean forms to file your taxes, you can usually find them at your local library, municipality, borough, or township center.

As far as college, I?m not sure how that affects your acceptance, but I do see your point about a tuition crisis. Not to worry, many people have theses same anxieties when they?re thinking about college.

It really doesn?t matter how much money your parents make or don?t make. There are plenty of scholarships, grants, and financial aid packages for students in your situation.

First, you need to apply to Texas Tech if that?s where you?re sure you want to go. Your GPA isn?t outstanding, but it is still good. Once you hear from Texas Tech concerning your acceptance, you will then want to work with one of their financial aid representatives.

These people are trained in helping families like yours work their way through these types of dilemmas so that you can receive a good education.

If the financial aid is still not enough, which can sometimes be the outcome; there are state, local, and national grants, loans, and scholarships available.

If you want to go to college, don?t put your dreams aside because you don?t think your family can afford it. There?s always a way, that?s what I?ve found out in my experiences.

Good Luck,
Julia Y.
The College Prowler Counselor

Hi Annie,

Well the obvious answer to your first question is that you apply for the most financial aid that you can. Most packages are based upon parent/guardian income so it also depends on how much money your family makes every year. And for scholarship money, you want to check your potential college?s website as well as www.findtuition.com. They have great resources to help you get the extra money when you need it most.

Hope this has helped,

Madison B.
College Prowler Counselor

Nora,

Negotiating with your top choice is indeed a possibility. Before you accept any school?s offer, return to speak with the Financial Aid Officer at your school of choice. Tell him/her that you have been accepted to several other schools. Explain that you would really prefer to go to this school, but if you do not receive more financial assistance than has been indicated, then you will be forced to go elsewhere. If there are any schools of equal caliber to which you have been accepted and received better financial aid, show this to the officer at your choice college. Be sure to ask questions. Sit down with your parents ahead of time and make a plan in order to be able to make suggestions to the officer. Don?t necessarily expect that the college wants you as much as you want the college. After all, that?s what waiting lists are for.

In the end, whether or not you receive any additional financial assistance, you will have to decide if your education at this particular institution is worth the money you will have to pay. This is a difficult question to answer, but as you seem to have been a dedicated student in high school judging by your test scores and G.P.A. and will probably take you college education just as seriously, this is an investment you don?t want to waste. It will be better to walk away from four years bearing a few extra loans than the burdens of disappointment and an inferior education.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

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Alicia,

One very viable option is working on campus. On-campus jobs are convenient because of both location and hours?you can ordinarily walk to work, and usually your boss will be more willing to work around your schedule as a college student rather than dictating your hours, as an outside employer may be prone to do. These sorts of jobs range from office work in the career center or admissions office to giving campus tours to working in the library to serving drinks in a coffee shop to life guarding at the athletic center.

Otherwise, popular part-time jobs include waitressing (which can be quite lucrative, once you work your way into higher-class restaurants and bars), working in retail, cashiering, and even babysitting.

Also, look into research and internship opportunities. These sometimes come with stipends or an hourly wage, so they could serve as building blocks to your career as well as jobs.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

Hi Jamie,

You want to know if there are scholarships for you to get into college?I promise you there are a bunch of them out there. The big thing is that these scholarships don?t normally pop out at you?you have to go looking for them.

One of the easiest things to do is to look up scholarships online. From this first search you will get an idea of what options are available. Next, you want to go to your local library and do some more extensive research perhaps about students who have received scholarship money in your area from a particular business or religiously affiliated association. Then you will really have a good idea of what is out there.

To help you get started on your scholarship search I?ve looked up a website that has a lot of options. Sort through the requirements and decide what type of scholarship you?re interested in applying for, and go from there.

The website is:
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/
scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp

Hope that this helps,

Madison B.
College Prowler Counselor

Hi Jonathon,

Sounds like you?re really doing everything that you can to get financial aid, which is great! The fact that you are really working across the board to get the money is very admirable, most people desire to get the money, but never really get their heart into it, but it sounds like yours is! Don?t worry so much about it, you really are doing everything that you can to get the money, and chances are you will get most of what you want.

Best of luck and hope this has helped ease your mind,

Madison B.
College Prowler Counselor

Sarah,

You may want to see if you are eligible for state aid. California offers both Work-Study and Loan Forgiveness Programs, depending upon what career you decide to pursue upon graduation. The guaranty agency is conjoined with the aid office and will be able to tell you if you are eligible to apply for a student loan. Here is the contact information:

Financial Aid Office and Guaranty agency
Califormia Student Aid Commission
P.O. Box 510845
Sacramento, CA 94245-0845
916-323-0435

You might qualify for a subsidized Stafford loan, meaning that the government pays the interest while you are in school, but every student qualifies for an unsubsidized Stafford loan (you pay the interest, and it accumulates if you defer payments until after graduation). With unsubsidized Stafford loans, dependent undergraduates can borrow up to $2,625 for their freshman year, $3,500 for their sophomore year, and $5,500 each remaining year. Independent students can borrow an additional unsubsidized $4,000 for the first two years and $5,000 the remaining years. To apply, you must submit the FAFSA form. Then, you can find the downloadable loan forms at http://www.staffordloan.com/.

I would also advise you to look around for local scholarship opportunities. Your high school may offer some as well as nearby rotary clubs, church organizations, etc. Never rule out local opportunities. And don?t be afraid to ask your high school and college counselors for advice.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

Tiffany,

Work-study is a federally funded need-based aid program. How much aid you receive from each federal aid program (grants, loans, work-study, etc.) depends upon your financial need, upon the amount of other aid you receive, and upon the availability of funds at your college. Since work-study is a campus-based program, the university only has a certain amount of funds to administer to that program each year. Therefore, you are wise to want to apply as early as possible.

USF?s Deadline to turn in the FAFSA for the 2006-2007 aid year was March 1, 2006. Therefore, as soon as you are able to fully complete the FAFSA, you should submit it to USF. (However, USF requires that you have applied to the university first, so start getting your application materials together!)

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

Kevin,

Your question is a little difficult to answer, since I do not know what school you will be attending. However, I can tell you this much: Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships. If you attend a Division I or II school, however, you may be eligible to receive a NCAA-sponsored athletic scholarship. To find out more information about that, visit http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships/school.html.

For merit scholarships, the best place to start your search is at your school. See what merit scholarships the school itself offers, if you qualify for any of them, and how you can apply. Then, begin to look around locally. Often, places like your high school, the police department, rotary clubs, and churches offer small scholarships to deserving undergraduate members of the community. Finally, (and this becomes the most overwhelming part of the process) you may try a database search search. Fastweb is one online source to check; also Peterson?s Scholarship Search, College Board?s Fund Finder (a.k.a. ExPAN Scholarship Search), and SRN Express.

Funding your college education is undoubtedly a difficult process, but the end result is definitely worth the trouble. Don?t give up.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

Hi Rhonda,

You are posing a very interesting question. I searched two databases and did not come up with a specific scholarship for a person who has Asperger Syndrome, but I did find a website that has over 1 million scholarships on it that people sort through all th time. I I would have done the search for you, but you need to provide an e-mail address and create a password to enter the site. I would suggest checking out scholarships for Asperger Syndrome first, and then you might want to try a broader topic. I?m pretty sure you will be able to find one. Hope this site helps!

Click Here

Best of luck,

Madison B.
College Prowler Counselor

Carolyn,

I am going to answer your questions out of order.

(3) First of all, whether an out-of-state college costs more for out-of-state students depends upon whether the university is public or private. For instance, Pennsylvania State University is a public college. In effect, in-state residents pay about $10,000 less than out-of-state. However, private schools? tuition stays the same for all students, regardless of residency.

(1) The cost of a college/university should affect your decision-making process, but it should not be the sole or most important factor, nor should affect your choices of where to apply. Never decide not to apply to a school based upon cost of tuition. I say this because, sometimes, financial aid packages will equalize schools that otherwise look unaffordable.

(2) Finally, I invite your parents to look at this website and read the answer I am giving you. As I said before, cost is indeed a factor to consider when choosing what school to attend. However, you need to consider cost after the obstacle of admission is overcome. Be sure to fill out your FAFSA forms on time so that you have access to both federal and private financial aid opportunities. Look at various scholarships individual colleges offer, as well as local scholarship that may exist within your community.
Concerning student loans, you need not be terrified of them. Obviously, loans are the least favorable of all financial aid options, but they exist so that you can still afford to attend a college that will offer you the education you desire. Many helpful books and websites exist to help you understand and find financial aid. When the time comes, do not hesitate to consult these resources.Joey Rahimi

College Prowler Counselor

Kim,

There are many ways to look for scholarships:

1. Check to see what sorts of scholarships your college offers and for which you may be eligible. These should be featured in the application and/or admissions information you receive. If they are not, check the school?s website or call the financial aid office and ask. Your school is a good place to start, since you will only be competing with other people at your college, and not the ?general public.?

2. Check the guidance office at your own high school! These scholarships may not be worth thousands of dollars, but every little bit counts, especially when your chances of wining those little bits are better than ever. You are only competing against a very small population (your classmates, most of whom will probably not bother to apply) for school-sponsored scholarships, so jump on that opportunity! Also, your guidance office will probably have scholarship information that extends beyond what the school offers, and this can be useful, too.

3. Check within your community. Oftentimes, clubs such as Rotaries and Churches offer scholarships for aspiring college-bound youth who can prove they deserve and need scholarship money. Again, these types of scholarships improve your chances of winning, because you are keeping the competition local.

4. Lastly, I hesitantly recommend looking online. These are your hit-or-miss types of scholarships, because after you find ones that fit your individual qualifications, then you must compete blindly against anyone and everyone who also searches for scholarships online. Nevertheless, the internet does offer a wealth of information, and you would be silly not to take advantage of it.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor