Don’t judge a college by its brochure! If you’re serious about going to college, then you need to look beyond those expensive, glossy, full-color college brochures, or fancy websites, which tout the institution’s image and credentials. To get the most out of your campus visit, you must gather first-hand intelligence about the schools on your…
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One way to reduce the cost of higher education is to attend a public university. However, the student may face a huge “cost premium” if he or she does not qualify as a resident of the state where the public university is located. In the past, elaborate rules for in-state tuition qualification were established to…
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High school juniors will begin to look seriously at colleges soon and some of the key factors that these students will look at in their college search is 1) the looks and size of the campus, 2) the quality of campus life, 3) the honors and study-abroad programs, 4) fraternities and sororities, and 5) the…
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Q: How can I find out about what scholarships are out there? A: Your best scholarship research sources include: The Internet (try the free scholarship search engine located at the FastWeb website http://www.fastweb.com), your local community (contact your local chamber of commerce); and your high school guidance counselor. Q: Can I apply for a scholarship…
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High school juniors need to turn their attention to private scholarships now. There are many scholarships with applications that are due in the fall of the student’s senior year. If you delay this process due to procrastination or because you are preoccupied with upcoming summer activities, you could lose a major opportunity to get…
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Most college scholarships and grants are available through the Federal and State governments, which are ultimately controlled by the colleges themselves. However, there are a few Private scholarships that are available through outside, private sources. These private scholarships are very competitive though, and scholarship judges may spend just a few precious minutes or even seconds…
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ROANOKE (WSLS 10) – The average cost of college can top $20,000 a year when you add in room and board. Families all over the country are trying to save for retirement and kids college. Paulette Recktenwald will be making one less lunch soon when her oldest son goes off to college. “I want them…
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Once the government calculates your family’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), it will then be displayed on your Student Aid Report (SAR). And once the colleges receive their copy of your SAR, they may decide to do a verification (audit) of the financial information provided by your family. Verification is a simple process for families and…
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The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a confusing government-type report that summarizes the information that you provided on the FAFSA financial aid form. The following are some guidelines involving the SAR. Your SAR will usually contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the number used in determining your eligibility for federal student aid. Your EFC will…
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Financial aid applications, such as the FAFSA, should be submitted as soon as possible after January 1, but no sooner . You cannot submit the form before January 1, because the need analysis process uses your financial information from the prior tax year when calculating eligibility for the upcoming award year. To meet the…
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