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It’s almost time to apply for financial aid!
Did you know the dates for the FAFSA® have changed?
For those who will go to school beginning 2017-2018, students can fill out the FAFSA® as early as October 1st.  Let’s try to get it done before the holidays!  You’ll use the 2015 tax returns, so for most, you should already have all you need.

Here are a couple of best practices:
You should fill out the FAFSA® even if you don’t think you will get need based aid.  It will give you access to federal loans that you may want to use and many merit scholar-ship programs require you to have filled out the FAFSA®.
Know which assets count and which do not and make sure you fill it out correctly.

Watch for priority dates at the schools to which you are applying and don’t miss them.
Check if the schools to which you are applying also take other forms such as the CSS Profile® or their own forms.

Fill out the FAFSA® every year, as your numbers can change, especially when you have two or more students in school at the same time.

And always consider meeting with a financial advisor to make sure you are doing eve-rything you possibly can to fund college costs efficiently!

 

Franklin Butler, CFP®, CLU® and Jennifer Rose, MBA®, CLU®, ChFC®, are Financial Planners and regular educators in community and professional groups on college financing, tax reduction strate-gies, and retirement planning. Their practice is dedicated to helping families implement creative long-term financial strategies to fund college and retirement with minimal out-of-pocket cost.  For additional questions, please feel free to call Jen at 804-301-2375 or Frankie Butler at 804-305-5587.


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