What Do You Need On-Hand to Complete the FAFSA?

It’s February and you have finally decided to sit down to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You know this form is crucial to determining your eligibility for financial aid, but have been putting this off because you are afraid of becoming overwhelmed or are concerned that you will complete it incorrectly. Before you begin you need to determine whether you are dependent or independent when it comes to income. Independent students can fill out this form using their own financial information; dependent students also need to... Read The Rest →

The Trend of Students Applying to College is Higher Than Ever!

My new passion is about enrollment in college, otherwise known as Enrollment Management (or #EMchat).  There are staff members in colleges who crunch numbers and devise strategies and plans to help shape college admissions and meet established goals.  The numbers of universities and colleges instituting offices of Enrollment Management has increased in recent years. Enrollment Management offices provide help and coordination to offices such as admissions, financial aid, registration and other student services.  (Often these offices are part of an Enrollment Management division.) Enrollment Management is an organizational concept and... Read The Rest →

Why Should You File a FAFSA If You Know You Won’t Qualify?

The FAFSA forms for the 2013-2014 school year came out a few weeks ago and all across America great cries of protest were heard as students and parents alike started coming up with excuses for why they shouldn’t have to complete these dastardly forms. Everyone already “knows” that they won’t qualify so it hardly seems worth the effort to submit a form that just confirms that knowledge. With all these people thinking they don’t qualify, it’s surprising the government is able to find students who are eligible for the over... Read The Rest →

What Is The FAFSA and Why Should You Care?

FAFSA – the name sounds funny, like they should do some FAFSA parody on late night comedy shows. But, if you need help paying for college, FAFSA is one of the most serious things you will do. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. According to Federal Student Aid, “Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward getting federal aid for college, career school, or graduate school.” There are over $150 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds available annually, but you can’t access any of that unless... Read The Rest →

Admissions Collegecash Summary

This week, we welcomed Karen Pull, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Kettering University. Kettering is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) university, where ALL students participate in a paid co-op program. Karen has worked in admissions at several universities in the Midwest and Florida. She loves to talk with students and parents about the college preparation process. Following are her tips and advice regarding the admissions process. If you are a high school senior and still don’t know where you want to apply to college, be aware that there are... Read The Rest →

The Consequences of Senioritis

Are you tired after all those long years of working hard in school every day? Do you feel the sudden urge to do nothing at all? You may be coming down with a serious case of senioritis! Here are some warming signs that you may be afflicted by this disease: Skipping assignments or handing them in late. Grades and GPA are slipping. Dropping out of extracurricular activities. Spending more time with friends than studying. Repeated school absences. Increased tendency to skip classes. Uncharacteristic disciplinary action Sudden behavioral issues. Once they... Read The Rest →

Financial Aid on the Web

Today’s guest, Justin Chase Brown, is a Financial Aid Associate Director at a major 4-year public university working with over 30,000 students.  Justin grew up and attended/graduated college in Texas and moved to the Midwest shortly thereafter, working in financial aid.  He was a financial aid recipient for undergrad and graduate school and has been assisting students with filing the FAFSA for over 7 years. Last July, Federal Student Aid updated their website and consolidated it to studentaid.gov, and also developed it for mobile use.  The new studentaid.gov site is... Read The Rest →

Make A New Year’s Resolution to Apply for Financial Aid Now!

Happy New Year! Now that all of the fun of the holidays is over it’s time to get down to the serious business of figuring out how you’re going to pay for your college education. Many people start planning for the coming year by making a New Year’s Resolution. Statistic Brain just published highlights from a University of Scranton article which said that 45% of Americans will make a New Year’s Resolution. Only 8% will realize total success in achieving their goal, but another 49% will realize at least some... Read The Rest →

Ways to Side-Step the Shortage of Financial Aid

Although nearly every college student wants a scholarship to help pay tuition, only about 50 percent of college students are expected to receive free money each year.  But there are some steps students can take right now to improve their odds of being in the lucky 50 percent: Apply Early for Financial Aid:   It’s wise to start applying for financial aid (both private and college/university grants) at least a year in advance. This gives you enough time to understand the terms and apply accordingly. In addition, due to the economy,... Read The Rest →

6 Foundational Tips for College Freshmen

If you’re new to the college scene, you already know that college is different from high school…a lot different! You’re on your own and the decisions you make will have a large impact on your life. If you’re feeling a bit humble, you’re in a good place. Read on for some tips on how not only to survive, but thrive during your freshman year. 1. Never give up. You may be aware of the statistics that approximately 4 in 10 college students don’t hang around to get their degree. Those... Read The Rest →

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