I really need information on how to get my college paid for.?

Question

Im a middle class senior that needs assisstance in getting college paid for. My parents really dont have the money to pay for everything so I was wondering what scholarships, financial aid, loans or whatever else need to get my college paid for. Im kinda having an anxiety attack right now.

Answer 1

OK, well first of all you should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). You might need to wait to do that until the end of the year, since your parents are supposed to list the income for the whole year. Anyway, you can find that at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. If it ever tells you something about having to pay, stop immediately, you're on a spam site, because this application is free. Once you fill this out the government will evaluate your financial need, and will offer you financial aid based on that. Depending on how much money your parents make (and they don't have to be rich) you might not qualify. But, there are other options.

Secondly, you can apply for independent scholarships. Go to www.fastweb.com to find scholarships that you meet the qualifications for, and apply for as many as you can.

Finally, see what scholarships the schools you're applying to offer. If they require a separate application, fill that out. Sometimes you're automatically considered for scholarships based on your admissions application, so work hard on that. Make sure you apply by the scholarship deadline for the school if it has one. (For example, UT Austin requires you to turn in your admissions application sometime in December, as opposed to March or April, if you want to be considered for scholarships). If there's an Early Action deadline (not the same as Early Decision, where you're required to go to the school if you're accepted) try to apply before that. The earlier you apply, the more likely you are to receive money from the school. Schools will also offer grants to some students based on academic merit, financial need, etc.

So, just make sure you get everything done on time, don't panic, and do the best that you can this year. If after all this you end up not being able to pay for a major university, you can always go to community college a couple years, work really hard, and transfer into a university later. If you get good grades at a community college then you might be able to get a scholarship for the university that you weren't able to get based on your high school grades. Good luck!