Face Your Foe: FAFSA Tips

Quick tips for facing the dreaded FAFSA:

1. Complete your tax return first! This makes gathering the info for the FAFSA so much easier and prevents you from having to submit changes if you guesstimate and then end up wrong.

2. Use the FAFSA on the WEB worksheet and the complete your FAFSA online. It faster and easier than doing the paper form, and results tend to come back quicker.

3. Apply for a PIN online so you can sign the FAFSA electronically and you don't have to bother with sending in the signature page - www.pin.ed.gov.

4. Check out Student Aid on the Web - it has a lot of very helpful information on the financial aid process and really detailed explanations of grants, loans, work study programs, etc. It is a useful resource to use when your receive your Student Aid Report (SAR).

5. DO IT NOW!! The best tip for FAFSA completion is doing it as early as possible. This will set you up for the most reward that you are entitled to and the smoothest process with lots of time for decision making and paperwork.

Juniors - This year, 2007, is the year that your freshman financial aid will be based on. Keep that in mind when thinking about your application next year.

Cold? Warm Your Heart with MONEY

OK, so the title is cheesy, but after being stuck at home with my children for two days under ice and snow, my mind is thawing out and losing grip. But not enough to where I have forgotten about my promise to give you tips for spring semester college preparation.

My word for seniors and juniors today is the same - MONEY. The spring is the perfect time for begin/continue financial aid and scholarship applications, both for seniors and juniors. Seniors should be getting the FAFSA done and checking out local scholarship opportunities which often have deadlines in February and March. Juniors can begin checking out national scholarship competitions through Fastweb (some allow juniors to apply) and looking into special opportunities at your schools of choice to attend summer workshops and camps for high school students (this looks GREAT on future applications).

The key this month for financial aid is not to slack off or give up because you think it's too early or too late. If you get on the ball, you can pay for college. Countless stories can be found out about individuals who practically paid for college by gathering as many scholarships as they could find, both large and small. Check out the Scholarship Coach - he paid for Harvard through his hard work!

Good luck, and let me know how I can help.

AAHH!! It's JANUARY!!

Don't panic! It's not too late to get started with the admissions and financial aid process. In the next couple of posts I am going to lay out a plan for the Spring semester for seniors and juniors with guidelines and ideas for students no matter where they are in the process. Keep checking back daily for new posts and information and, as always, comment with any questions, concerns, etc.

If you would like to meet with me face to face this semester (and you live in the Hill Country area), I will be available Mondays and Wednesdays at Tivy High School during the lunch hours (10:30 a.m. to 12 :30 p.m.) in the Tivy Tutoring Center (Library Lab A). No appointment necessary - parents welcome, too!

Additionally, I am teaching two Community Education (Club Ed) classes in February - Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 10 - from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Feb. 3 class will focus on the college search, admissions, and application processes. The Feb. 10 class will center around financial aid and scholarships. Both classes will be held at the Auld Center in Kerrville. Visit the Club Ed website for additional information - www.clubed.net.

A quick tip for today......
Seniors: The FAFSA for school year 2007-2008 is now available online! Click on the FAFSA Online link in my Links section and get started ASAP. Just make sure your parents have completed the 2006 return first!
Juniors: Start searching for scholarships and scheduling campus visits now! Spring of your junior year is the best time to really get going. Check out Fastweb in my Links section for a free online scholarship search, and make the most out of your Spring Break by scheduling tours of AT LEAST your top three to five choices.

Welcome to Mission Admission

Welcome! This is really just a test post to see if my new blog is working. I look forward to sharing tips and advice on the college admissions and financial aid process with you. I hope that this venue can be a great resource for my current clients as well as a source of information and assistance to anyone browsing the internet looking for help! Keep checking back as my blog develops, and do not hesitate to comment or email me with questions, issues, concerns, etc.