Financial Aid Tips

By Edu Dreams

Its time to get ready for financial aid season starting in January 2010.  If you are a high school senior and planning for college in the fall of 2010, you and your family should continue to think about how you will pay for college in the fall.  Getting financial aid starts with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid more commonly referred to as the FAFSA.  Here are a few tips to get started:
1.  Learn the financial aid deadline for each college to which you will /  have applied for admission.  If you miss the deadlines you will not receive the financial aid that you may need.
2. Learn which forms you are required to complete.  In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges and universities require other forms including the CSS Profile or their own Institutional form.  Contact the college or university and find out which forms are required.
3. Parents will need to get their 2009 tax forms completed early (most tax filers submit tax forms before April 2010) .  If you usually file your taxes in March or early April you should consider filing your taxes earlier in order to use the accurate tax information on the student's FAFSA and to meet the deadline.
4.  Here are a few very helpful websites for more information:
www.fafsa.ed.gov - apply and get information about applying for federal student aid
www.studentaid.ed.gov - information about federal student aid
www.finaid.org - information about financial aid and scholarships