7.1.09

Seniors Need to Apply for Financial Aid NOW

I am a high school counselor and I am telling all my students how important it is to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on January 1st and I cannot tell you how many of them will not do this. I want to get the word out. Maybe if you put something in print for ALL HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS some of them will listen and if I post a newspaper column telling the kids it is necessary, more might do it.
High school seniors need to fill out their FAFSA on January 1st if at all possible. Seniors will not receive any of these grants or loans without filling out this form first. Families should visit the website right away to gather the tax forms and information they will need to supply so that they can fill the form out as soon as possible. The website is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and you can fill it all online. They make this as easy as possible. There is no excuse for not doing this on the first day.
When I was a senior in high school, my counselor Mr. Tsuji made me fill out these forms and helped me turn them in on time. He insisted college was possible and he made it possible for me. I put myself through college with the help of the grants I got all because he helped me with this process. College is possible and there are grants and loans out there, but they are first come, first served, so if kids want a shot at any of this money, they need to fill out the form January 1st.