Question: I am currently a junior in high school wanting to go to college in the fall of 2015. When and where should I start looking for financial aid? Thanks for the information. -- High School Junior
Answer: You should be actively engaged right now in determining where you can get aid. A good place to begin is the Federal Student Aid website, studentaid.ed.gov. The office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $150 billion each year to help millions of students pay for higher education grants, loans and work-study funds for college or career schools.
On this website you should go first to "What types of aid can I get?" on the home page. This will give you a quick overview of the major sources of aid: the federal government, your state government, colleges and nonprofit and private organizations. During the summer, you should definitely apply to nonprofit and private organizations for aid or scholarships.
In the fall of your senior year, you should look for scholarship programs available in your high school as well as in organizations and workplaces associated with your parents. Plus, this is a good time to talk to counselors in the financial aid offices of the colleges you may attend about aid and scholarship possibilities. And don't neglect to talk to your high-school counselor about aid that you might be eligible for.
On Jan. 1, 2015, you will need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). You must complete this form to get federal aid. Many states, colleges and organizations also use the information on this form to determine your need for financial help. The earlier that you complete this form, the sooner you will have an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.
After you have investigated the many scholarship and aid opportunities that you have, you need to make a chart showing the application deadlines for those that interest you. You must meet these deadlines to get the help you need. And do limit your applications to aid that you might realistically expect to qualify for.