FAFSA - Questions, Answers and More!

Tomorrow is the day!  October 1!  The day that FAFSA opens for the 2021-2022 school year!

People keep asking me about when or how soon the FAFSA should be completed.  I usually explain that it's as if the colleges have this large pot of money.  As time goes on, the amount left in the pot to give to students for financial aid and scholarships starts to dwindle.  It is always better for FAFSA to be filed sooner rather than later...

Another question that I have been receiving is about submitting FAFSA at the same time as the Common Application.  No worries!  The FAFSA can be submitted prior to or after submission of the Common App.  FAFSA and the Common App are independent of each other.

Next question, yes, the FAFSA needs to be submitted every year.  Even if you think that you won't qualify for aid, you are still better off having it submitted.  Watch here to learn more...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyVISQd3-1g

And the last question that I'll share is "How can I make sure that I'm saving the most money?"  Right now, before filing FAFSA, make sure to explore all options, including schools that may not be on everyone's bumper sticker prior to submission of both the Common App and FAFSA to determine probable costs.  It's important to find the schools and programs offering great financial aid packages even before you submit applications!  And, it's also important to find the schools that will not offer your child anything and perhaps not even apply to those schools...  In other words, it's important to do your due diligence. Also, be mindful of the entire financial aid process.  It's not all about FAFSA.  It's the work throughout senior year of college, into 2nd semester that will help you to save the most money.

If you'd like to find out more about College Financial Prep, including the services we offer, click here.

If you'd like to hear the latest about college and finances from myself and College Advisor, Priscilla O'Neill, from Texas, we presented yesterday to the National organization Females and Finance.  You can watch here:   https://youtu.be/zS94A7jlbIk

And If you would like to schedule an appointment with College Financial Prep, now is the time to schedule those research, FAFSA and CSS Profile appointments!  You can call 516-225-5224 or email CollegeFinancialPrep@gmail.com.

College Financial Prep greatly looks forward to working with you and sharing in your family's success!