by Ashley Mytych
(Vernon, CT, United States)
Having a difficult time with FAFSA... See where you can get help! Attend a FAFSA Help Session. - I heard the word “FAFSA Application” at school through my counselors, and I didn’t know what it was or where to start. I successfully completed the FAFSA form with the help of many people. Rockville High School, which is my current school sent out flyers and made announcements saying that the seniors needed to fill out a FAFSA form. They stated that there would be many staff in the building to help if you needed it.
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by Ludi Zhao-Orena
(Mineola, NY, USA)
Here is a word of advice for first-timers: unless you have done this multiple times already, do not do your own FAFSA financial aid. Most parents assume only an online application has to be completed, and then FAFSA Correction updated after receiving tax returns. However, it is far more difficult than the general assumption, so professional assistance is a must in applying for financial aid.
Do not try to fool the government or colleges; they will catch up and will unleash heavy consequences. In this unstable economy, more than 90% of American families cannot afford the high cost of college. Most families try to save up as much money as possible for their kids. However, due to the struggling income, some of these families might have used their savings for other necessary expenses, some might not have that much money saved anyway, and many others did not even save any money at all. People need, and want, money.
Let’s face it: it’s virtually impossible to afford college for average working families. In turn, people beg the government for money. The government does not care about family situations. Regardless of how much schools cost, if you make more than a certain amount of income annually, the government assumes you have enough money to pay for college. So people, in return, lie about their income.
I heard a story from my financial aid advisor. Mr. Doe (real names will not be disclosed) had two sons; he completed the FAFSA by himself for this eldest son. He messed it up horribly. First, he has four people in his household; he put down six, thinking it will increase his financial aid. Second, he did not know that his wife never changed her name on her Social Security card. Third, he was completely unaware of many other college requirements. He thought the federal government won’t find out because it doesn’t have time to do a background check on everyone. My advisor was not clear on what happened after that, but the end result was that his numerous mistakes cost him thousands of dollars in financial aid. He realized how silly he was to do the FAFSA first time without help, so he came to my advisor to do his youngest son’s FAFSA. He begged her to fix his mistakes, but she refused. She can fill out FAFSA forms, she cannot perform miracles. Apparently, it would take a miracle to fix all of the mistakes he made.
First-timers think they are so clever and can fool the government. Unfortunately, they can’t. The consequences for lying are not limited to the denial of financial aid, but you can also face jail time and heavy fines. There are professionals that are well-qualified to help you through this process. So please, get yourself some help and a clue. Thank you for reading.
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by Gnei Dimple Dole
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
When filing out the FAFSA it can be confusing, especially for my parents because they both do not know how to use a computer. Luckily, my school has FAFSA help sessions.
I attended Kaimuki High School in Honolulu, Hawaii and I was fortunate to have attended a great school because they were very helpful. In Hawaii there were a couple of high schools that were having the FAFSA help sessions that helps students fill out their FAFSA in one hour or less.
The people who helped us fill out our FAFSA Application were actual college students who were majoring in accounting and they were kind enough to come to our school to help us for free. The college students were coming from Chaminade University and they really did all the work and filled out our FAFSA.
Always ask your school if they are having any help sessions to help students who are struggling to fill out their FAFSA.
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by Yara Celaya
(Laveen, AZ )
When I first applied for financial aid for college, I had no idea the headache it would be. Be prepared to sit for 30 minutes straight and be prepared with your tax information from either your parents or yourself to answer the complicated questions from the previous school year. Have your school's financial aid advisor’s phone number at hand to make sure that any questions that arise can be answered immediately!
What ever you do, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wait until last minute to file your application; as most students get comfortable with the process the procrastinate. If for some reason you decide to wait and put it off it will definitely not be in your favor as the opportunity for help from your advisors is not readily available as one would like!
Look for the help tab above or between text on the application online to help you answer the questions that arise, as the application is user friendly. If you get completely lost, ask for an appointment with your financial advisor at your school of choice to sit and fill it out!
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