Even
before you start searching for scholarships, the best
thing to do is to try the FAFSA
site FIRST for grants, scholarships or low-interest
loans first (in case your scholarship doesn't materialize...)
The
yellow box, (just scroll down to see it), has some more
hints on how to correctly fill out your FAFSA form.
BUT
FIRST: About the FAFSA form: it is on the official government
site, and once you register, your information goes out
to many different schools. If you qualify for a scholarship
at a school, they will contact you. It is all done automatically.
This is a great first step, because you may decide to
start school with a student loan or grant, and then
apply for a scholarship for the next year or for graduate
school.
ABOUT
CREDIT CARDS...
I
know that some people fund their schooling sometimes
on a credit card. That is NOT a wise decision. The interest
rates alone can really be a problem, especially because
most people have their hands full just paying for books
and staying afloat when they are going back to school.
There
is another good reason why credit cards aren't the best
choice when paying for classes. There is the time factor
- a scholarship and/or a government loan should allow
you to pay when your college is done, and not before.
So - doing your FAFSA can really help, in more ways
than one.
THE
FUTURE OF STUDENT LOANS...
The
next president elected will, I hope, review and fix
the scholarship and loan process and offer students
low-interest government loans, and allow people to cancel
their debt with service. If they do, I may head back
to school yet again.
MORE
ABOUT HOW TO FILL OUT YOUR FAFSA FORM:
You
will need your tax forms to fill this out. Remember
to save each page as you fill it out. Also: the earlier
you fill it out, the better. You can use the FAFSA information
to enroll for regular or for online classes. Each year
in January, you get to fill out a NEW fafsa form. Always
redo this form once a year.
Each
time you fill out a page, click the "save"
button at the bottom to make sure the site keeps your
information. If you do not, you run the risk of losing
all your work and having to start over! This happened
to me twice. Now I know better.
HOW
THIS WEB PAGE CAN HELP YOU
This
web page is made to help you find other sources for funding
your college experience - - FREE ones, if possible. Scholarships
or grants are much better than loans, because you never
have to pay them back.
