college grad with money
January is not only the beginning of a new year, but it is also the start of the busiest season for college scholarship applications. High school seniors across the country will be busy updating their resumes, writing essays and completing federal financial aid forms – all in an effort to fund their college educations.
Navigating the college money maze is not an easy task. It is probably one of the most stressful events students and their families will go through in their lifetimes. The cost of four years of tuition, room, board, books and fees can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) is here to help. During the month of January, parents and students have the opportunity to attend one of five Financial Aid Information Nights. Parents and students may attend any of the meetings. Financial aid experts will be presenting on everything from how to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to scholarships. Questions will be welcome and are encouraged.
Speaking of the FAFSA, it is not a secret that many students and parents are fearful of this online application for federal student aid. The 108-question, 10-page form requires information from your last tax return, bank statements, records of investments and statements of untaxed income. However, the application is getting easier than ever by allowing you to skip unnecessary and irrelevant questions. Plus, you can now import your tax return information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) into your online FAFSA form using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. It’s well worth the effort involved to determine if you are eligible for free money for college.
College Goal Sunday: FAFSA Help
CCPS wants to ensure that you get the help you need to complete the FAFSA. In February, CCPS is partnering with several other organizations for College Goal Sunday, a free program that helps students and families complete the application. There will be several locations and times available during the weekend of February 21st-22nd, 2015.
• February 21, 2015, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ave Maria University (5050 Ave Maria Boulevard)
• February 21, 2015, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Hodges University (2655 Northbrooke Drive)
• February 22, 2015, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Golden Gate High School (2925 Titan Way)
Virtual Town Hall Meeting
CCPS also will be holding its second Virtual Town Hall Meeting on College and Career Readiness at 6:00 p.m. on February 12. The meeting will take place at the MLK School Administrative Center (5775 Osceola Trail, Naples) with telecast locations at Immokalee Technical Center (508 North 9th Street, Immokalee) and Everglades City School (415 School Drive, Everglades City).
Don’t procrastinate!
When it comes to getting scholarships, students should be prepared to work hard. “Scholarships take time and effort. They can be very consuming and it is the student’s responsibility,” says Christopher Smith, School Counseling Coordinator for the ninth through twelfth grades. He adds that it is important for students not to wait until their senior year to get started. “There are some awards, mostly competitions, that begin as early as ninth grade.” Smith encourages everyone to check out the scholarship database on the CCPS website: www.collierschools.com. The database recently was upgraded to include new search parameters, and new scholarships are being added daily. During the 2013-2014 school year, nearly $29 million was awarded to students in Collier County Public Schools. That’s up from more than $22 million the prior school year.
A final note for parents of college-bound students, one that you’ve likely mentioned to your children before, it does not pay to procrastinate. Federal student aid is on a first come, first served basis, so apply as soon as possible. The same goes for scholarships, especially those coming directly from the college you plan to attend.
For additional information call (239) 377-0180 or check www.collierschools.com.