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Need Money For College? FAFSA Now Open!
If you are planning on pursuing an education after high school and will need help paying for it, then you need to fill out the annual FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2011-2012 school year.
The application is looked at on a first come first serve basis so filling out your FAFSA as soon as possible will be the best thing to do to maximize the assistance you may be eligible for. The state deadline for California is March 2, 2011 while colleges may have specific deadlines so check with the schools you may be planning on going to. It is strongly encouraged to apply for the FAFSA since it is free and you’ll never know how much help and money you will receive unless you complete and submit the application.
There are many different types of assistance available such as grants, federal and private loans, scholarships, and other programs like the work-study which allows students to work to pay for their college expenses.
After submitting your free application, you should receive your EFC or expected family contribution number. This number is in an index that each school looks at in order to decide how much and exactly what kind of assistance will be provided to you. Every school sees the number differently so make sure to fill out the FAFSA and send the information to each school you applied. The EFC is shown in your SAR which stands for your Student Aid Report and this is a summary of the information you submitted along with information about your schools. Typically, the lower your EFC number is the more student aid you will receive.