With college application deadlines approaching, many high school seniors are now focused on researching, visiting and applying to their favorite colleges. At the same time, advises the U.S. Department of Education, it is vitally important that families and students also now begin the process of applying for financial aid.
Financial aid experts agree that the sooner students begin their search for sources that can help them, the greater are their chances of receiving financial aid. The search process can begin anytime after the student’s junior year in high school and continue up to and including graduate school.
There are many newly funded programs this year to help students pay for college expenses. Currently there are nearly 650,000 independent and private scholarship and grant sources available to students, some of which pay 100 percent of a student’s tuition.
The financial aid process can be somewhat confusing especially for those going through it for the first time. Students who take the time to learn the basics and inside workings of the system are much more successful in securing scholarship and other financial aid to help pay for tuition, room and board, text books and other costs.
Now, through the resources at the National Academic Funding Advisory (NAFA), students may receive the updated tenth annual publication for scholarships for academic. The publication helps students understand the financial aid process, describes the essential Steps to Success for receiving scholarship aid, and shows them how to identify sources that can help them receive financial assistance.
For information on how to receive scholarship money for college, trade school or graduate school, send $2 to cover handling to NAFA, 188 Summer St., Scholarship Dept. E2, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Please include mailing and e-mail addresses.
