subject: Student Applying Financial Application Form For Education [print this page] The cost of attending a college or university is rising and many people often need to supplement their scholarship or grant money with student loans in order to afford the total costs that come with pursuing a degree. Federal student loans often do not require or factor in a credit history or necessitate a high credit score, but rather, simply put a cap on the amount that one can borrow each semester.
Many people often turn to a student aid form, which is one way in which a college bound student can fill out their information and find what forms of student aid may be available to them. Federal student loans also, usually, come with a much lower interest rate and more repayment options and assistance plans for borrowers. Application for federal student aid. You can find their website at estudentaid.com here you can get a copy of their free application for federal grant money form available for download. After filling up this form, you will then be automatically matched with aid programs that you qualify for. For each school year, there are overall federal deadlines for student aid application. In addition to that, each school may also have a priority deadline for free application for federal grant money. So as far as dates are concerned, the one you should pay more attention to is the priority deadline set by the schools, which are often earlier anyway.
On the enrollment side, more and more students are opting to continue going to school after final exams in May. Enrollment has increased for the two summer sessions according to Ethan Logan, managing director of undergraduate admissions. It looks like were trending up a little bit from last years summer enrollment Logan said. I dont have any certified numbers. Enrollment fluctuates on a day-by-day basis until we get to our census date. The census date, according to Logan, is held on the 20th class day of a fall or spring semester but should be earlier during the shortened summer sessions. Having the census date after the early weeks of the academic calendar leads to a more accurate enrollment figure after all students have added or dropped classes.
Increased student interest in the continuation of education during the summer is something that has started to permeate schools across the nation. The culture of higher education is starting to shift slowly but its starting to shift Logan said. To move through the system on time is a much more efficient economical approach for student aid. Theres more of an emphasis on summer education. But simplification needs to happen at the institutional level as well, said Marc Herzog, chancellor of Connecticut Community Colleges. Most two-year students and their parents are mystified by the financial jargon and without clear information about their options they often remain clueless.
When community college students dont receive financial aid, they are forced to attend school part-time or work more than 20 hours, the report said, which reduces their chances of completing a degree and jeopardizes national goals for degree completion. Accessing the financial aid office is a challenge for students taking evening classes or for those who dont navigate college well, said College Board Vice President Ronald Williams. When it comes to financial aid within the institution we tend to wait for students to arrive and then we react to them. In many ways, we look for ways not to provide services said Williams, a former community college president. We need to be less reactive and more proactive. If financial aid is not a schools priority, the office is often tucked away and under resourced, adding to the difficulty for students who dont speak English well or are wary of providing personal information to the government, experts say.
