College Financing Seminar
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 7pm
Hull High School Exhibition Room
MEFA’s College Financing Seminars
MEFA's free College Financing Seminars demystify the entire financial aid application process, breaking it down into straightforward concepts that every family can understand. We explain the nuts and bolts of how financial aid works and offer strategies for smoothly navigating the college financing process from beginning to end. Topics include:
- Financial aid applications and eligibility
- The types of financial aid available
- How colleges determine how much aid to offer
- Understanding award letters
Before you attend a seminar, we suggest downloading the following resources so you can start to build a foundation of knowledge and come prepared with questions:
- MEFA’s College Financing e-book covering the basics of college financing
Top 10 Financial Aid Application Tips
From finding paperwork to crunching numbers, filing out forms to juggling deadlines, the financial aid application process can seem complicated and intimidating. We help you keep it simple with these Ten Tips.
- Do not miss deadlines. Keep track of financial aid application requirements and deadlines with the Application Deadline Manager in MEFA’s Financial Aid Toolkit.
- If your taxes are not complete, you may estimate your income in order to meet the deadlines. Be as accurate as possible since your estimates will impact the initial award package you receive. You will be required to provide updated information later.
- Apply online if possible, to reduce errors and speed up the process.
- Remember, when the FAFSA asks for “your name” and “your Social Security Number” it is referring to the student, not the parent.
- When completing the FAFSA online, save your information as you go. This allows you to start your FAFSA application and complete it at another time if necessary.
- If your family has multiple children in college, separate applications must be completed for each of them.
- Apply for your Federal PIN. Dependent students and a parent both need their own PIN to sign the FAFSA electronically. You can apply when completing the FAFSA or apply now.
- If your family has special circumstances that affect your financial situation and your ability to pay for college, consider putting the details in writing and sharing them with the financial aid office at each school.
- Keep copies of everything you are asked to submit to the financial aid office, including tax forms, income statements and bank records. Review the Financial Aid Checklist in MEFA’s Financial Aid Toolkit for a list of what else to keep in your financial aid file.
- Ask questions if you need help. Contact the college’s financial aid office for assistance in completing your forms.
