January

Þ   You need to apply for federal financial aid.

Þ   You need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Þ   It is available to you from your high school counselor, college financial aid office or online.

Þ   Some colleges require you to complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile .

Þ   The Profile is somewhat like the FAFSA. It is also used by some scholarship organizations.

Þ   You need to investigate campus and state financial aid programs.

Þ   Find out if your church or other community organizations are offering scholarships to students.

March

Þ   You need to review your FAFSA results about four to six weeks after you have submitted it.

Þ   You should get your official financial aid results, which are also known as Student Aid Report (SAR).

Þ   You should get the verdict from the college you applied to.

Þ   Your awards if any may consist of: Grants, which do not need to be repaid; loans, which must be repaid; or work study, which allows you to work while going to school.

Þ   Typically you should get award offers from colleges in March or April.

February

Þ   You need to get serious about applying for scholarships.

Þ   Make sure you choose the scholarships that best fit you.

Þ   Make sure you don't apply for an athletic scholarship, if you are a bench warmer.

Þ   Make sure you spend time on filling out your application.

Þ   Promote your scholarship as the best choice to the scholarship judges.

April

Þ   You need to compare award offers.

Þ   You may receive several financial aid award offers from different schools to which you are accepted.

Þ   You need to consider how much the education will cost at each school and, more importantly, how you or your parents will need to pay out of pocket.

Þ   You need to ask for a reassessment if necessary.

Þ   By this time you will need to sign the dotted line to accept the offer.

Þ   You need to then return your college form in a timely manner.

Þ   Make sure you remember that you don't have to accept the whole package.

Þ   You can pick and choose from the various types of money that is offered.

May

Have you figured it out yet?

Þ   You need to: Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! For the real world.

Þ   You need to realize that you might have to help pay or pay for your college education.

Þ   You will definitely need a job.

Þ   You can look in the classified section of the newspaper, search job sites on the internet or ask friends/family members about job leads.