Invest a short amount of time to fill out a FAFSA and unlock your potential with the financial key to higher education. Graphic by: www.schoolposters.com

VHS students need to start taking advantage of Federal Student Aid

As senior students inch closer to their graduation, the looming question of how to finance higher education can often be unmotivating for the future. However, amidst this uncertainty, one powerful tool stands out as a beacon of hope: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA.

FAFSA serves as the gateway to various financial aid opportunities, offering an array of benefits that can alleviate the burden of college expenses for countless students. Here’s why every high school senior should consider filling out this vital form:

1. Access to federal grants and loans: FAFSA opens the door to federal grants such as the Pell Grant, which provides financial assistance based on a student’s financial need. Additionally, it enables access to federal student loans with lower interest rates and more flexible repayment options than private loans.
2. State and institutional aid: Many states and colleges use FAFSA information to determine eligibility for their grants and scholarships. Students can maximize their chances of securing additional financial aid from state governments and institutions by completing the FAFSA.
3. Work-study opportunities: FAFSA eligibility also extends to federal work-study programs, which offer part-time employment opportunities for students with financial need. These jobs not only provide income to help cover educational expenses but also offer valuable work experience.
4. Comprehensive financial picture: Even if students believe they may not qualify for need-based aid, completing the FAFSA provides a comprehensive overview of their financial situation. This information can be useful in exploring other financing options and planning for future educational expenses.
5. Simplified application process: FAFSA has streamlined the financial aid application process, making it easier for students and families to apply for assistance. The online application guides applicants through each step, helping to reduce errors and ensure that all necessary information is provided.

In light of these benefits, high school seniors must prioritize completing the FAFSA. By taking advantage of this valuable resource, students can unlock a world of financial aid opportunities, making their dreams of higher education more attainable than ever before.

As the deadline for FAFSA submission approaches, we encourage all students to seize this opportunity and take the first step toward securing their future. Remember, the path to higher education is paved with possibilities, and FAFSA is the key to unlocking them. Yet this year in an attempt to make the application simpler, the programming team behind the FAFSA application made some grave mistakes.

Patricia Roberts, the college & careers counselor said, “It’s a complete disaster. The federal government decided for the first time in decades to make major changes to the financial aid program, making it a simpler application with instead of about 140 questions, it’s about 40 questions, but in the programming of the online application the coding team made mistakes. Since there are laws requiring the FAFSA website to be open for applications by Jan. 1 they had to open the website but when students applied for financial aid, there were bugs in the that code decide whether the student gets financial aid or not, so a lot of students are not eligible for financial aid [but] would be if the program for the website was functioning properly. Because of this issue, the priority registration deadline has been delayed all the way to May 2 instead of October which is good news for the students because they have more time to get their applications in, but the colleges are forced to scramble to get all of the students’ applications and decide how much money to give the students in that short amount of time. Colleges haven’t received enough FAFSA applications so instead of having the commitment deadline on May 1, it is on May 15 for UCs and Cal States and for other colleges it was even extended to Jan. 1, because students wouldn’t have time to decide if they want to go to the school. This is causing all sorts of trouble for the students because without knowing if they qualify for financial aid, it’s hard to make important decisions such as housing deposits, etc.”

Silas Wieners ‘24 said, “I completed the FAFSA form, applied for scholarships and now I’m waiting for an aid offer, the shortened amount of questions for the form was nice but it still felt really long.”