For months we at AZCollegePlanning.com have been saying that people who would otherwise qualify for Pell Grant money arent even bothering to apply for financial aid.  In the Herald, Mark Rosenberg, the former chancellor of Floridas State University System, confirmed this by citing a recent study that “a significant group of Pell-eligible students attending universities did not take the time to apply for the grant”. 

In other words, they didnt complete a FAFSA when they should have.  And had they completed a FAFSA, they would have qualified for free money!

So, why didnt they submit a FAFSA?  For starters, they probably thought they make too much money to qualify for federal aid. 

This is the number one reason why people dont bother applying. Perhaps you think you make too much money to qualify.  Perhaps you would be wrong.

A second reason could be that parents are intimidated by the form itself.  One parent who came into our office started the FAFSA then stopped when it came to the networth question. If this form is filled out incorrectly the likelihood of financial aid is not very good.

According to a recent NY Times article, President Obamas Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, explained during his confirmation hearing that “You basically have to have a Ph.D. to figure" out the FAFSA.

There are many other reasons why people dont complete a FAFSA.  But what you need to think about is why you should complete one when your student is applying for college:  You can get free money and other assistance that will make college more affordable.

In his article, Rosenberg calls for an “invigorated effort” to get the word out that financial assistance is available. 

Certainly we at AZ College Planning have put forth an “invigorated effort”, offering free workshops to the public on financial aid and how to pay for college.  We have one more workshop this month, and three more scheduled for April. The Civic Center Library filled up completely. Hopefully the Fire Marshall wont cringe at the at-capacity workshop.

If you have college-bound high school students, and youre wondering how the heck youre going to pay the college bill, dont miss this chance to see us live and in person. 

Register for the workshop now, click the RSVP Workshop button.

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Uncategorized by J.D Wyczalek