Financial Aid educated GCSU all of February

     With all the many expenses that are involved in obtaining a college education, financial aid has become an important means to paying for college. Financial aid includes more than scholarships; it also encompasses grants, loans and work-study. In today’s society, there are so many ways to pay for college; however, students must be willing to give a little creativity and time in order to find their best option.
     In support of Financial Aid Awareness Month, February, GCSU established an information table right next to the Arts &  Science fountain. While the table was in operation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, the Financial Aid staff was willing to answer questions and inform students of the many financial aid options.
     “February, which is Financial Aid Awareness Month, is when students should be applying for next year’s financial aid,” said Cathy Crawley, the associate director of Financial Aid.
     When conducting yearly events, GCSU’s Financial Aid decided to place their information table in a high traffic area, the fountain.
     “Often, financial aid is given through government mandate programs that have rules and regulations that are not given in student terms,” said Crawley.
It has become Financial Aid’s goal to make applying for assistance easier by presenting the terms in plain English.
     “At first, I thought that the only funding I could receive was through the HOPE scholarship,” said Sarah Farmer, freshman GCSU student, “but now I know, through Financial Aid’s emails, that there is tons of money available for students to receive.”
     Crawley believes that one of the most important tips to receiving financial aid is to apply early.
     “This will allow students to receive any funding that is there,” said Crawley.
     Staying in touch through Financial Aid emails, and actually reading what is being sent out, are also very important tips for obtaining aid. 
     There are some significant dates that every student should keep in mind. The standard deadlines for the FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at GCSU includes March 1, “if you qualify for need based aid,” said Crawley, “and July 1 will ensure that aid will be available for classes during the following school year.”
     Kristin Hooks, a financial aid counselor who was present at the information table, advised students that “free money equals applying early.”
     In other words, it is very important, just as Crawley mentioned, to apply for scholarships and aid early to receive the most money possible. As the old adage says, “the early bird gets the worm.”
     In addition to informative counselors, the information table also consisted of pamphlets and brochures for students to pick up and read at a later time. Important dates were included on postcards and enlarged fake paper currency.
     The creativity in how financial aid presented important dates reminds students to be creative when it comes to searching for financial aid. A college education is an experience of a lifetime, and financial burdens should not conflict with students’ goals of obtaining a higher-level of education.

Steps for applying for aid

1. Apply and be accepted for admission to GCSU.

2. Apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applications are available from the Financial Aid Office.

3. When completing the FAFSA, be sure to list GCSU in the school section of the application using our Federal School Code of 001602.
 
4. Be sure to report to the Financial Aid Office, in writing, any pending outside scholarships.

5. In no more than four weeks, the student will receive an e-mail notification with a direct link to the student’s online Student Aid Report.
 

6. Please verify with the GCSU Financial Aid Office that an electronic copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) has been received.

7. Verification is the process by which the U.S. Department of Education requires schools to check a certain percentage of their financial aid applications for accuracy.

8. Parents of dependent students who apply for the PLUS Loan must complete a PLUS application as well as the other listed requirements.

9. Students will be notified of their eligibility for financial aid through either an electronic Award Letter or explanation of ineligibility not more than two weeks after they complete the application process.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 7 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry