Before you apply
You may ultimately decide which college to attend based on cost, but don’t begin by assuming one school will cost you more than another—regardless of the prices listed in catalogs.

“I can’t afford a private college or university,” you say? In many cases, it costs no more to go to a private college than a state school. For low-income students, it may cost less to go to a private school. Don’t write off private colleges without comparing the actual costs.

Tips on applying
Meet deadlines. You snooze, you lose. Know the deadlines for the schools you are applying to and ask which applications get priority. At some schools, it’s first-come, first-served: funds are awarded as applications are received. At other schools, applications that come in after a specific deadline receive lower priority. By meeting or beating deadlines, you’ll also have your award notices back from schools in time to compare offers between colleges (and perhaps even negotiate a better deal).

Warn your parents. In order to fill out financial aid forms, your parents will have to do their taxes earlier than they have probably ever done them before, preferably in early January. But don’t use estimated data! Using estimated data on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can delay your application and lead to problems if the estimates aren’t accurate.

Neatness/completeness. Financial aid administrators are constantly horrified by what students submit: applications that are coffee-stained, written in pencil, illegible, sloppy, or incomplete. You say you’re interested in studying science or engineering in college? Pretend this is your first class assignment.

Ask for help. Contact the financial aid office at the school you’re interested in if you have any questions. Many schools have 800 numbers and most also offer online resources. Don’t worry about asking “dumb” questions—the process can be confusing, especially if you’re applying for the first time. Besides, it’s much easier for colleges to answer your questions while you’re filling out forms in the middle of December than to have to call you back in March.

Keep copies. Keep a folder with a copy of every application you fill out. You may need to refer to it later.

The FAFSA. Everyone should file the FAFSA (available in both English and Spanish). Check out each college’s priority deadline for aid and your state’s deadline for state aid. Don’t miss them! The FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal loans and grants and for most state loan, grant, and scholarship programs. Even if your family has a high income, fill out the FAFSA. It makes you eligible for aid from the school’s own funds and for federal education loans at low interest rates. File it as soon after January 1 as possible, right after your parents get their taxes done.

You can file the paper form or file online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Double check your application to be sure all the information, from your social security number to your birthdate, is correct. Questions? You’ll find extensive help available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, and FAFSA has a great helpline: 800-433-3243.

CSS PROFILE. This form is used by many private colleges to award aid from their own funds. It asks different questions than the FAFSA. You must fill it out online: www.collegeboard.com. Click on For Students, then look under Pay for College. Helpline: 305-829-9793. Cost: $5 registration fee plus $18 per school.

Local scholarships. Local organizations want to give their money to local students. Take the time to apply—many students don’t. Check with your high school guidance office, your town hall, your congressperson, and local organizations such as the Rotary or Lions clubs. Ask each school what their policy is toward these “outside awards.” Many schools used to deduct this money from any grants they gave you, leaving you no better off, but many schools now deduct it from the amount your family must pay or from the amount you need to borrow.

Get help online. Financial aid information is available at:

• www.finaid.com
  
• www.studentaid.ed.gov (English or Spanish)
  
• www.fafsa.ed.gov (see Tips, right)
  
• www.nasfaa.org (the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators website) Click on “Parents and Students.”
  
• www.collegeboard.com/parents—click on “Pay for College.”

Search for scholarships on the Web. Most scholarship search sites (like www.fastweb.com, PC&U’s www.careersandcolleges.com, and www.findtuition.com) are free. It is not necessary to pay for scholarship search services, as the same information is readily available for little or no cost.

Tax credits and tax deductions. There are two tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning) and a number of possible tax deductions for college costs. Go to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov and search for Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” Or call 1-800-829-3676 and request Publication 970.

Making a final decision
Compare offers. Compare the true cost to you of each aid package. Which expenses are taken into account (i.e. travel, books, full room and board)? How much of the aid is in grants that do not need to be repaid? What will happen with outside awards—that is, scholarships? Ask if any grant or aid money from the school requires you to maintain a certain grade point average in order to have it renewed each year. If so, be careful: a grade point average higher than 3.5 can be difficult to maintain. For a chart you can use to compare your aid offers, go to www.collegeboard.com/parents and click on “Pay for College,” then “Compare Aid Awards.”

Speak up! Never take anything from the financial aid office as gospel. Call and make your case for a better aid package. Always be polite. Supply any facts on your family’s financial situation that would strengthen your case, and ask about any merit awards that might be added to your package. If you did exceptionally well your final semester in high school, let them know, as they won’t yet have those grades and might award you additional merit aid.

Ask about employment on campus. Jobs are often available even if you have not been given a work-study award.

Look beyond the aid package when deciding on a school. If College A is giving you a better aid package, but College B is the school you really want to attend, it might be worth it to you and your family to sacrifice a little more. As a science or engineering major, the likelihood is that even if you have to borrow more now, in the long run getting the best education will more than pay off.

Article by Deborah Knight, a freelance writer based in San Diego, is a frequent contributor to PC&U’s Science & Engineering edition and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com